Moving the newsletter to Substack! Update on my plans ahead - issue #8
Martin B. Justesen
Hi everyone! I have moved the newsletter to the platform Substack after a short stay at Revue. Why you may ask? In short, I have found that Substack has some better features. On Revue I got emails with feedback from readers directly on the post I wrote, which I really like. However, on Substack, you can comment directly below my posts, which hopefully will give the newsletter some life and a place for everyone to discuss chess topics. Secondly, a couple of other chess newsletters are already available here on SubStack (Adam Raoof, Nate Salon, Eric Jensen, and JJ Lang), so I think there is the basis for a good synergy effect on the platform moving forward.Some of you might also notice that I have been busy with creating a new chess site called www.howtoplaychess.online. I also created a newsletter for that site, where I so far have made two posts that you will find below. But I could see that it was the same signing up for the other newsletter that is already on this one. Where we now have crossed 500! So to make it simpler for everyone I will merge my efforts into one here and give it my full attention. So what can you expect going ahead:
Writtings about my training and games
Book updates. Earlier I asked for volunteers to test read chapters of my next book. +20 people wrote to me, which I was very happy about. The interest made me think that I could send out 10 puzzles each week to everyone on the newsletter. I will then make a small survey where you can submit your answers and feedback. My hope is then I can enrich the book with the feedback I get and make it even better. For those who participate, it will hopefully also be fun to see how you scored on the puzzles. I plan to send out the first pack of puzzles next week.
Lastly, I will also include posts about howtoplaychess.online, which will include updates with my video recommendations (or videos recommended by you) and interviews with chess YouTube creators. Below you can read the two first interviews. The first with IM Andras Toth and the second with FM Ingvar Johannesson.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think about the plans and the two interviews!
Best,Martin
Interview with IM Andras Toth
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your background in chess?My Name is Andras Toth. IM, Fide rating 2377 (peak 2449). I am a 39 years old teacher and a chess coach originally from Hungary, living in Australia. I have been playing chess since the age of 10, and doing coaching for nearly a decade and a half. Among my own coaches, I had the amazing Laszlo Hazai, the trainer of the Polgar sisters and life-long second (sort of coach) of super-GM Boris Gelfand.
IM Andras Toth
2. When and why did you start your YouTube-channel?My current Channel is 5 years old (I had a channel before though) so quite an old fox in chess YouTubing terms.
3. What do you want to achieve with the material you are creating?My material is 99% no-nonsense educational material for those who are serious about chess and about chess improvement (Which is why I think it is not valued too much).4. Try to describe the target group for your videos?Literally, anyone who is keen to get better at chess and is below IM level. probably best suited for 1500 and above.5. Do you have any visions or plans for your channel?The vision is that “the most underrated chess channel” becomes a very much appreciated and viewed channel.6. What has been the biggest challenge starting and running a YouTube channel?It is heart-breaking to see that many of my videos with excellent educational content have less than 2000 views. I find youtubing extremely challenging and at times frustrating. The algorithm is more mysterious than the best episode of X-files, my content is hugely liked by my subscribers but absolutely ignored outside of it. On top of it, it is a very time-consuming affair, that yields essentially nothing (In fact I have multiple people working for me on the side doing thumbnails, editing, uploading, etc and charge nothing for it! Without them and their kindness I would have most certainly quit!). This said, my subscribers are extremely grateful for my work and that is what keeps me going.7. What video of yours has the most views? What do you think is the explanation?Currently, my most popular video is “My Ultimate Book Recommendation” video, which has been seen at the time of me writing this by 20.000 people. By my standards that’s HUGE.
My Ultimate Book Recommendations | Beginner to 1700 | Tiermaker edition
A combination of things really, it was a topic a lot of people were/still are interested in, also it was referred to by other content creators. Last but not least, I don’t know. Like I said above, the youtube algorithm (at least with chess videos) is certainly one of life’s greatest mysteries.8.Which video on your channel are you most happy about and why?The video “How to Get Better at Chess” discusses a topic that is a shortcoming of a lot of players on lower levels and seemed to have hit home:
How to Get Better at Chess | Exploring Calculation Techniques | The Amateurs Mind #27
9. How can people follow you outside of Youtube?Twitter: https://twitter.com/chesscoachandra
Twitch: https://t.co/fQ8DGpPG9x?amp=1
Facebook: https://t.co/BmUG3Y6r3F?amp=1
10.Can you recommend one other Chess YouTube-channel that you find interesting?I really like channels with meaningful content. As such Chess Dojo definitely comes to mind: Like-minded people talk in-depth about various chess topics Quality chess, quality ideas done by great people. Big fan! (In my opinion, they are grossly underrated and undervalued too!)
