[Replay] GM Daniel Naroditsky's 2020 Perpetual Chess Interview

As the chess world digests the devastating news of the passing of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, I found myself thinking back to our first interview in August of 2020 (Episode 191). At the time, as chess boomed during the pandemic, Danya was ascending from promising young American player to chess commentating superstar. In the interview Danya’s eloquence, empathy, and hilarious impersonations were on full display. It is among the most listened-to Perpetual Chess episodes in the podcast's 9 year history. Danya's loss is immense and I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and many fans. - Ben

00:00 – 03:15

Ben’s tribute and introduction following Danya’s passing (2025)

03:16 – 04:00

2020 Interview with Danya begins- Introduction to Danya’s chess background and early achievements

04:00 – 06:00

Danya on listening to Perpetual Chess and favorite episodes

06:00 – 10:00

Discussion of the Hikaru–Magnus finale and Armageddon tiebreaks

10:12 – 13:10

Early fascination with blitz and bullet chess; childhood training habits

13:10 – 16:00

Blitz addiction story and lessons from IM John Donaldson

16:00 – 21:40

Practical tips on blitz improvement — tactics, intuition, and time management

21:40 – 26:30

Deep dive into time management and “15-second rule” from Hikaru analysis

26:30 – 33:00

Stories of playing Magnus and Alireza online; Rebecca Harris account origin

33:00 – 36:15

Etiquette and psychology of elite bullet matches

36:15 – 38:10

What Danya works on to improve; paradox of bullet skill vs. classical weakness

38:10 – 40:10

Balancing streaming, teaching, and training during COVID

40:10 – 43:00

Untapped potential and thoughts on improvement as a 2600+ GM

43:00 – 45:30

The continuing value of classical chess in a fast-paced world

45:30 – 49:10

Teaching and streaming as dual passions; insights on Twitch culture

49:10 – 54:30

Streaming schedule, viewer expectations, and sustainability

54:30 – 56:30

The pressures and pitfalls of Twitch streaming; handling trolls

56:30 – 1:00:00

Patreon questions: notebooks, writing process, and early books

1:00:00 – 1:03:00

How Mastering Positional Chess came to be; influence of Russian literature

1:03:00 – 1:06:00

Formative chess books and lessons from Kasparov and Soviet literature

1:06:00 – 1:09:30

Advice for adult improvers: training priorities and tactical habits

1:09:30 – End

Reflections on commentary, pedagogy, and love of teaching

Photo in thumbnail via Charlotte Chess Center:

https://www.charlottechesscenter.org/staff/gm-daniel-naroditsky

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