About this episode

The episode features GM Eugene Perelshteyn and NM Mike Mahoney discussing Mike's participation in the Naroditsky Memorial chess tournament against top players.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Johnson

Guests: Eugene Perelshteyn, Mike Mahoney

Topics covered

• chess
• blitz tournaments
• amateur competition
• coaching
• personal journey

Keywords

• chess
• blitz
• Naroditsky Memorial
• Eugene Perelshteyn
• Mike Mahoney
• Hikaru Nakamura
• Hans Niemann
• National Master

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Naroditsky Memorial, Perpetual Chess

Places: Charlotte, Boston

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