In Episode 244, I have the pleasure of conversing with National Expert Amir Moazami, Founder of Rookly, a platform for online lessons. Amir started playing chess with Gregory Cesar at the Horace Mann School in Kindergarten. He has a BA from Cornell University. We speak about competitive chess, tips for improvement, school programs, national championships and more. 

In Episode 230, I converse with Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Seventh-Highest Rated Player in History. Maxime Vachier- Lagrave, often referred to by his initials, MVL, is the current World Blitz Champion and second highest rated player in France, behind the country's new recruit Alireza Firoujza. We speak about chess at Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris, the upcoming World Team Championship in Jerusalem, benefits of blogging, the art of a good team, his road to World Champion, his World Blitz Championship victory, his apperance at our 22nd Podcast Guest Dan Pelletier's Bridgeport Open, the magic of 1990, international recruitment, the Effects of The Queen's Gambit, thoughts about the Carlsen- Niemann controversy, the benefits of studying math in college and more. 

In Podcast Episode 224, I converse with FIDE Master Nate Solon, Data Scientist. Nate is a Data Scientist Consultant at Chessable and is a former poker player. He has his Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. Nate provides weekly chess improvement insight tips in his newsletter Zwischenzug.We speak about Michigan football, over-the-board tournaments, blitz as a vehicle for chess improvement, evaluation, simplicity, mathematical decision making, data for opening preparation, Nakamura's recent successes, in streaming and playing and more. 

In Episode 215, I converse with Rebecca Solodovnik, Psychotherapist & Certified Management Specialist. She is the owner of mindfree me, which helps clients with anxiety, anger, body image, coping with health issues, depression, eating disorders, grief, self esteem, stress, trauma, PTSD, and workplace trauma. She previously held senior Human Resources positions at Lord & Taylor, INTERMIX, Michael Kors, Valentino, Versace and Chardan. We speak about professional transitions, the universe, benefits of chess for employees, the inner child, artificial barriers, Queen's Gambit,  mindfulness, stigmas against psychotherapy and more. 

In Episode 202, I converse with Grandmaster James Plaskett, Former British Chess Champion, a strong player, author and  Who Wants to be a Millioniare? winner, live from the 2022 National After-School Association Convention in Las Vegas. He recently published a new book Bread and The Circus about his experience playing on the show. We speak about his development as a chess player with fellow British top players Nigel Short, Michael Adams and Nigel Davies, the Plaskett's Puzzle, coincidences versus divine providence, chess players in game shows, the giant octopus, and more. 

In Episode 201, I converse with Davina Chebin, CEO of Divine Healing by D, Certified Reiki Master, Medical Intuitive & Spiritual Coach, and CMO at Almaz Investments. Davina has her BA in English Literature from Pace University. We speak about the real estate hustle, time management, the importance of self-care, delegation, an introduction to reiki, mindfulness' effect on critical thinking , the development of peak performance and more. For some more words of wisdom from Davina, see this guest blog post. 

In our Milestone 200th Episode, I have the honor and privilege of conversing with the "Chess Gladiator" FIDE Master Asa Hoffmann. He is known as "the sparring partner of champions, with a peak regular rating of 2471. He was portrayed in the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer by actor Austin Pendleton.  He recently published his autobiography The Last Gamesman: My Sixty Years of Hustling Games in the Clubs, Parks and Streets of New York.We speak about playing chess with Marcel Duchamp,  computers' effect on the rising number of prodigies, playing Bobby Fischer for $3/game, Fischer's individualist legacy, his recollection of the 1972- Fischer-Spassky match, his potrayal in Searching for Bobby Fischer, his interview in  Bobby Fischer Against the World, meeting Henry Kissinger, his friendly rivalry with our 112th Podcast Guest "Iron Man" International Master Jay Bonin, questions from our special guest International Master Yaacov Norowitz, Trompowsky Attack theory, ways to deal with intimidation, the ideal opponent, playing an assortment of games at the Fleahouse, poker, and more. 

In Episode 192, I converse with National Master Josh Sinanan, President of the Washington Chess Federation.  He is on the board of other chess nonprofits, including Chess Mates Foundation, Northwest Chess Foundation, and Chess Enrichment Association, and  teaches after-school chess classes in about 10 different Seattle-area schools. We speak about the Seattle chess scene, motivation for high-schoolers to continue playing chess, book recommendations, his talks at Amazon and Microsoft with our 154th Podcast Guest Jim Egerton, Author of Business on the Board, the latest initiatives of the Washington Chess Federation, top tips for chess improvement, a testimonial for Chessable and more. 

In Podcast Episode 189,  have the privilege of conversing with Candidate Master Danilo Cuellar, who teaches a lot of our virtual programs and in-person classes in Rockland County and New Jersey.  He has been has been playing chess and teaching in Rockland County, Westchester and New Jersey for 20+ years. Danilo tied for 1st in the 1997 New York State Open Class "B" division. He is also a massage therapist, acupuncturist, and chinese herbalist and writes on a variety of topics, including  Voluntaryism, Agorism, Precious Metals, Anarcho-Capitalism, Austrian Macroeconomics, Statism, The Federal Reserve, and Libertarianism.We speak about his thoughts on The Queen's Gambit, ways to get more women involved in chess, homeschooling curriculum development, his kids learning chess by osmosis, the art of time management,  online chess versus over-the-board chess, the healing process and more. 

In episode 178, I converse with Galen Pyle, CEO of Best Knight Games and Senior Strategic Advisor at FOCUS Investment Banking Business Owners: Let's Discuss Selling Your Business. He is an Experienced E-Commerce CEO with a 10+ years history of scaling and selling e-commerce businessesWe speak about his leadreship of the Reed College Chess Club, the global chess community, the intersection of cloud computing and chess, a compare and contrast of business brokers and investment banking strategtic advisors, market trends in the chess equipment industry, the Portland chess scene, the impact of The Queen's Gambit on the chess industry and more.

In Episode 176, I converse with Elana Margulies Snyderman, Senior Manager, Publications at EisnerAmper and Co-Founder of Phyt Cares. During the day, she oversees, produces and edits various publications of many of EisnerAmper's largest industry groups and service lines. By evening, she volunteers to help run Phyt Cares,  the 501c3 U.S. tax exempt and 1101.01 Puerto Rico tax exempt non-profit arm of Phyt Gym. It educates youth and communities in New York City and Puerto Rico through fitness. She is spearheading the organization's virtual fundraiser, which is taking place on November 3. We speak about her thoughts on the Acclarity Conference for Economic Recovery, which we were both speakers at, life as a Brandeis University student, podcasting with EisnerAmper, applications of chess in venture capital, private equity and hedge funds, training underprivileged youth, Phyt Cares' upcoming fundraiser and more.

In Episode 175, I conerse with Debra Brunner, Chief Executive Officer at The Together Plan, which facilitates community capacity building for communities in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union. We speak about the disconnected Belarusian Jews, the top Belarusian chess players, a sparknote summary of Belarus, ways to get involved with The Together Plan and their upcoming Zoymen 2021 Virtual Conference on October 10 and October 17, which will feature a talk from our 116th Podcast Guest Sylvie Heyman.

In Episode 174, I have the pleasure of conversing with Jessi Shakarian, User Experience Designer at DIA Design Guild. Thanks to The Queen's Gambit, Jessi recently got into chess and is excited to play her first over-the-board tournament in November. Follow her on Twitter.We speak about the The Queen's Gambit, The User Experience (UX) of various chess sites, common misconceptions about chess, ways to get started in the game as an adult, educational chess Twitch streamers, parallels between the UX process and a chess game, and more. 

In Episode 173, I converse with Cory Reader, Chief Investment Officer at HK Wealth Management, Inc. Cory was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. He played basketball professionally with the LA Clippers and the Portland Trailblazers. Basketball took him all around the world, playing on 5 different continents (excluding Africa & Antarctica).He retired from Basketball in December 2004 at the ripe old age of 32 and  came to work in the Investment Management Industry at Smith Barney (which became Morgan Stanley in 2009.On June 30, 2017 he tendered his resignation to Morgan Stanley and left the Broker/Dealer world for good, partnering with his friend and colleague, Al Knobloch and HK Wealth Management, Inc. We speak about transferrable skills in chess and basketball, preventing artificial barriers, Return on Investment in chess and financial investments,, market cycles pre and post COVID-19 and more. 

In Episode 172, I converse with Woman FIDE Master Uyanga Byambaa, Economics PHD Student at University of California, Berkeley.  Learn more about her through her blog My Memorable Tournaments. We speak about our memories of the 2012 Northern California International tournament, her thoughts on female titles and tournaments, her upbringing in Mongolia, ideas to keep middle and high schoolers motivated in chess, improvement tips, the importance of analyzing one's own games, objectives for global economic development, parallels between coding and chess, applications of chess in economics and finance and more. 

In Episode 171, I converse with Michael Chadwick, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson with Corcoran Group.  He does sales and rentals all over New York City and has been featured on The Real Deal, Real Estate Weekly,  The New York Times and more. We speak about the reasons there are so many actors in real estate, brokers' transitions between firms, the ability to think ahead in chess and real estate, his thoughts on The Queen's Gambit, the art of charity and more. 

In Episode 170, I converse with Florian Helff, Chess Tournament Manager and Director of Business Development at Corporate Esports Association. In addition to preparing for the Second Corporate Chess Championship, which is taking place virtually from September 4- December 11, he works as a software engineer at Twitch. Furthermore, he is the Club President of the Amazon Chess Club and is the Washington Chess Federation board member for Corporate and Collegiate Chess. We speak about the benefits of corporate chess programs, reasons to register for the upcoming Second Corporate Chess Championship, the art of giving to charity through chess, quality assurance in chess and programming Amazon's "Working Backwards" principle, the rising chess community on Twitch and more.  

In Episode 169, I converse with Grandmaster Alexander Fishbein, who is a Director and Desk Strategist at TD Securities. He won the 1st Denker Tournament of High School Champions in 1985. He also has earned the 1st place prize at some of the United States' major open tournaments, including the World Open and the National Open. One of his other major claims to fame is beating Super Grandmaster Alexei Shirov.  We speak about winning major national tournaments, applications of chess in finance,  top improvement tips,  training his son Mitch to become a master, his family's immigration to the United States from Russia due to anti-semitism, his new book The French Exchange Comes to Life and more.

In Episode 168, I converse with National Expert Brian Wilmeth, Premier Chess Director of Virtual Programmers and Programmer. Brian splits his time between teaching chess, managing our virtual programs, and freelancing programming web and IOS applications. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Polytechnic University and a certificate in Human Relations from Dale Carnegie Training. We speak about his entry in the New York chess scene, the Brooklyn Tech chess community,  the programming of educational applications, the paralells between chess and programming, habit making, chess improvement tips, the art of resilience, virtual teaching and more. 

