EP 479 – GM Rafael Leitão on Sindarov’s Historic Candidates Win, His Training Methods & What Comes Next
Perpetual Chess PodcastShow Notes
With the FIDE Candidates now in the rearview mirror, 7-time Brazilian Champion and Chess.com “Game of the Day” columnist GM Rafael Leitão joins me to help break it all down. We discuss:
Sindarov’s incredible performance and the training methods that helped him ascend to the top
Vaishali’s strong finish and her chances against Ju Wenjun
Rafael’s take on opening trends, and which players might be most disappointed with their performance
GM Leitão also shares his thoughts on the Judit Polgar documentary on Netflix, along with his story of getting to play Judit.
Thanks to Rafael for sharing his insights. I’m excited to see the two new World Championship challengers fight for the title later this year.
00:00 Introduction to the Candidates Tournament
02:04 Training Methods and Classical Chess Education
Mentioned: IM Roman Vidonyik interview with Charlize van Zyl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5TJMiHqiwc
04:50 Expectations and Surprises in the Candidates
07:43 Analysis of Player Performances
10:56 Sindarov's Unique Play Style
13:51 Reflections on Historical Performances
16:54 Opening Trends in High-Level Chess
19:52 The Future of Chess Openings
30:09 Concurrent Tournaments: A New Perspective
31:41 Vaishali's Resilience and Performance
35:00 Sindarov vs. Gukesh: The Rising Stars
Mentioned: Chess.com article touching on Sindarov’s trainer IM Roman Vidonyak
https://www.chess.com/news/view/2026-fide-candidates-tournament-round-14
Interviews with IM Roman Vidonyok:
Chessbase India-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6VDTVVXMZU&t=442s
FIDE-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5TJMiHqiwc&t=1s
Chessbase article about the support Erdogmus receives:
https://en.chessbase.com/post/a-billionaire-supports-chess-talents
38:40 Ambitious Goals: The Future of Sindarov
42:04 Support Systems in Chess: A Double-Edged Sword
44:20 The Candidates Tournament: Format and Future
48:01 Memorable Encounters: Rafael's Game with Judit Polgar
Mentioned: Rafael’s YouTube video-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKvQuSfNd6A
50:20 Analyzing Chess.com’s “Game of the Day”: Rafael's Approach
Mentioned: Praggnandhaa vs. Rapport 2025-
https://www.chess.com/events/2025-uzchess-cup-masters/06/Praggnanandhaa_R-Rapport_Richard
54:15 The Future of Chess: New Generations and Trends
56:00- Thanks to GM Leitao for rejoining me! You can reach him via his website, and follow him via the following methods:
Website:
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCistQmaDouEpKROBZBkQQ9A
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gmrafaelleitao/
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