#2 Interview with FM Ingvar Johannesson from Zibbit Chess
Everything from Xzibit to Alphazero is covered in this week’s newsletter…Before we go to the interview with Ingvar I want to share some of the YouTube highlights from the last week or so:The first video is from GM Sune Berg Hansen’s new channel, GM talks, where he goes through a game from 1994 against Tony Miles. We often hear about the advantages of gaining space in chess, but in this video, Sune shows, how it also can be punished.Miles, Anthony J (2590) - Hansen,Sune Berg (2415), Seville op Seville (3), 1994
Chess Legend Tony Miles - GM Sune Berg Hansen playing the Legends
The second video I liked this past week was from Daniel King’s channel, PowerPlayChess, on the game Ian Nepomniachtchi vs. Hikaru Nakamura, Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2021. It was interesting how Ian Nepomniachtchi managed to play something new and interesting in the Berlin opening. If I did not mistake King also made a small subtle remark about Nakamura slacking on his prep due to streaming.. or was it just me reading between the lines? (Also check out the game So vs. Aronian, where So played a stunning attack!)
The Berlin DESTROYED | Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Hikaru Nakamura | Magnus Carlsen Invitational 2021
This video is really something special! It is an interview with adult chess improver Neal Bruce on the Chess Dojo. It is a movie-length video, so you can best consume it as a podcast (the Chess Dojo should make a podcast btw). What I found most interesting about the video is Neal’s grinding mentality, something I personally lack. Listing to this interview will most likely make you rethink your approach to training.
How to Find Time & Motivation as an Adult Chess Improver | Dojo Talks Habits feat. Neal Bruce
The last video in this week’s highlight reel is from Ingvar’s channel. It shows that Grandmasters are human too and that knowing your mating patterns is very important!
A missed mate you won't believe! || Gretarsson - Stefansson || Icelandic Cup 2021
Interview with FM Ingvar Johannesson from Zibbit’s Chess Channel
Why is your channel called Zibbit’s Chess Channel?My first username on ICC in 1997 was Xzibit. It somehow merged into Zibbit as a username on other sites. It probably would have been something like “Viking Chess” or “Thor Chess” (Thor my middle name) if I had been thinking of branding or something like that ;-) 1
Tell us a little about yourself and your background in chess?I come from Iceland and I was born in 1977. I started playing at around ages 8-9 when I followed my uncle to the chess club. I fell in love with the game and did pretty well as a junior, winning some tournaments and coming 2nd in the U12 championship at one point. I reached around 1900 before I more or less stopped playing at age 17 but started again at age 23. Started studying pretty hard and reached FM within about 3 years and have since scored two IM norms.
When and why did you start your YouTube-channel?I’ve had the channel for a pretty long time but spent most of my time and energy on http://Chessvideos.tv which was a nice site. Originally I started a channel just to post random videos but over time it became a chess channel. Only started trying to be a “YouTuber” the last few years.What do you want to achieve with the material you are creating?I just want to share my knowledge of the game. I haven’t seen any channel post the type of material I am posting when it comes to pattern recognition and I think this is very useful for learning.Try to describe the target group for your videos?The target group especially for the pattern recognition should be pretty wide but I try to cater to beginner/intermediate players and up to pretty advanced players.Do you have any visions or plans for your channel?Not really, just want to keep grinding and it would be nice to at least break even on the channel ;-)What has been the biggest challenge starting and running a YouTube channel? Starting isn’t that difficult but running it can be very difficult. The so-called “YouTube algorithm” seems to work in mysterious ways and it’s hard to crack. It can be discouraging over a long time to have the same general views almost no matter what you do. Still, I keep getting very nice feedback, especially on pattern recognition videos and I just hope at some stage something will click.What video of yours has the most views? What do you think is the explanation?I have a video on an Alphazero game. It has over 250k views now and is still getting recommended.
AlphaZero stuns with another brilliant move Engines took hours to understand
It was of course relevant at the time when the first Alphazero games came out, so I guess something clicked with the algorithm.
Which video on your channel are you most happy about and why?
I am most happy with the pattern recognition videos in general, but don’t really have a favorite.
Anastasia's Mate - Chess Checkmate Patterns
How can people follow you outside of Youtube?
I have @Zibbitvideos on Twitter and I play on chess.com under the handle Zibbit.Can you recommend one other Chess YouTube channel that you find interesting? And are there any other Icelandic YouTubers?
There are other Icelandic Youtubers but not really chess Youtubers. There is one good one in Icelandic but none other doing English commentary. In regards to other chess channels, I always enjoy GingerGM and have been enjoying Chesscoach Andras as well. Plenty of channels I watch on and off. Used to watch Hanging Pawns but mostly cause I liked following his journey. Maybe I need to check back in with Stjepan a little bit.
Lets finish with a puzzle. White to move (mate in 3)
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