In Episode 167, I have the pleasure of speaking with Karel van Delft, Author of Chess for Educators.  Karel van Delft is a psychologist and chess trainer in Apeldoorn.  He has is Masters in Psychology from University of Amsterdam. His son Merijn is an International Master.We speak about chess as a metaphor for life, the potential for autistic and other special needs students to learn the game,  the Euwe museum in Amsterdam, the Dutch chess scene, the Development of Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2021 Champion Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest, game-based learning and more.

In Episode 166, I converse with FIDE Master Justus Williams, Founder of Black Squares, which offers a range of opportunities for St. Louis city youth aged 6-18 to engage with chess. through an after-school program, group lessons and play, and weekend tournaments. Justus originally hails from the Bronx, NY and has been highlighted for his chess skills in major outlets such as the New York Times, Brooklyn Castle, and TMZ.  Justus was also featured in a Cadillac commercial, which showcased prodigies from various fields. We speak about the New York City chess scene, his experience teaching in South Africa with David Macenulty and Jonathan Corbblah, a day in the life at IS 318,  studying with grandmasters at Webster University and elsewhere, the importance of playing lots of games, the importance of endgame study, ideas for time management,  working with inmates in prison, decision making on and off the board and more. 

In Episode 165, I converse with Grandmaster Patrick Wolff, a two-time US Champion and Founder of Grandmaster Capital Management, a hedge fund that received seed capital from Peter Thiel, the founder of Clarium and a strong chess player himself. We speak about his inspiration from Fischer Boom, his wins against Former World Champions Garry Kasparov and Mikhail Tal, stories from working with Viswanathan Anand,  the importance of endgame study, the effect of computers on opening study, the game-like nature of investments and more.

In Episode 164, I converse with Andrew Stein, a former investment banker, who founded Oprhaned Starfish Foundation (OSF). OSF works with 12,000+ orphans, victims of abuse and trafficing and other impoverished children in 26 countries. They have established 57 computer centers. We speak about Andrew's global investment banking and children's magic practices, the processs of founding a new non-profit,  chess applications in investment banking, passion for charity, ways to get involved, OSF's upcoming gala at Cipriani in New York on October 22 and more. 

 In Episode 163, I converse with National Expert Jason Ciano, one of our instructors, who has been teaching chess for 20+ years at schools including PS166, Trinity and Greenwich Country Day School. He has trained five national champions.  Jason Ciano is also an International Master in bridge. We speak about the controversial Chess Ratings North West system, the Seattle chess scene, Jason's coaching from Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan,  the value of the king, chess improvement tips, the rapid improvement and inspiration of Tani Adewumi, the parallels between chess and bridge and more. 

In Episode 162, I converse with Rabbi Mark Wildes, founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE), which is a warm and open community where millennial men and women in their 20s and 30s can explore Jewish life and meet new people. I recently finished MJE's senior fellowship program, in which I studied 3 hours of Torah every Wednesday night for a year. We discuss Rabbi Wildes' legal and Jewish educations, community building, the overcoming of obstacles, the understanding of our souls through the Tanya, the symbiotic relationship of religion and science, the challenges millenial Jews face, the art of planning, and more.  

 In Episode 161, I converse with  National Master, Jesse Lozano, Founder of Complete Chess. Jesse was born and raised in San Antonio. He has been competing in chess tournaments since high school and is a four-time San Antonio City chess champion. Lozano is a full time chess player and coach. His goal is to help San Antonio be a chess capitol and give students an opportunity to grow. We speak about the San Antonio chess market, collaboration with other coaches, over-the-board play during  the pandemic, book recommendations, the benefits of chess coaching, ways to get more girls active in chess and more. 

In Podcast Episode 160, I converse with National Expert Andrew Hellenschmidt, a former Wall Street recruiter and trader, who has taught chess at Success Academy, PS 33, Nest+M and many other schools. We speak about a day in the life on Wall Street, the utilization risk management in chess, tips for chess improvement, his experience teaching with Magnus Carlsen, the transition from virtual to over the board play and more. 

In Episode 159, I converse with Evan Katz, Founder of Crawford Ventures. He is an award-winning  hedge fund and private equity executive and fundraiser. He has a BS in Finance and Economics from Wharton and a JD from Harvard Law School. Outside of the hedge fund space, he is a chess player and big supporter of the game. We speak about his computer chess column in chess life, his love and support for some great charities, hedge fund fundraising with chess techniques (relating to the ideas of Marty Katz and his company Connectors 360) , the Fischer-Spassky, Searching for Bobby Fischer and Queen's Gambit booms,  common hedge fund mistakes and more. 

Lord Carmine Villani is the World Champion in Endurance. Professionally, he is the Executive Board Member of Saudi Crown Holding. He is the former advisor to Blackstone Group and has a Masters in Professional Accounting and Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with Highest Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. We speak about the Acclarity Conference for Economic Recovery that we recently met at, his road to World Champion,  the applications of endurance in finance, worldwide investments from the Saudi office, investment evaluation methods and more.

In Episode 157, I have the privilege of conversing with Interational Master Christopher Yoo, an American international master and the 2020 U.S. Cadet (U16) Champion. He won that title with an undefeated performance, eclipsing the field by one and a half points. The same year, the 13-year-old finished in fifth place (out of 10) at the U.S. Junior (U21) Championship. Yoo became the youngest American master (at nine years old in 2016) and IM (at 12 years old in 2019) at the time until he was surpassed by IM Abhimanyu Mishra. Last month, he tied for 1st in the Charlotte Chess Center GM Invitational and earned his first Grandmaster norm. We speak about the time we first met at the Supernationals in Nashville, Tennesee in May, 2017,  his recent grandmaster norm, the art of tournament preparation, ideas for building confidence, overcoming obstacles, chess study recommendations, the benefits of blindfold chess, his lessons with our former podcast guest National Master Bruce Pandolfini, calculation skills, book recommenations, live commentary's impact on Chess PR,  his goals for GM and beyond, resources for top players, puzzles composition and more. 

In Episode 156, I converse with John Fernandez, an award-winning revenue marketer with two decades of experience drive hundreds of millions of dollars in B2B SaaS pipeline and tens of millions of dollars in ARR globally and across prime industry verticals. He has led organizations through $1.3 billion in equity events between Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C (2x), Acquisitions (3x) and IPO. In the chess world, he has been involved with the Internet Chess Club since 1997, as Administrator, Director, Public Relations and Executive Vice President, and Investment role since 2010. He is also the Founder of the New York Masters. Now he is one of three candiates for the US Chess Executive Board, along with Kevin Pryor and Randy Bauer. We speak about the applications of chess in marketing, the development of the Internet Chess Club, the online chess market, the founding and highlights of the New York Masters, an outlook on US Chess post COVID-19 and more.

In Episode 155, I converse with Ira Miller, the Chairman and CEO of Zone Capital Partners, a financial holding company that consults with private and public Small Cap companies. The firm has an M&A advisory practice that serves Small Cap companies in the Technology, Healthcare, Medical Technology, Enterprise Software Solutions and Consumer Goods markets.We speak about M&A in a nutshell, the recent Acclarity Conference for Economic Recovery, in which I was a speaker,  the recent IPOs of Roblox and Slack, Peter Thiel as a chess master and tech executive, the paralells between M&A and chess and more. 

In Episode 154, I converse with Jim Egerton, Founder of Business on the Board™,  a talent development company that uses a game-based approach to teach business strategies and tactics. By incorporating a #1 Best Selling business management self-development book into our clients’ experiences, their leaders gain a competitive advantage by becoming better prepared to lead and make strategic decisions using the mindset and skills of a chess master. Read my review of Jim's book here.  Listen to Jim speak at even we did at UBS in November, 2018 here. We speak about our UBS event, chess as a simulator for business, chess' impact on the formation of Paypal, the center of the United States and the chess board, the benefits of corporate chess classes, the 1st FIDE Corporate Chess Corporate Chess Championships, the trajectory of corporate chess and more. 

In Episode 153, I converse with International Master Carlos Perdomo. Carlos is a winner of three GA State Championships, and has been ranked one of the top three highest rated players in Georgia continuously since 2002.  Under his leadership, the Emory University Chess Team defeated Duke, Yale, and Stanford in 2004.  He is the Founder of Chess Atlanta , which increases the chess presence in the metro Atlanta area via school programs, group classes, camps and more.  We speak about collaborative chess promotion, the recent 1st All-Ivy Invitational, his native country Columbia, the benefits of team tournaments, tips for improvement, the United States' top youth players, his experience playing in the 2018 World Blitz Championship, the return to Over-the-Board  tournaments and more. 

Grandmaster Ron Henley is an American grandmaster, writer, narrator, video producer,  and former financial funding trader. He now acts as the Chess Program Director at Miami Country Day School  and acts as Special Consultant to Ultra High Net Worth Individuals and Family Offices, as founder of RWH Advisors. In our longest podcast episode to date, we talk about an array of subjects, ranging from tributes to Michael Hoffer, Oscar Maldonaldo, Gildardo Garcia and William Lombardy to an outlook on Magnus Carlsen to working as a second of Former World Champion Anatoly Karpov to his weekly Twitch show on Thursdays from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM EST. 

Julie Bruns has worked in learning and development for over 20 years and considers herself a lifelong learner.  She has a passion for teaching others what's possible and loves connecting with people to share tips on how to enrich their lives, no matter where they are.  Life and work can be wonderful, and she's here to show you how!We speak about her new book Peace, Possibilities and Perspective: 8 Secrets to Serenity and Satisfaction in Your Life and Career , self -realization, mastermind groups, the importance of gratitude, positive thinking, accountability, applications of chess in employee engagement and more. 

Brandon Gidicsin is in charge of business development for the Stamford, CT Junkluggers location and helps homes and offices with sustainable disposal services in  Westchester, Putnam County, New York, and Western Connecticut. He is also a team leader of "Rise Together and Raise", raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He is involved with LLS because they are helping eradicate forms of cancer, such as Hodgkins Lymphoma, the one his father passed away from. Consider supporting the cause here. We speak about the power of networking, the benefits or organization, his fundraising efforts, upcoming events, the importance of giving back and more. 

Nigel Davies is a FIDE Senior Trainer (2021), International Chess Grandmaster (1993), former British Rapidplay & British U21 Champion (1988 & 1979), trainer at all levels (beginner to Grandmaster), winner of 15 international tournaments, author of 17 books, presenter of 45 chess DVDs, online publisher (The Chess Improver) and founder of Tiger Chess. We talk about England's breakway from COVID-19 lockdown, his childhood rivalry with our previous podcast guest Grandmaster Nigel Short,  his progression to grandmaster, the importance of self-honesty, the character traits of Grandmaster Lajos Portisch,  career plans in and outside of the chess world, his inspiration to become an author, his thoughts on unorthodox openings, paralells between chess and thai chi and more. 

