EP 341-Double Episode! GM Levon Aronian on The Global Chess League, How to Better Promote Chess, and Reflections on his Bumpy Ride to the Chess Elite + Global Chess League Chairperson Jagdish Mitra on Plans for Future Seasons

Perpetual Chess is back with a banger of a double episode. First up is chess superstar, GM Levon Aronian! Levon joined me from Spain after returning from the first season of the Global Chess League in Dubai. Levon reflected on the success of his championship-winning team, and we discussed why he thinks initiatives like this league are vital to the future health of chess. We then broadened the scope of our conversation, and Levon shared memorable stories about his humble beginnings and Armenia, and the lessons he had to learn when he shot to chess stardom in the mid 2000s. Lastly, Levon discusses his move to the U.S., his 2023 plans, and why he is not playing in the ongoing FIDE World Cup. 

Following Lev, we are joined by Jagdish Mitra. Jagdish is Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Growth at Tech Mahindra, and served as Chairperson of the first season of The Global Chess League. Jagdish looked back on a successful first season, and discussed the ambitious plans and long term vision that the league has for upcoming years. Both interviews left me excited about the future of chess! You can find timestamps for all of the topics discussed below. 

Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsors, Chessable. Here are some courses to check out:

Techniques of Positional Play with GM Peter Heine Nielsen

Lifetime Repertoires: Gawain Jones 1.e4 e5

100 Repertoires: Alekhine Defense by CM Vjekoslav Nemec 

You can check out some of my recommended courses here: https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/

4:00- GM Levon Aronian joins me from a park in Spain! How was Levon added as a last-second replacement to the Global Chess League? What sort of things does he usually negotiate before signing a contract to participate in an event? 

Mentioned: Chess.com’s Dog-Themed Bots including Levon’s Famous Dog, Ponchik 

10:00- What was it like to be in Dubai for the Global Chess League?

15:30- How can new players be incorporated into future Global Chess Leagues? 

17:30- What steps are necessary to continue to grow chess and attract corporate sponsors? 

Mentioned: Indian Express article by Amit Kamath

25:00- Levon’s scouting reports on Hikaru and Gukesh 

26:30- Which young star is most likely to emerge as a world champion? 

30:00- What was it like to play games for money to support his family as a kid? 

36:00- Levon tells an amazing story of how Boris Gelfand taught him to treat chess professionally. 

40:00- Why does Levon think chess has become increasingly professionalized?

41:30- Is Chess960 the solution to the over-abundance of opening theory? 

Mentioned: GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Boris Gelfand, GM Jan Timman 

49:00- Is it true that Levon traveled in the cargo department of a plane to get to tournaments? 

Mentioned: Sean Williams’ 2017 New Yorker feature on Levon Aronian, GM Melik Khachiyan 

55:30- Patreon mailbag question: “What obstacles did Lev encounter in moving to the US?”  

1:03:00- Will Levon write a book some day?

Mentioned: GM Surya Ganguly’s “In Conversation with GM Levon Aronian”

1:08:30- What is Levon’s study routine?

1:09:00- Thanks to Levon for joining me! 

1:11:00- Jagdish Mitra, the Chairperson of the Global Chess League joins the podcast! We begin by discussing the origins of the Global Chess League. 

1:25:00- How did they decide on the unique format?

1:30:00- How will they acquire new players? How can teams foster allegiance with chess fans? 

1:41:00- Thanks so much to Jagdish for sharing the vision behind the Global Chess League. Here is how you can keep up with it:

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/GCLlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

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