EP 480- GM Eugene Perelshteyn & NM Mike Mahoney: Chess Rocky-Taking on Nakamura & Niemann at the Naroditsky Memorial
Perpetual Chess PodcastShow Notes
When I read on GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s blog that his amateur friend had signed up to compete against players like Hikaru Nakamura and Hans Niemann in the Naroditsky Memorial, I knew I had to hear this story.
That friend is NM Mike Mahoney. Mike is a pharmacist by day and a devoted online blitz player by night. For Mike, chess is usually a way to unwind, not something he takes too seriously. But he couldn’t pass up the chance to test himself in one of the strongest blitz tournaments the U.S. has ever seen.
Eugene will be mentoring Mike and traveling with him to Charlotte, and they both joined me to discuss:
Why Mike decided to jump into such a stacked field
How Eugene is preparing him for the challenge
How Mike defines “success” in a tournament like this
We also talk about Mike’s unconventional path to becoming a National Master, starting relatively late, as well as some great stories from the Boston blitz scene.
I’m excited to follow how this unfolds, and Eugene and Mike will be back after the tournament for a trip report. In the meantime, you can follow Mike’s journey on Eugene’s blog.
Be sure to check out the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel where Eugene goes over one of Mike’s model games against the Caro-Kann. (The video will be out later this week)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcudElmRsQYTwULtd_gnFw
00:00 Introduction to the Guests and Their Journey
02:50 Mike's Decision to Compete in the Naroditsky Memorial
05:41 Eugene's Support and Coaching Role
08:41 Mike's Past Experiences with Top Players
11:35 Analyzing Mike's Strengths and Weaknesses
14:37 Training and Preparation for the Tournament
17:31 Opening Strategies and Game Analysis
Mentioned: The Hungarian Dragon
The Dragodorf
20:32 Eugene’s Philosophy on Gimmicky Openings
23:21 Defining Success in the Tournament
Mentioned: IM Marc Esserman
27:04 Excitement in Facing Strong Opponents
31:35 Setting Performance Goals as a Coach
34:02 The Importance of Blitz Clock Management
35:33 The Origin Story of a Late Chess Starter
Mentioned: Ilya Koyfman
36:39 Factors Contributing to Success in Chess
39:16 The Value of Community in Chess
40:56 The Evolution of Chess Accessibility
43:25 The Importance of a Fun and Relaxed Approach
43:37 Learning from Losses and Honest Reflection
46:02 Stories about legendary
GM Roman Dzindziashvilli and Bobby Fischer
Mentioned: Dzindzi-Jansa move 25
https://lichess.org/study/Th7i9fr2/kxMPOEjA
49:00 Upcoming Projects and Future Endeavors
50:00- Thanks to Eugene and Mike for joining me!
You can follow Mike’s training and progress on GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s blog.
https://eugeneperel.substack.com/
If you would like to help support Mike’s dream trip you can do so via this Go Fund Me:
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