In Episode 148, I converse with Phiona Mutesi,  who represented Uganda at four Women's Chess Olympiads, and is one of the first titled female players in Ugandan chess history. Mutesi is the subject of a 2012 book and a 2016 film called Queen of Katwe. She is the founder of the Phiona Mutesi Foundation. We speak about her upbringing in Uganda, dynamics between girls and boys in chess, a compare and contrast of she and Elizabeth Harmon of the Queen's Gambit, her life in the United States,  her plans after her upcoming graduation and more. 

In Episode 147, I converse with 147th Episode with Cristhian Ortiz Elizarbe, Human Capital Senior Consultant at Deloitte Perú. Cristhian is an experienced human capital professional with a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry in HR projects for local and multinational companies in Retail, Banking, Engineering, Marketing, Pharmaceutical, Foreign Trade and Metal-Mechanical Sectors. For the last 6 years he was worked for Deloitte Peru. He is the founder of the non-profit Learn and Share English, which has 200 volunteers all over South America that teach English.  He was the captain of the 3rd place team in the first FIDE Corporate Chess Championship. We speak about the chess scene in Peru, applications of chess in HR, benefits of corporate chess classes, the recruitment of a corporate team, the importance of giving back to the community and more. 

In Podcast Episode 146, I converse  with Adam Raoof, Founder of The Chess Circuit and Ben Graff, Journalist and Author of "The Greenbecker Gambit". See my recent appearance on their podcast here. We discuss the transition from corporate life to entrepreneurship a compare and contrast of The Greenbecker Gambit and Queen's Gambit,  chess PR, the return to over the board chess the persona of perennial British Champion Michael Adams and more. 

Christopher Hunt is the Managing Director of Zone Capital Partners, LLC, which is a financial holding company which also has an active practice consulting with private and public companies that are under $ 500 million in market capitalization. He is all the co-founder of Acclarity Advisors, which helps public and private companies enhance press and analyst coverage, broaden shareholder base, contribute to growth of valuation, market capitalization, enhance liquidity, and maintain a bankable image of you as an essential component on any exchange.We speak about career changes to find one's passion, the importance of giving back during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual work environments, competition vs. collaboration his upcoming virtual Acclarity Conference on April 22-23 , in which I will be giving a presentation entitled "A QUEENS GAMBIT: Can chess give you an edge In business?". 

In Episode 144 I converse with Victor Mikhalevski,  an Israeli chess grandmaster who lives in Beersheba. As of March 2010 his Elo rating was 2611, making him the #7 player in Israel and the 171st-highest rated player in the world. His peak rating to date was 2632, which he reached on 1 January 2008. He won the Israeli Chess Championship in 2014 and 2021. We speak about his recent victory, winning the 2021 Israeli Championship earlier this month, his upbringing in Belarus, his family's Aliyah process (moving to Israel), the rise of Beersheba as a chess city, his keys to chess success, the art of enjoyment, overcoming setbacks, the return of Over the Board chess, coaching some of the the world's talented young players and more. 

In Episode 143, I converse with Jason Deluca, President of Columbia Club of New Jersey and CEO and Founder at Argonaut Media, an innovative advertising agency specializing in the creation, implementation and management of marketing campaigns. We speak about college fundraising, the new American Dream Mall, chess PR, chess as a vehicle in advertising, Rex Sinquefield's work in Saint Louis, the Columbia University cigar club, chess community and most importantly, the upcoming 1st All Ivy Chess Invitational. 

In Episode 142,  I converse with Senior Master Jerald Times and Mike Papapavlou, Founder of Guitar Guide Guru.   In the last few months, University of Texas at Dallas declared Jerald Times "Chess Educator of the  Year" and  Guitar World has declared Mike Papapavlou "Guitar Teacher of the Year". The three of us speak about the rise of city of inner-city education programs, the elevation of academics through extracurriculars, delayed gratification, measurements of success, school programs, a tribute to Charu Robinson, the growth of talent, benefits of awards, rhythm, melody and harmony in chess and music and more. 

In Episode 141, I converse with Inna Agrest, who is an IT Project Manager at Grenke Bank in Germany. She is also a member of the Swedish National Team, for which she has competed in 6 Olympiads. She recently was the captain of the 1st place team in the 1st FIDE World Corporate Championships. We speak about the importance of Women's tournaments, applications of chess in IT, her upbringing with a Grandmaster father and Women's International Master mother, her Belarussian background, chess sponsorship, her recent championship experience and more. 

In Episode 140, I converse with Alisa Melekhina, who  is a FIDE Master and is currently a corporate litigator practicing in New York City. She has consistently ranked among the top ten female chess players in the country and has been a perennial member of the national team. Alisa won a gold medal representing the United States in the World Team Championships held in Ningbo, China in 2009.We speak about the relationship of chess and dance, the development of a chess player, ways to inspire more women chess players, transferrable skills from chess to law, work-life balance,  the New York Corporate Chess League, team-building through chess, her book "Reality Check", collegiate chess, the upcoming All-Ivy Invitational and more. 

In Episode 139, I converse with Jacob Fortuna, a chess streamer. He is also a systems analyst at Auto-Owners Insurance, where he creates desktop applications with SQL server back ends using WPF and Visual Studio to automate actuarial solutions. We chat about the applications of chess in software engineering, the value of Twitch, the global chess community, Chess PR and more. 

Hanon Russell is the founder of Russell Enterprises, which has been publishing fine chess books for over three decades. With comprehensive international distribution, REI books are offered by both local book sellers and major book chains worldwide.We speak about his former legal career and the applications of chess in litigation,  the influence of Bobby Fischer, a revealing of Former US Chess Federation president Ed Edmonson, the elements of a publishable book, tips for new authors and more. 

Peter Geeraerts is the Managing Director-CoChess at Play Magnus, a fast growing scale-up focused on chess, and is listed on the Merkur Market. CoChess is a start-up subsidiary of Play Magnus, providing an electronic marketplace to connect chess coaches with students.Peter hails from Ghent, Belgium and is a Customer and sales oriented executive/CEO with proven track record in change management, turnarounds and growth. He has advised several startups and previously did enterprise sales for major corporations like Alcatel-Lucent. We speak about  the restaurants in Belgium, business applications in chess, the development of CoChess and more. 

 Misha Rubin provides transformational career programs which are designed for people to discover careers that bring a sense of meaning, fulfillment, and abundance. He spent over 20 years in corporate America; in his last position as a partner at Ernst & Young, he guided hundreds of careers. Find more about his services here. We speak about leaving Corporate America, his signature Career Leap program, impact of chess on careers and more. 

In Episode 135, I converse with Linda Brenner, the Founder of Talent Growth Advisors. She spent the early part of her career in a variety of operations and talent management roles.  She worked in a variety of positions at The Gap, Pepsi and Home Depot. Learn more about her company, which leads finance, talent acquisition and talent management at Fortune 500 companies, including Home Depot, Coca-Cola and Revlon, here.We speak about the art of finding one's passion, learning from the past, major types of HR projects, corporate recruitment, employee retention, the relationship of chess and HR and more. 

In Episode 134, I converse with Fide Master Andrey Terekhov, Author of The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov. Andrey Terekhov is also a International Master in Correspondence Chess and holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Two if his best tournament results were victories in the 2008 Munich Open and the 2021 Nabokov Memorial. He currently resides in Singapore, where by day he works for Microsoft, leading a team of Product Marketing Managers, focused on accelerating the growth of Azure in Central & Eastern Europe.We talk about his training in the St. Petersburg Chess School, decision making in business and chess, time pressure, public relations of World Champions, his book and much more.

Luke Van Every founded True Compare PEO to better address the individualized needs of small and medium-sized businesses across the U.S. With years of experience working for some of the nation’s top providers, Luke leverages his expertise and long-standing relationships with a broad range of PEOs to help companies evaluate which PEOs offer solutions best tailored to meet their specific needs.Additionally, Luke is the Founder & Host of In This Together Roundtable, a networking group formed to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support other professionals adapting to the changing business environment.We speak about leaving corporate America for entrepreneurship, the importance of getting outside of one's comfort zone, international networking,  the definition of PEO, requirements for PEO eligibility, the relationship of PEO and chess and more. 

In Episode 132, I converse with Michael Khodarkovsky, President of the Kasparov Chess Foundation. Khordakovsky is a FIDE Senior Trainer, FIDE Vice President, and Founder of International School. He was a member of Kasparov's coaching staff in 1995 and 2000 World Championship and Deep Blue matches. In 2008 he won a Scholastic Service award from US CHESS. He is the author of seven books.We speak about his relationship with Garry Kasparov, the Kasparov vs. Deep Blue matches, his seven books, coaching tips, game analysis, Kasparov Chess Foundation's work, online tournaments, the continuation of the Grand Chess Tour, women involvement in chess and more.

In Episode 131, I converse with Sunil Weeramantary, Founder of National Scholastic Chess Foundation. He originally hails from Sri-Lanka. He is the step-father of US Chess Champion Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. He won the the New York State State Chess Championship in 1975 and 2001. He has been teaching chess since 1979 when he launched the program at Hunter School, which has more national championships than most schools in the country. Since then, he has founded National Scholastic Chess Foundation in 1990, which has served 60+ schools in New York area and community programs in South Florida as part of Sunrise Chess entity.He also serves as the Co-Chair of the US Chess Scholastic Council. Two of his biggest accolades are winning University of Texas at Dallas' Chess Educator of the Year in 2004 and getting the FM Sunil Weeramantry National Blitz Tournament of State Champions named after him in 2020. We speak about his start to chess in Sri Lanka, the connection between law and chess, the fundamentals of a successful school program, practical thinking, travelling with his step-son Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the cancellation of the US Chess Supernationals, online fair play, his book "Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History" and more.

In Episode 130, I converse with Damion Coppedge, Founder of Chess Optics. Until July 2020, Damion served 22 years in prison due to manslaughter. While incarcerated, he remained optimistic and learned as much about chess as he can through books and practice against other inmates. Now he is a Buddhist, chess teacher and poet. He is also a student at BMCC. Check out his Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIHPPexb6BuDsiBhKpgdQUQWe speak about his experiences in prison, passion for chess, his drive to remain optimistic and succeed, the time he sent a $25 check to Queen of Katwe star Phiona Mutesi from his prison cell, his current career goals and more.

In Episode 129, I have the privilege of conversing with National Master Alex King, Chess Teacher at Douglass K-8 Optional School in Memphis, Tennessee, the headquarters of Fedex. He also works part-time at the new Memphis Chess Club, where he recently served as their first full-time director. We speak about chess history, the relationship of chess and music, the founding of the Memphis Chess Club, book recommendations, tips for improvement and more.

