This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features a narration from “The Essential Sosonko”, a collection of chess portraits based on personal stories authored by chess grandmaster Genna Sosonko.

This week’s episode features the first half of the story of legendary World Champion Capablanca. José Raúl Capablanca (1888–1942) was a Cuban chess prodigy who became the third World Chess Champion, reigning from 1921 to 1927. Often referred to as the "Human Chess Machine" due to his exceptional endgame skills and nearly flawless technique, Capablanca is celebrated for his natural talent and intuitive grasp of the game. His crowning achievement was his victory over Emanuel Lasker in 1921, which made him the World Chess Champion. Known for his clarity of play and the ability to exploit the smallest of advantages, Capablanca was unbeaten in tournament play from 1916 to 1924, an unprecedented record. Though he lost the title to Alexander Alekhine in 1927, Capablanca's contributions to chess theory, especially in the endgame, remain highly influential. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest natural talents in the history of chess.

"The Essential Sosonko" is available in its entirety on the New In Chess website: https://www.newinchess.com/the-essential-sosonko