NM Ben Johnson - The Most Connected Person in the Chess World

I mean, if you have to look back, what conversation really stood out for you? If you have to pick maybe one or two, you know, like if you have to spontaneously give us some insights, some beautiful conversations.

I don't know about insights because what I take the most pride in, I would say, well, there's a couple of things.

I mean, as I wrote in the book, I don't love the adult improver phrase.

I wish I had, you know, not.

Was it coined by you, by the way, adult improver?

As far as I know.

Yes.

For better or for worse.

Like I, when I was naming the series, I thought of those words and I hadn't heard them before, but I mean, I wish I hadn't, I wish I had named it something else.

But, but I don't think it's a big deal either way, obviously.

I mean, it, you know, it connotes, people get what it, people get what you're driving at.

You know, I'm trying to, I'm ambitious about my chess.

I'm trying to get better at chess is the message it connotes.

You know, again, I wish I had chosen.

So I am proud that like that was a fresh perspective that wasn't being provided at the time, but it's also other, not necessarily fresh perspectives, but perspectives that might not be heard if my podcast didn't exist.

So specifically, I like these stories from sort of the old time people who spend many years in chess business.

So that can be, You know, chess professionals reflecting back on their careers, but it's also people involved in chess business.

Like when I when I interviewed Dr. Stuart Margulies, who was the co-author of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, you know, to tell the story of how this, you know, bestselling chess book of all time came to be and to reveal all these details.

that otherwise you'd just be kind of like combing through the internet trying to find these facts and you wouldn't necessarily be able to find.

And like Dr. James Sherwin, who's the first game in my 60 memorable games, telling the stories of playing Fisher and growing up.

So a lot of it is Lou Hayes who had like his chess publishing empire.

So a lot of it is kind of like the interest in me the most is not necessarily what's going to be the most popular.

But I love these episodes where it's like some dark corner of the chess world where where if I didn't talk to this person, these details wouldn't necessarily ever come to light.

Yeah, you

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