In Episode 128, I converse with Dr. Adena Blickstein, a physician and public health professional (MD, MPH) with a passion for mental health and community activism. She is the Founder of Teal Dragon, a private psychotherapy practice and future virtual school. We discuss ideas for restructuring the medical system, her upcoming virtual school, common psychological issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, the intersection of chess and psychology, ideas for building confidence and her upcoming Cosmic Dragon Conference, which I will be speaking at and will take place on February 14-15-2021:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cosmic-dragon-conference-tickets-138883655753

In Episode 127, I converse with one of our greatest Facebook fans John Russell, Author of Riding with Ghosts, Angels, and the Spirits of the Dead. He is a psychic reader, medium, certified T.A.R.O.T. master, and, paranormal Investigator. Learn more about him at https://atdaylong.tripod.com/We discuss the field of paranormal investigations, overcoming misconceptions, logic vs intuition, his recent book "Riding with Ghosts, Angels, and the Spirits of the Dead", a preview of his upcoming book and more.

In Episode 126, I have the pleasure of conversing with National Expert Elizabeth Spiegel, IS 318 Coach. IS 318 is an urban public school in Brooklyn, NY that has won more national championships than most schools in the country. They were featured in the award winning film "Brooklyn Castle". She is one of a few if not the only full-time chess teachers in the New York City Department of Education. We talk IS 318's culture, NYC's free tournaments, founding of the school's program, the benefits of chess programs in schools, assessment methods, the Chess-Steps Curriculum, the filming of "Brooklyn Castle", the aftermath of the film, best practices for the nationals and more.

In Milestone Episode 125, I have the absolute honor of conversing with Grandmaster Nigel David Short, an English chess grandmaster, columnist, coach, commentator and, since October 2018, Vice-President of FIDE. Short earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 19, and was ranked third in the world by FIDE from January 1988 to July 1989. In 2002, he beat Former World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a match, qualifying him to play in the World Champion against Garry Kasparov in 2003. We speak about his experiences playing tournaments in 129 countries, FIDE's support for the resume to OTB chesss, his upbringing as a chess player, the influence of the 1972 Fischer-Spassky match, his relationship with Mickey Adams and other top British players, his matches against Karpov and Kasparov, his favorite tournament victory, a preview to his upcoming book, the theory of the Advanced Caro Kann, ideas for time management, mental preparation, a book recommendation, fixed vs growth mindset, his tenure as FIDE Vice President and more.

In Episode 124, I converse with Macauley Peterson, Operations Associate at Play Magnus. He is a Former Chief Editor at ChessBase.com and Content Director at chess24.com. He was also the Associate Producer of "Magnus" in 2016. Learn more about Macauley through these three pages: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Macauley64Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/user/MacauleyPetersonLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/macauleypetersonWe speak about Gata Kamsky's career, journalism vs reporting, chess travels, Peter Leko's love for wrestling, Aronian's Civilization strategy, the Twitch streaming boom, Macauley's involvement in the "Magnus" film, the potential revival of his podcast "Full English Breakfast", the integration of Chessable and Play Magnus and more.

In Episode 123, I converse with Joe Rojas, Tech Evangelist, Author, Visionary, Business Advisor. He is the founder of Red Sapiens, which has a MAPP system to guide businesses to implement the seven key components of any business that must be nurtured and strengthened to be a great business. I am part of his Thrivers360 mastermind group. We discuss the business of technology, strategies to overcome challenges, the art of planning on and off the board, mindset, adaptability, his upcoming book and the Growth Acceleration Summit, which is taking place on February 24. Use this link for $50 off registration for the virtual conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/growth-acceleration-summit-tickets-131922759525?discount=Evan2021

In Episode 122, I have the privilege of conversing with Grandmaster, Alexander Shabalov, an American chess grandmaster and a four-time winner of the United States Chess Championship (1993, 2000, 2003, 2007). He was born in Riga, Latvia, and like his fellow Latvians Aleksejs Shirov and Mikhail Tal, he is known for courting complications even at the cost of objective soundness. We speak about his coaching from Mikhail Tail, resources for grandmaster development, tactics, Shirov's knowledge of endgames, balances, ideas for chess improvement, the art of confidence, opening repertoires, coaching tips, the return to over the board play and more.

In Episode 120, I converse with FIDE Master Jim Eade, the Founder of the Eade Foundation. He is chess administrator, tournament organizer, and book publisher. He holds the title of FIDE Master. He is best known for the books Chess for Dummies (1996) and The Chess Player's Bible (2004), both of which have been through several editions and been translated into 8 languages. We talk about the influence of the 1972 Fischer boom, the correlation of chess and programming, applications of chess in finance, self-confidence, his YouTube channel, community service, the activities of the Eade Foundation, gratitude for organizers and more.

Fred Waitzkin is a journalist and author of the acclaimed non-fiction bestseller SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER, as well as the books MORTAL GAMES and THE LAST MARLIN. He is the father of International Master Joshua Waitzkin, who was the prodigy and subject of Searching for the Bobby Fischer book and movie. We speak about Joshua Waitzkin's youth, his coaching from our previous podcast guest National Master Bruce Pandolfini, parallels with The Queen's Gambit, the distance between fiction and reality, chess parenting tips, overcoming setbacks, Gary Kasparov's brilliance, memoirs vs. journalism, a preview to his upcoming novel STRANGE LOVE and more.

In Episode 119, I have the privilege of conversing with Theresa Grant, Founder of Make a Difference Now. MADNow supports quality educational opportunities for vulnerable youth. They do this by paying for school fees and the development of the student’s schools, as well as, empowering young women with computer, business, and entrepreneurial skills.We discuss the founding of the organization, expansion to other countries, women in technology, our Annual Teaching Chess in Africa trip, the Tanzanian culture and more.

In Episode 118, I converse with Grandmaster Max Dlugy, an American Chess Grandmaster. Dlugy won the World Junior Chess Championship in 1985. He worked on Wall Street and became a principal of the Russian Growth Fund, a hedge fund. Nowadays he is the owner of Chess Max Academy. We speak about his presidency of the US Chess Federation, chess applications in finance, anti-cheating measures, improvement tips, the art of surprise, Dylan Mc Clain's recent New York Times article that we are both featured in, curriculum and more.

In Episode 117, I have the privilege of conversing with Debbie Eastburn, CEO and President at Chess in the Schools (CIS). Chess in the Schools serves over 12,000 low-income students in Title 1 New York City public schools through structured classroom chess instruction, after school clubs, chess tournaments, summer programs, and a College Bound program for over 100 high school students. We use chess as an educational tool to promote learning and to help young people develop skills in critical thinking and problem solving.We talk about my experience working at CIS, the organizations' mission, the benefits of chess, an overview of CIS' programming, corporate sponsorships, fundraising, COVID-19 transition, remote instruction and more.

In Episode 116, I have the pleasure of conversing with Sylvie Heyman, the author of "Make it a HABIT" and "Beyond the Holocaust: An Immigrant's Search for Identity". She is a survivor of World War II . She started her career as a registered nurse specializing in obstetrics and later on, heading the cardiac operating room at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, NY, as an educator and administrator. Since then she was an acupuncturist and chiropractor and currently is a Certified Health Coach, focusing on five habits Habits of Health: healthy weight, healthy diet, healthy physical activities, healthy sleep, and healthy mindset. We speak about her 2 books, a preview of her upcoming 3rd book, the differences of surviving the Holacaust and World War II, her experiences in the health world, accountability, benefits of chess and more.

In Episode 115, I converse with Jerry Nash, National Chess Education Consultant with Chess in Schools. As National Chess Education Consultant for the Alabama Chess in Schools initiative, Jerry Nash believes in the power of chess to enable student success – both in and out of the classroom. In his own background as a teacher, campus minister, and office administrator, chess provided the critical thinking skills he needed to succeed.We speak about professional development, transferrable skills, applications of chess, market research with FIDE (international chess federation), networking and more.

In Episode 114, I have the honor of conversing with Carla Berkowitz, Executive Producer of "Critical Thinking", the true story of the 1998 Miami Jackson Senior High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship.We talk about the Critical Thinking production process, the story of the 1997 Miami Jackson High School Team, inner -city schools, a compare and contrast of the film and Queen's Gambit, chess PR, lessons from the chess world, the art of decision making, our annual Make a Difference Teaching Chess in Africa trip and more.

In Episode 113, I converse with Matthew Harms, the Founder of Pen For Hire NYC. He is a New York born and based Freelance Writing Professional and Success Coach. His Bronx upbringing combined with diverse educational and career backgrounds provide a multitude of facets to each project he works on.We speak about career changes, the benefits of writing a book, the writing process, suggestions for entrepreneurs and more.

In Episode 112, I have the privilege of conversing with my long-term friend and competitor, International Master Jay Bonin. Jay is among the most active tournament players in the US, having played over 25,000 tournament games. He started to known as the “Iron Man of Chess” in 1997 when won The New York State Championship, Manhattan Chess Club Championship, Marshall Chess Club Championship, Nassau Chess Club Championship and Queens Chess Club Championship all in the same year,1997. He is the co-author of “Active Pieces, Practical Advice from America’s Most Relentless Tournament Player”. The plethora topics we cover range from his favorite restaurants in New York to email lessons to chess tournaments in the 70s to chess psychology and unorthodox openings to suggestions for improvement.

In Episode 111, I have the privilege of conversing with Michael Whitehouse, Founder of Guy Who Knows a Guy. With over 18 years of experience running business and working with unique organizations, Michael has built a considerable toolbox of resources for solving problems for entrepreneurs.We speak about his upcoming virtual conference in February 2021, which I am going to speak at, his book "Guy Who Knows a Guy", networking, art of value, podcasting, entrepreneurial strategy, accountability and more.

In Episode 110, I have the pleasure of conversing with National Master Tyrell Harriot, the founder of Kings of Queens Chess: https://www.kingsofqueenschess.com/. He is also an active streamer: Twitch.tv/falzehope. We talk about his upbringing in Jamaica, adult improvement, accountability, enjoyment, tournaments during COVID-19, experience playing chess at a barbershop, and streaming on Twitch and more.

In Episode 109, I have the absolute pleasure of conversing with National Master Bruce Pandolfini, an American chess author, teacher, and coach. He was portrayed in Searching for Bobby Fischer by Ben Kingsley and was an advisor for the Queen's Gambit book and recent film series. We talk about when I first met Bruce as an 8-year-old, thanks to Women's International Master Shernaz Kennedy, chess pedagogy, advice for school programs, his sessions with International Master Joshua Waitzkin, the filming process of "Searching for Bobby Fischer", authorship, poetry, the behind the scenes of the Queen's Gambit, future projects, and much more.

