As the chess world digests the devastating news of the passing of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, I found myself thinking back to our first interview in August of 2020 (Episode 191). At the time, as chess boomed during the pandemic, Danya was ascending from promising young American player to chess commentating superstar. In the interview Danya’s eloquence, empathy, and hilarious impersonations were on full display. It is among the most listened-to Perpetual Chess episodes in the podcast's 9 year history. Danya's loss is immense and I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and many fans. - Ben
00:00 – 03:15
Ben’s tribute and introduction following Danya’s passing (2025)
03:16 – 04:00
2020 Interview with Danya begins- Introduction to Danya’s chess background and early achievements
04:00 – 06:00
Danya on listening to Perpetual Chess and favorite episodes
06:00 – 10:00
Discussion of the Hikaru–Magnus finale and Armageddon tiebreaks
10:12 – 13:10
Early fascination with blitz and bullet chess; childhood training habits
13:10 – 16:00
Blitz addiction story and lessons from IM John Donaldson
16:00 – 21:40
Practical tips on blitz improvement — tactics, intuition, and time management
21:40 – 26:30
Deep dive into time management and “15-second rule” from Hikaru analysis
26:30 – 33:00
Stories of playing Magnus and Alireza online; Rebecca Harris account origin
33:00 – 36:15
Etiquette and psychology of elite bullet matches
36:15 – 38:10
What Danya works on to improve; paradox of bullet skill vs. classical weakness
38:10 – 40:10
Balancing streaming, teaching, and training during COVID
40:10 – 43:00
Untapped potential and thoughts on improvement as a 2600+ GM
43:00 – 45:30
The continuing value of classical chess in a fast-paced world
45:30 – 49:10
Teaching and streaming as dual passions; insights on Twitch culture
49:10 – 54:30
Streaming schedule, viewer expectations, and sustainability
54:30 – 56:30
The pressures and pitfalls of Twitch streaming; handling trolls
56:30 – 1:00:00
Patreon questions: notebooks, writing process, and early books
1:00:00 – 1:03:00
How Mastering Positional Chess came to be; influence of Russian literature
1:03:00 – 1:06:00
Formative chess books and lessons from Kasparov and Soviet literature
1:06:00 – 1:09:30
Advice for adult improvers: training priorities and tactical habits
1:09:30 – End
Reflections on commentary, pedagogy, and love of teaching
Photo in thumbnail via Charlotte Chess Center:
https://www.charlottechesscenter.org/staff/gm-daniel-naroditsky
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