In Episode 108, I have the privilege of conversing with Avram Mlotek, an American rabbi, social activist, cantor, writer, actor and slam poet. He is the co-founder of Base Hillel, a pluralistic home-centered outreach program, established in nine cities worldwide and Rabbi-in-Residence at the Manhattan JCC. We converse about the Founding of Base, the NYC Young Jewish Professional scene, closeness, co-officiating a wedding with Ruth Bader Ginsberg, same sex marriages, his recent book "Why Jews Do That or 30 Questions Your Rabbi Never Answered" and ideas about how chess relates to Judaism.

In Episode 107, I have the privilege of conversing with Lisa Snow, the Founder of On the Mend Customized Fitness and Massage, which provides 1-on-1 personal training and massage therapy, corporate classes and more, virtually and in-person throughout the New York City Area. We talk about misconceptions about fitness, the benefits of coaching, accountability on and off the chess board, networking, training seniors, virtual and socially distanced classes and more.

In Episode 106, I have the privilege of conversing with FIDE Master Mike Klein, Chief Chess Officer at Chesskid.com. This episode is dedicated to our mutual friend National Expert Charu Robinson, who unfortunately passed away on October 14, 2020. Thousands of kids around the world know Mike by his nickname "Fun Master Mike." We are a proud Chesskid affiliate: https://www.chesskid.com/membership/promo/premierWe talk about kid safety on the internet, state and national championships, fair play, advice for new clubs, ways to remain productive during COVID-19, updates for online tournaments, the origins of his nickname, our experiences teaching with Chess in the Schools and much more.

In Episode 105, I converse with Grandmaster Timur Garayev, who earned a World Record in 2016 for playing the biggest blindfold simultaneous exhibition of all time, competing against 48 players at once without sight. He hails from Uzbekistan and and has been living in the US since he got a BA in Business Marketing from the University of Texas at Brownsville. In 2018, he won the 119th US Open. We spoke about his recent experience hiking the Appalachian Trail, our annual Make a Difference Teaching in Africa trip, skydiving, the art of blindfold chess, improvement tips and more.

In Episode 104, I converse with Allan Rolnick, Founder of TristateTax Resolution. TriState Tax Resolution is an emergency room for people who owe back taxes and/or have not filed their tax returns(including payroll taxes) for a number of years. We take the burden from the clients and put it to rest.We talk about the tax resolution process, referral marketing, networking, the urgency to act and more.

In Episode 103, I converse with Russ Harlowe, Owner of AdvantaClean of Windham, which provides essential indoor air quality services to residential and commercial customers in Eastern Connecticut. We talk about the benefits of franchising, military skills in business, continuous improvement, the importance of social media, exit strategies, dynamics of a family business, the Israeli startup nation and more.

In Episode 102, I converse with Adam Brody, Program Director at Academic Chess and Founder of Strategic Kids: Chess LEGO Magic. We talk about transferrable skills, learning from losses, business development, a collaborative approach to education, teaching chess in impoverished communities, the COVID transition, outdoor classes, Youtube, unicycling and more.

In Episode 101, I converse with Pauline Zammit, Founder of Ceramic Creations. In addition to owning Ceramic Creations, she acts as the Operations Director for the general contracting firm Custom Associates and the Founder of the Astoria NY Entrepreneur Group. We talk about passion, entrepreneurship, teaching pedagogy, continuous learning, networking and more.

In our milestone episode 100, I have the sincere privilege of conversing with Grandmaster Susan Polgar, Former Women's World Champion. In addition to being one of the world's top players, she is a trainer, writer and promoter. Polgar sponsors various chess tournaments for young players and is the head of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) at Webster University. She served as the Chairperson of the FIDE Commission for Women's Chess from 2008 until late 2018.We talk about her upbringing in Hungary with her two sisters Grandmaster Judit Polgar and International Master Sofia Polgar, her strategy during the 1996 Women's World Championship, the art of perseverance, her friendship with Bobby Fischer, the Polgar Chess Center in Rego Park, New York, the Susan Polgar Institute for Excellence, the benefits of chess scholarships, the Wesbster University Chess team, global diversity, women in chess and virtual learning.

In Episode 99, I converse with Steve Ferman, Founder of eTegrity, which has helped businesses understand and align their technology with the goals and needs for 39+ years. We talk about the importance of preemptive strategy, basic security tips, entrepreneurship, business protocols, personal growth and more.

In Episode 98, I converse with National Expert JJ Lang, a Chicago Chess Blitzer. JJ Lang is a PHD student in Philosophy at Stanford University. He also plays as part of the Chicago Chess Blitzers and teaches the game. We talk about the National Blitz League, the philosophy of language, chess communities, egos, rapid improvement, study habits, reading tips, goal setting, continuous learning, Twitch streaming, social media and more.

In Episode 97, I converse with Joshua Margolis, the Founder of Mind Over Matter Health & Fitness. Joshua is a personal trainer with a Bachelors Degree in Sports Psychology from West Virginia University. He holds certifications from A.C.E., A.I.F.E., and N.A.S.M, and is also prenatal and postpartum fitness certified. Joshua has been working in the health and fitness arena for over 5 years designing personalized fitness programs which incorporate motivational techniques to enhance performance. His fitness philosophy: "Your self image and habits go hand in hand; change one and you will automatically change the otherWe talk about the cognitive effect of fitness, planning, habit formation, ways to make training fun, quantitative reporting, mental preparation for tournaments and more.

In Episode 96, I converse with Roy Kessel, Founder of Sports Philanthropy Network. Roy Kessel has extensive event experience. He has created, managed and promoted a wide variety of events including dinners, golf outings, bowling events and other parties. His experience includes work for: -The Tournament of Roses-NFL Coaches Association-University of Wisconsin AlumniWe talk about sports philanthropy, transferable skills, fundraising tips, his annual conference, experiential learning, relationship building, productivity during COVID-19, meaningful referrals and more.

In Episode 95, I converse with Elizabeth Macy, the Author of Lucky's Adventures. Elizabeth is a photographer and entrepreneur who lives in her hometown of Saratoga Springs, NY. She is known for capturing the excitement of the Saratoga Race Course. When her dog, Lucky, was lost and found safely after a four-day search she decided to embark upon her own adventure with the writing of her first children’s book, Lucky’s Adventure in Saratoga. Her second and third books, Lucky’s Adventure in Winter Wonderland and Lucky’s Adventure in the Great Outdoors continue to capture her passion for her fur baby and rescue pets. Elizabeth enjoys creating heartwarming adventures for children to experience and treasure.In this episode, we talk about Lucky's adventure, the Saratoga animal community, her photography business, the publishing process, her interactions with the players of the Annual New York State Chess Championships at the Saratoga Hilton, gratitude, kindness, patience and more.

In Episode 94, I converse with Dee Wildman, Founder of Eastside Detroit Chess Club. Dee is a coach at Chrysler Elementary School and has worked with countless City, State and National Champions. We talk about the maintenance of mental composure, the importance of fitness, giving back through chess, transformations, overcoming stereotypes, traveling to tournaments, self help and more.

In Episode 93, I converse with Eric Mendelsohn, a business broker with Transworld Business Advisors. Eric works with business owners and business buyers all over the United States to facilitate their business sale or acquisition. In addition to being a business broker, Eric also still helps individuals buy, sell, and rent real estate in Manhattan as a licensed real estate broker with eXp Realty. We talk about the process of a business sale, transferrable skills between business sales, real estate and chess, ways businesses can preemptively get ready to be sold one day, and more.

In Episode 92, I have the honor of hosting Ivan Misner, the Founder of Business Network International, which has 270,000 members in 9,500 chapters worldwide. He is author of the New York Times Best Seller "Trust or Delusion? Busting Networking's Biggest Myths" and co-author of the Wall Street Journal Best Seller "The 29% Solution: 52 Weekly Networking Success Strategies." We speak about the founding of BNI in 1985, my startup chapter, BNI Manhattan Chapter 30, the PRICE system for referrals, innovation, granular messaging, networking education, the importance of mentorship, suriving during recessions, BNI's COVID-2019 transition, the projectory of BNI and more.

In Episode 91, I have the privelege of conversing with Judit Sztaray, Manager of Events and Youth Outreach at Mechanics' Institute, the United States' oldest chess club in San Francisco. In addition to running their programming, she sits on the US Chess Scholastic Committee.We talk about chess in her home country Hungary, her work with Bay Area Chess, her organization of the United States Amateur Team West 2020, the Mechanic Institute's COVID-2019 transition, online tournaments, the 2020 online US Chess Invitational tournaments, US Chess Online Taskforce, the US Chess Coach Certification, motivation, for women to play more chess and more.

In Episode 90, I have the pleasure of conversing with Pastor Bill Wilson, who founded Metro World Child in Bushwick, NY In 1980. Each week, Metro World Child serves 200,000+ kids with food, education, mental support and more.We talk about his experience being picked up as a 12-year old on a street corner in Pinellas Park, Florida, after being left by his mom 3 days prior, his motivation to found Metro World Child, my Brand Ambassador Award at the 2019 Metro World Child Gala, Metro World Child's Kenya: CRITICAL campaign, some calls for action and much more.

In Episode 89, I converse with Ben Sigel, Candidate for Massachusetts Congressional District 4. We met several years ago when I was active in the Young Jewish Professional community in Boston when I ran the 20s 30s Group of the Tremont Street Synagogue in Cambridge. He is the President of the Hispanic National Bar Assocation New England Chapter and as his BA in Political Science from Middlebury University and his MBA in Real Estate and JD in Law from American University. Ben is running for Congress because he has the experience to bring our communities together to make real change and ensure that the wheels of justice turn for all of us, not just a privileged few. We speak about divisions in the US, community building, running for office, fighting against hate, paid family and medical lead, growing businesses during COVID-19, Universal PreK, chess communities and more.

In Episode 88, I converse with National Master Alan Kantor, who is my former coach, teammate, friend and colleague. I first met Alan when taught at my elementary school Churchill when I was in 4th grade. I soon after took private lessons from him for two years. In 2007, we were on the 1st place team of the United States Amateur Team East, together with FIDE Master James Critelli, National Master Evan Turtel and National Expert Nick Panico. In addition to teaching chess, Alan runs a medical billing business Revenue King. He has previously served as a Chess Life Editorial Assistant. We talk about the motivation to teach, resiliency, changes in chess in New York and the United States Chess Federation, chess journalism, chess couples and much more.

In Episode 87, I converse with Dr. Jairo Borja. Dr. Jairo Borja is proud to have grown up in Corona, Queens, NY. He graduated from Thomas Edison High School. Jairo also graduated from Berkeley College with a BBA in Management in 2003, MBA from Long Island University in 2007 and in March of 2019, graduated with his DBA in Marketing from Walden University. Jairo also have taught at Professional Business College (now LIBI) from 2009-2014. He has taught Small Business Management, Business Organization and Management, Principles of Marketing, Human Resources Mangement to name a few courses.Borja Consulting Group helps people build relationships to increase sales through Jairo ‘s talks on prospecting, time management, the psychology behind closing the deal, volunteering professionally, mastering the networking event and other topics. While not speaking, Jairo also acts an insurance broker with Liberty Mutual. We talk about the importance of networking in sales, ways to stay productive in the Covid—19 world, the relationship of strategy in sales and chess and more.

In Episode 86, I converse with Todd Cymbol, who oversees 13 Business Networking International Chapters in Manhattan. In these chapters, 250+ members meet weekly to build relationships and exchange quality referrals. Todd also acts as a VP of Business Development at Kensington Vanguard, where he provides title insurance for commercial and residential real estate transactions. We discuss BNI around the world, the benefits of the organization, networking education, the art of relationships, listening, attitude, title insurance and the new chapter, I am a co-founder of, Chapter 30.

In Episode 85, I have the pleasure of conversing with Irina UK, the founder of Bloom Class, which offers virtual private and group coding classes. While not running her own business, Irina is a math teacher in Boston Public Schools. We talk about societal impact, ways to encourage young students to code, her visit to our virtual camp last week, the relationship of chess and coding, the importance of female ambassadors and more.

In Episode 84, I converse with Raphi Salem, who has provided all types of business website and lead generation consulting services for 20+ years. He is an expert on Google, SEO, reputation management, social media and much more. We talk about his experience running an internet company, Israeli inspiration, the importance of innovation, searching one’s own imagine, website navigation, social media, Twitter, YouTube, competition, Raphi and previous podcast guest Marty Katz’ Biz Dev Leaders group and more.

In Episode 83, I converse with Graham Dobbin, the founder of Asentiv New York. Graham Dobbin is an experienced trainer, business coach, consultant and public speaker. An active member of the Professional Speakers Association, Graham has delivered keynote addresses to audiences as diverse as WeWork, Bangor University, and the Football League.We talk about people engagement, authenticity, assessments, rapport, networking, ways to stay productive during COVID-19, Asentiv NY's events and services and much more.

In Episode 82, I converse with Samuel Weiner, VP of Business Development at Langdon Title. Langdon Title is a premier, full service agency providing commercial and residential title insurance throughout the United States.We talk about the definition of title insurance, the importance of preemptively doing your homework before acquiring new real estate or playing a chess game, growing as young entrepeneur and our new Business Networking Group, BNI Chapter 30.

In Episode 81, I converse with Michael Lenox, the President of Chess Vets. A 100% service connected disabled retired US Navy Machinist Mate Chief Petty Officer (Submarine/Diver). He is a US Chess (USCF) Local Tournament Director and Certified Coach. Mr. Lenox is also an Illinois Chess Association (ICA) board member and the ICA Veterans Committee Chair. He currently lives in Burbank, Illinois with his beloved wife of 18 years, Lia.Chess Vets fundraises for small local veteran/1st Responder Organizations, hosts weekly competitions and sends care packages to active duty members.We discuss chess in the navy, benefits of chess for veterans, care packages for active service members and the future of Overtheboard Chess.

In Episode 80, I converse with Andrea Pass, the Founder of Andrea Pass Public Relations. For over 30 years, Andrea Pass has created and implement public relations campaigns in a wide range of categories including consumer products, lifestyle, B2B, education, health/wellness/fitness, beauty, food, authors, non-profits and more. We talk about brand image, common PR mistakes, perception vs reality, blunders in PR and on the chess board and building a target audience.

In Episode 79, I converse with Jodi Samuels, Founder of JICNY and Author of "Chutzpah, Wisdom and Wine". Jodi has over 20 years of business management and startup experience. The Jewish International Connection NY, which she co-founded with her husband Gavin Samuels and Steve Eisenberg, currently boasts 10,000 members from 40 countries. I personally have been an active of the JICNY community since I met Steve Eisenberg, while representing Masa Israel at the IAC confernece in Washington, DC in September 2016.Her recent book is a memoir about overcoming fear, adapting to a situation and applying ancient Jewish values to everyday challenges. It is also a powerful story of playing the hand you are dealt.We talk about the founding of JICNY, credibility and fundraising, networking, JICNY's COVID-19 transition, highlights of new book and more.

In Episode 78, I converse with Yvonne White, the founder of Chess Made Fun, which runs scholastic programs in the Atlanta area. Yvonne learned the amazing game of chess in 2009. In the Spring of 2010, she attended a F.I.D.E. International training seminar, and obtained the title of Developmental Instructor.We talked about chess in Atlanta, problem solving, creativity, entpreneurship, sportsmanship and much more.

In Episode 77, I converse with Marty Katz, the founder of Connectors 360, which helps small and medium-sized firms with their messaging to connect to their target audiences. We talk about his Biz Dev Leaders group, common sales mistakes, marketing strategy, using chess as a playground for running a business and more.

In Episode 74, I converse with Melissa Subban, People Strategist at Happy Factory. Melissa is based in Johannesburg and works with clients around the world. She and her team implement people strategies that build employee brand ambassadors who live the desired company culture. We talk about the definition of hapiness, value systems, the ikigai method, the correlations of HR and chess and more.

In Episode 75, I converse with Grandmaster Alex Lenderman, who won the 2005 World Under-16 Championship in Belfort with a score of 9/10 (+8 −0 =2), becoming the first American to win a gold medal at the World Youth Chess Championship since Tal Shaked won the World Junior Championship in 1997. He has since become one of the top US chess players and is the current coach of the US Olympiad team. We talk about his upbringing in St. Petersburg and Brooklyn, his experience with "The Kings of New York" at Murrow High School, school, his studies at Webster University, career aspirations, suggestions for chess improvement and more.

In Episode 74, I converse with Karl Osman, the owner of Urbin Storage, an on-demand storage company. We talk about entrepreneurship during covid19, inspiration, and the importance of leveraging chess skils during negotiation.

In Epsiode 73, I converse with Dr. Fun Fong, one of six candidates vying for 3 spots in the 2020 US Chess Executive Committee Election. Dr. Fun Fong is the Immediate Past President of the Georgia Chess Assocation and is an emergency medicine phsyician in Atlanta. We speak about his work dealing with COVID patients, how chess and emergency medicine relate, women in chess, the importance of the US Chess Federation maintaining a strong membership and more.

In Episode 73, I converse with Candidate Master Andrew Koenigsberg, AKA on Madquick on Twitch.Andrew currently lives in Houston but is from New York and has spent time living in Hong Kong and the Philippines. He is a USCF Candidate Master with over 15 years of teaching experience and has taught at chess camps across the United States. In 2012, Andrew became co-champion for the Hong Kong National Chess Championship. He also got equal first in the National Open U2100 in 2018. We talk about virtual tournaments, tournament preparation, study methods, the differences of teaching in the US and Asia, streaming, ways to get students and more.

In Episode 72, I converse with Sean Manross, President of the Southern California Chess Federation and Member of FIDE Commission for the Disabled. He is one of six candidates vying for 3 spots in the US Chess Executive Committee. We talk about his experience with Southern California Chess Federation, Rank and File Magazine, accessibility for the disabled, the USCF Government Taskforce and more.

In Episode 71, I converse with Sondeep Purewal, a Sandler Sales trainer, based in Miami. Sondeep trains sales professionals in tech, finance and other industries. He uses Sandler methodology, something I learned on day 1 of my time at Oracle. We talk about basic sales tips, an analytical approach to sales and how it relates to chess, and the importance of confidence.

In Episode 70, I interview Lakshmana "Vish" Viswanath, US Chess Executive Board Candidate. He originally hails from Kerala, India but has been living in the Laredo, Texas area for many years. He has been involved with Texas chess for many years and is the former state chess federation president. He is currently one of six candidates running for 3 spots in the US Chess Executive Committee. We talk about the rise of Texas chess, USCF fundraising, online chess, the election process and other areas of his platform.

In Episode 69, I converse with Jack Silver, a chess player and actor. Jack Silver was the winner of the 2015 US Chess Junior Grand Prix. He is a rising Sophomore at Wartlaw-Hartridge School, where he’s volunteered to be an assistant teacher to our New Jersey Instructor National Master Jim West. He’s known for his appearances in A Crime to Remember (2018), Girl Clown (2019) and The Irishman (2019) and the reality show Karma (2020). We talk about the parallels between chess and acting, the importance of improvising, his experience in the new HBO Max reality show “Karma” and more.

In our 68th episode, I interview Women’s Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade, who is a chess player, commentator, teacher and poker player. She is a two-time United States Women's Champion. Shahade is the author of the books Chess Bitch and Play Like a Girl and co-author of Marcel Duchamp: The Art of Chess. She is also a MindSports Ambassador for PokerStars and a board member of the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis.We talk about ways to encourage more girls to play chess, the benefits of streaming, methods of making commentary for a variety of skill levels, chess apps, the relationship of poker, coaching and much more.

In Episode 68, I converse with Jeff Detweiler, an executive recruiter and career consultant. Jeff has his BA in Theater from the University of Pittsburgh and has since been connecting companies to top talent for 10+ years. We talk about how extracurriculars like chess can help in the job search, the behind the scenes of recruting and much more.

In our 66th episode, I welcome two guests for the first time- my dear friends Rabbi Levi Welton and Reverend Gregory Livingston. I first met the Reverend when Rabbi Levi and he co-hosted an MLK Day Rally outside of City Hall after several terrible anti-semetic attacks.Rabbi Welton is an educator-turned-journalist passionate about sharing the values of Torah with a global audience. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, he holds degrees in medicine, education, and film. He is the Rabbi at Lincoln Park Jewish Center in Yonkers NY, serves an Air Force Chaplain and practices as a physicians assistant.Rev. Gregory Seal Livingston is a seminary trained pastor and leader, who has had the wonderful honor of serving several congregations and organizations across the city of Chicago and recently moved to New York. He has served as Illinois Chairman of the National Action Network and National Field Secretary and Chief of Field Operations for the RainbowPUSH Coalition. We talk about unity, peaceful protests, combating racism, responding to anti-semetism, education, justice and the art of strategy.

In Episode 65, I conerse with Jen Gouldstone, the Founder of Garden Streets ,a plant design and technology company with the mission to bring people closer to nature by making it as easy as possible to select, access, display and maintain plants. Jen has a BA and Masters in Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard. We talk about her transition from engineering to plant design, the correlations between the two fields and chess, the importance of planning and more.

Will you still need me, will feed me, when I'm 64? In this milestone episode, we interview Viekla Kelly, Founder of Young Singer's Academy. Vielka has her Masters in Musical Education from NYU and leads a team of coaches, who teach kids, teens and adults. One of her claims to fame is helping establish Julliard's K-12 division. We talk about finding one's passsion, getting out of one's comfortzone, the parallels between chess and voice, and much more.

In Episode 63, I converse with Dayna Karron, The Solutionist at Atlantic Tomorrow's Office. She works for the largest office technology company in the Tri-State area and helps businesses, schools and non-profits save money with copiers, managed services, remote workforce, and other solutions. She is an alum of Edward R. Murrow High School, which has won more High School National Championships and than any other school in the country. We talk about the intersection of psychology and sales, her charity work, the importance of being proactive and much more.

In Episode 62, I interview Gloria Mills, the Founder For the Greater Glow, which does 30 day programs for healthy living and anti-aging, speaking engagements and Arbonne sales. In addition to her wellness practice, she does architecture drawing.We discuss tips for dieting for critical thinking, habit forming, the importantance of consistency, networking and much more. e

In Episode 61, I converse with Manuela Senatore, the founder of Skilla Productions, a one-stop video marketing agency, achieving long-lasting brand recognition for its clients. Their two main goals when creating video is to get business marketing and sales results, and maximize return on their investment.We talk about the correlations between chess and video strategies, the importance of telling one's story, networking and much more.

In Episode 60, I have the privilege of conversing with my good friend JC Spierer who is a great networker. He loves organizing events, and expanding his knowlege in health, fashion and charity. We talk about the art of a sucessful event, networking, his interests in sporting leagues, chess history and more.

In Episode 59, I converse with National Expert John Hendrick, who has offered chess classes and tournaments in Houston and Katy for the last twelve years.Mr. Hendrick graduated cum laude in 2005 with a B.S. in Pscyhology and a B.A. in Anthropology. His passion for chess began when he was in middle school. He went on to be the 1996 Texas State Scholastic Champion in his sophomore year of high school. This was when Mr. Hendrick discovered that chess could become a lifelong endeavor and he longed to share this skill with others.We discuss virtual learning, the benefits of streaming on Twitch, book recommendations and his road to master.

In Epsiode 58, I converse with Eric Cohen, Managing Director at Benefit Quest. Eric has specialized in Insurance, Benefits, and Financial Services since 1988. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Yeshiva University in 1987 and his Certificate in Financial Planning from New York University in 1992. In January 2007 he developed the Business & Personal Financial Optimizer System and won a National Award for Consumer Education from NSACE. Eric is an experienced contributor and speaker and has appeared on Fox News "Fox & Friends Show" as an insurance expert several times.We speak about networking, ways to stay productive during COVID-19, risk management on and off the chess board, savings and more.

In Episode 57, I converse with Bruce Davis, the President of the Lehigh Valley Chess Association. Bruce Davis currently teaches hundreds of students in the Allentown area. We first met when I played a tournament his club back in 2009. We talk about the relationship of chess and his former profession of engineering, ways to empower more girls to play chess, correspondence chess and much more.

In Episode 56, I have the honor of interviewing my good friend and colleague National Expert Felix Lopez, the owner of Exclam Chess, which runs school programs and private lessons in Westchester. We discuss his chess background, correspondence chess, the art of streaming on Twitch, ways to improve at the game and more.

In milestone episode 55, we have a twist- rather than interviewing someone else, Michael Deutsch, the owner of Hands on Hoops Skills, asks me questions regarding our business, virtual learning, inspiration and more.

In episode 54, I converse with Teamika Jeffrey, the owner of My Dream Staffing Agency and the author of "Fountain of Happiness: Open Your Arms and Embrace Your Joy".We chat about the importance of teaching business and career advice to children starting at a young age, the correlations between recruiting and chess, her new book and more.

In Episode 53, I converse with Linda Diaz, a long-term chess friend, who currently is an up and coming singer, based in Brooklyn. She has her BA in Comparative American Studies, Africana Studies, Gender Sexuality and Feminist Studies from Oberlin College. She know is a full-time musician, performing around New York and producing albums. We converse about her 13-year chess career, the correlations of chess and music, ways to encourage new vocalists, her new EP "Magic." and more.

In Episode 52, I converse with Richard, Kistnen, Esq, who is a bankruptcy and eviction attorney. We talk about the bankruptcy progress, correlations between law and chess, the importance of unleashing your creativity, and more.

In Episode 51, I interview with Gary Ireland, an employment attorney in Manhattan. Gary Ireland is an experienced litigator who solves problems for clients through alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and negotiation, as well as through traditional litigation.Gary represents clients in employment, real estate, contract and environmental disputes, and many other areas. He frequently coordinates with executive coaches to address legal issues during employment transitions.We talk about institutional change, the legal processs, discrimination, coaching, boy scouts, animal welfare and more.

In our milestone 50th episode, I converse with Esther Deutsch, Operations Manager at RCS Professional Services. Before joining RCS 6 years ago, Esther acted as a social worker. She has a BA in Business from Bellevue University and as Masters in Social Work from Fordham University. In addition to doing Operations at RCS, she does a lot of charity work and hosts networking events. We discuss the importance of planning ahead in chess and IT, Phish networking events, ways to stay productive during the Covid-19 Pandemic and more.

In Episode 49, I have the privelege of conersing with Rachel Glazer, the founder of Rachel G Events, who I first met in 2017 when she referred On the Spot Photo Magnets' professional photography and instant photo magnets service to the JCRC Boston gala. While most of my focus these days is working chess business, I do still remain sales manager for On the Spot Photo Magnets. For the last 12 years, Rachel G Events has organized countless, fundraisers, corporate events, weddings, bar mitzvahs and other events. We discuss the importance of staying flexible during co-vid time, ways in which event strategy mirrors that of a chess game, methods of fundraising and more.

In our 48th Episode, I had the pleasure of conversing with Leona Krasner, the owner of Krasner Law PLLC and Krasner Review. Leona is a dear friend and colleague who is one of my accountability partners. Whether she is working with couples getting divorced, students looking to get into college or graduate school or her colleagues like myself, she always trys her hardest to lend a hand.In this episode, we discuss accountability, legal strategy and how it relates to chess, the importance of knowing your opponent, the importance of extracurricular activities for the college admissions process and much more.

In 47th Episode, I had the sincere honor and pleasure of conversing with Dewain Barber, the "Dean of Scholastic Chess". Having played chess for over 50 years, Dean has been an integral part of the US Chess Scholastic scene, having donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships at national events and . He is the founder of American Chess Equipment, which he sold to our mutual friend and previous podcast guest Shelby Lohrman. He created “A Guide to Scholastic Chess” which provides information to school-based persons on how to start a chess club.He has been a member of the U.S. Chess Federation’s Life Member Assets committee, Scholastic Committee, and former member of the Scholastic Council. During this time he asked the US Chess Delegates to create the Scholastic Service Award to recognize persons for their “Many Contributions to Scholastic Chess”. In addition, he helped create the National Girls Tournament of Champions (NGTOC). He has been chairman of the GM Arnold Denker Tournament of High School Champions. For more information on his involvement with the Denker Tournament see “GM Arnold Denker: The Legacy”.In 2010 the US Chess Board of Delegates approved the “Dewain Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions”. In this lengthy episode, we discuss chess travel, ways to motivate scholastic players, the important of dealing with state affiliates, especially during the COVID-19 time, the effects of the nationals being canceled on US Chess and tenative plans for the Denker, Barber, Rockefeller and Senior Championships to be played online, his humor book series and much more.

In Episode 46, I converse with Timothy Madden, CPIA, an independent insurance broker for Honig Conte Porrino Insurance Agency, Inc. We discuss the importance of having a growth mindset, collaboration vs competition, the need for constant evaluation of position, the correlation of chess and insurance, and much more.

In Episode 45, I converse with Zev Gotkin, an entrepeneur and founder of Zev Media, a digital marketing agency that focuses on content marketing, social media management, influencer marketing, etc.We discuss the importance of following one's passion, ideas for networking, the correlations of chess and digital media and much more.

In 44th episode, I converse with Keith Greer, an executive coach who, challenges all to explore their culture, relationships and the quality of their communication through the lens of Conversational Intelligence. He works with educational institutions, busineses and individuals.We discuss the definition of Conversational Intelligence, ways for coaches, teachers and managers to gain trust, the art of questioning and much more.

In Episode 43, I converse with National Master Kola Adeyemi, who’s been a great friend and colleague ever since I met him in Washington Square Park back in 2006. Since then we’ve spent countless hours playing speed chess against one another, traveling to the North American Open in Las Vegas in December 2010, teaching together with Make a Difference in Tanzania in July 2018 and much more. By day, Kola is Strategy and Operations Lead at Google. We discuss chess communities, the correlations between chess, finance and technology, the importance of constant improvement, volunteering in Tanzania and much more.

In Episode 42, I converse with Bradford Fyffe, the owner of Five Star Painting Brooklyn, which does painting jobs in commercial and residental properties all over New York City.We talk about seeking one's true passion, the benefits of franchising and the relationship of chess and painting.

In Episode 41, I converse with Robby Alex Robertson, a relationship coach and founder of Dynamite Dads, who I recently met through our mutual friend Michael Deutsch, Owner of Hands on Hoops and former podcast guest. We discuss the art of coaching, ways to motivate others, the importance of getting outside of one's comfort zone, the relationships between mothers and fathers and much more.

In our milestone 40th episode, I coverse with leadership and life coach Tanja Bogataj, who hails from Slovenia but deals with clients all over the globe. She is the founder of #bepowerfulandfree community. We talk about the importance of getting outside of one's comfort zone (Ufaratzta in Hebrew), the relationship of chess and leadership, transferrable skills between various industries and much more.

In our 39th episode, I interview Elizabeth Drivas, who's been our Paychex Account Executive since January 2019. We talk about the benefits of payroll for services businesses, ways for growing businesses to stay a float during the COVID-19 challenges and analologies between HR and chess.

In Episode 38, I converse with Molly Coy, Founder of Coys Camps and Classes and A Tale of Two Kings. The episode photo was from a camp we did in her Sonoran Science Academy Tucson classroom when Pima County Superintendent Dustin Williams came to visit our winter break camp in January, 2019. We discuss the relationship of chess and business, chess pedagogy, chess parenting and more.

In Episode 37, I converse with Harriett Erskine-Joseph, Founder of Interiors by Harriet, a fellow member of BNI Manhattan Chapter 54. Her company Interiors by Harriet designs and installs window treatments and cleans draperies throughout the Greater NYC area. We talk about the process of window treatments and how it relates to a chess game, the importance of preemptive measure and more.

In our special double Chai Episode #36, I converse with Adam Torres, the founder of Mission Matters Media, a media, publishing and podcast marketing agency dedicated to the needs of business owners, entrepreneurs and executives. Adam is an international speaker, author of multiple books and host of the Mission Matters series of podcasts which has an 1,800+ episode catalogue. I was on his podcast a few weeks ago:https://missionmatters.com/benefits-of-chess-in-life-and-business-with-evan-rabin/We discuss our mutual passion for entrepreneurship, the concept of shared authorship, the benefits publishing can bring, especially to chess players, and much more.

In Episode #35, I converse with Benjamin Steinman, an Account Executive for Konica Business Solutions, which supplies copy machines, security cameras and other equipment to businesses in the New York area. While on the surface his business and chess do not have all that much in common, we were able to uncover quite a bit! We chatted about business networking, buying equipment as preemptive measure, just as you would castle your king before your opponent starts to attack, the importance of referral partners, and the requirement to add value in every conversation.

In Episode 34, I converse with Maurice Frumkin, the owner of NYC Admissions Solutions, which advises families and schools in circumventing the K-12 admissions consulting process, through workshops (virtual and in-person), 1-1 coaching, interview prep and more.We discuss his route to starting company, the challenges students face in admissions process, ways in which students can stand out and encouragement to try out new activities.

In Episode 33, I converse with Adam Shuty, the owner of Atomic Total Fitness, a boutique gym in Midtown East, where I've personally trained with Mike Murray. We discuss the transferable skills between chess and fitness, pedagogy for fitness trainers and chess teachers, entrepreneurship and more.

In Episode 32, I interview Jessica Martin the Founder of Over The Chessboard, which provides chess instruction in the Greater Charlotte area, including Lake Norman. She originally hails from Canada and spent the greater part of her childhood in Tucson, Arizona. After beginning her chess teaching career at Chess in the Schools for six years, she taught in Tucson for a few years before foundingOver The Chessboard, in Charlotte in 2008. She is a published author, having written "My First Chess Book" and "How to Play Chess For Kids."

In Episode 31, I interview Ron Anderson, a guitarist and rock-composer. Ron founded three successful bands- Rat At Rat R, The Molecules and PAK. He appears on over 70 releases, most recently in 2018 PAK - Bestial. He has also preformed all around the world, throughout the U.S, Europe, Japan and beyond. I became friends with Ron in the mid 2000s as he worked at the Marshall Chess Club. We discuss his passion for music, transferrable skills between music and chess, the importance of being flexible, his time working at the Marshall Chess Club, and much more. Check out some cool footage of Ron playing recently during Covid-19 lockdown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1atuQeqzTN4&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR0AudfdIwuPmubLQ54fDLh38N2F8_IWT7J4xWrHbEeHOV8Cj6UWMdnjxm0

In Episode #30, I interview our close education partner Adrienne Murphy, the Founder of the Adrienne Process, which provides parents the specific “tools” for positive engagement with their unique child.We discuss the importance of focusing one one's strengths, methods of building confidence, particularly for special education students, an integrative approach, the 8 Adrienne process steps, and more.

In our 29th Episode, I converse with Melanie Fox, Founder of Speech Fox. Melanie is an acclaimed dialect coach and accent reduction specialist who helps non-native English speakers articulate clear business English.We discuss the correlation of speech, confidence building, entrepreneurship, and much more.

In Episode #28, I interview Jennifer Wilkov, an award-winning author and owner of Your Book is Your Hook. Jennifer Wilkov has written four books and is about to publish another next month. She's been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and CNBC. Now she focuses on marketing for authors, screenwriters and playwrights. We talk about the benefits of publishing, ways to educate, entertain and inspire your audience and how to get started in the publishing process.

In Podcast Epsidoe #27, I converse with Chess4Life Founder National Master Elliott Neff. Chess4Life reaches several thousand kids per week in the Seattle area in 4 physical location and millions more virtually. It is one of the biggest chess enterprises in the country with 20+ full-time employees. We talk about our initial meeting when I was in Seattle last year, chess pedagogy, the building of a successful chess business, ways to give back to the community and more.

In Episode #26, I interview Lisa Cunningham, Esq. I met her through her husband National Master Todd Bryant back in 2008. We then became good friends when they spent a summer in New York in 2010. A few years later, they lived in New York for several years. We discuss the relationship between chess and marital relations, ways to get more women to play the game, parenting and the correlation of chess and law.

In our milestone Episode #25, I converse with Mary Miele, the founder of Evolved Education, which offers tutoring, school placement services, special education consulting and much more. We chat about ways to inspire families during the COVID-19 season, the importance of education partners, the value of tutors and educational consultants, avenues of collaboration and much more

In Episode # 24, I converse with Shaily Hakimian, Social Media Connoisseur and K-12 Math Tutor. We first met at the Israeli American Council Conference in Washington DC in September, 2016. We chat about the importance of networking during the Coronavirus season, marketing strategies and how they relate to chess, multi-tasking between different businesses and much more.

In Episode #23 of podcast, I interview Alli Bradley, the CEO and Founder of Private Yoga Soho, which does in-person and virtual yoga sessions. We discuss the transferrable skills between chess and yoga, entrepreneurship, the importance of wellness and much more.

In Episode #22, I interview Dan Pelletier, the Founder of DIG USA, which runs chess and soccer programs in Connecticut. We discuss transferrable skills between chess, soccer and other activities, the ways Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and others stay physically fit, the importance of chess companies to collaborate and much more.

In the 21st episode of podcast, I converse with Ryan Garson, the founder of Very Social and a Manhattan real estate broker with Halstead. We chat about his passion for entrepreneurship, the rising importance of Instagram, the art of strategic planning, a comparison of chess, social media and real estate and more.

In Podcast Episode #20, I have a conversation with Michael Trugman, a CPA, who loves practicing his true passion, which is health coaching. We discuss his transition to his passion

In Podcast Episode #19, I interview Jean-Antoine Norbert, an esteemed painter and teacher. He earned an MFA from the New York Academy of Art, a diploma from the Angel Academy of Art in Florence Italy and a medical degree from UNIL, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland.. His portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is on permanent display at the British Consulate NYC. We discuss his desire to transition from medicine to his true passion of painting, transferable skills between chess and painting, his desire to learn chess and more.

In Episode #18, I interview Grandmaster Boris Alterman and Luba Alterman, the founders of ChessMatec. With a rating of 2608, Grandmaster Alterman is the 6th highest rated player in Israel. He was friends with my coach GM Leonid Yudasin as they represented Israel in several Olympiads together. In this episode, we discuss the importance of networking in the chess world, the chess scene in Israel, the functions and benefits of ChessMatec and much more.

In the 17th podcast episode, I interview Life Master Michael Aigner, who resides in the Bay Area. Some of his chess highlights include tying for second place in the U.S Open in 2006 and playing in the U.S Chess Championship in 2007. Thanks to his love for the birds opening, he has the nick name "fpawn." I first met Michael when we played in the 2009 Chicago Open. While Michael was born with quadrilateral phocomelia, four short limbs and has been wheel-chair bound his whole life, that hasn't stopped him from reaching for the stars, getting a MS in Biomedical Engineering at Stanford and becoming a Life Master. In this interview, we discuss his background, chess pedagogy insights, the importance of getting outside one's comfort zone, ways to motivate more disabled players to participate in tournaments and more.

In Podcast Episode #16. I interview Lara Hocheiser, the owner of one of our esteemed education partners Flow & Grow Kids Yoga. We discuss the importance of collaborating, mindfulness, how yoga can help prepare players for chess games, our plans during the Covid-19 season, and much more.

In Episode 15, I interview Dr. Alana Bloom, Chiropractor. We discuss chess and health, the importance of gratitude, how to stay productive during the coronavirus season, the importance of listening to teachers and more.

In Episode 14, I interview FIDE Master Mike Ivanov, Founder of Canada Chess Youth League. We discuss the founding of his organization, the differences of playing chess tournaments in North America and Europe, organization of norm tournaments, the benefits of chess and more.

In this episode, I interview Steve Abrahams, the author of "Become A Chess Champion: A New Guide To Learn & Teach Chess", teacher at Academy Prep of Lakeland, FIDE trainer and more. We talk about teaching pedagogy, chess networks, benefits of curriclum classes and much more.

In Podcast Episode #12, I interview Shelby Lohrman, my friend, teammate and fellow chess businessman. He is the Director of American Chess Equipment, which makes and distributes top-of-the line chess equipment at great prices. We discuss our friendship, businesses, joint partnership and chess networks.

In 10th episode of podcast, I interview Sharon Richter, a business coach with Focal Point. We discuss business goals, continuous improvement, strategy vs tactics and more.

In Podcast Episode #10, I interview our Staten Island Instructor Ian Fleischman. We discuss his background, teaching pedagogy, his favorite yearly tournament, the Amateur Team East, chess variants and more.

In Podcast Episode #8, I interview Mike Papapvlou, the owner of Guitar Guide Guru, one of our premier education partners. We discuss, chess, guitar, education, motivation, teaching pedagogy and more.

Podcast Episode #8 With Father Hamblin, Rector At St. Paul’s Church In Flatbush, Brooklyn by National Master Evan Rabin, CEO of Premier Chess

In Podcast Episode #7, I interview Minna Taylor, the owner of Energize Your Voice. Energize Your Voice creates happier and higher performing humans of all ages via acting and improvisation workshops. They partner with schools, companies, and Indiana’s. In this podcast, we discuss confidence building, teaching pedagogy and transferrable skills in acting, chess education and business.

In Podcast Episode #6, I interview Bill Clausen, the owner of Triangle Chess, which runs tournaments, school programs and private lessons for over 2000 kids in the Raleigh—Durham- Chapel Hill area. We chatted about chess teaching, business development, our 3rd Annual Make a Difference Teaching Chess in Africa trip, next week’s upcoming state championship and much more!

In Espisode 5, I interview our Director of School Programs Phil Rosenberg. We discuss chess teaching, hustling in Washington Square Park and his new TV series and more. 

In the 4th edition of podcast, I Interview Susan Holman, who is an NLP trainer, who focuses on increased confidence and states of excellence. We talk about chess, personal improvement, concentration and more.

In this episode, I sit down with Edmond, President, Thomas, CEO and Wilson, Instructor of American Youth Table Tennis. We talk about chess, table tennis, education, tournament preparation, avenues of partnership and more. For more information about American Youth Table Tennis, see https://aytto.com.

In second edition of podcast, I interview Mike Deutsch, the CEO of Hands on Hoops Skills, one of our premier education partners. Picture is of Mike at the recent event we co-hosted with Hands on Hoops and Guitar Guide Guru at Barnes and Noble UWS in December 2019.

Welcome to my new podcast, where I discuss introduction to Premier Chess, motivation for starting podcast, my goals and more.