This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Russian grandmaster Daniil Dubov.

Daniil, currently rated 2693, earned the grandmaster title in 2011, a few weeks before he turned 15. His biggest success to date was his win in the Rapid World Championship of 2018, ahead of Carlsen, Mamedyarov and Nakamura. Daniil is not only a perfect guest because of his perceptive views and thoughts on chess, but also because of the fact that on two occasions he was one of Magnus Carlsen’s seconds in a world championship match: in 2018, when Carlsen defeated Caruana in London, and in 2021, when Carlsen defeated Nepomniachtchi in Dubai.

With five classical games to go, the World Championship match between Ding Liren and Gukesh D is tied at 4.5-4.5, and Daniil has followed the event closely. Remarkably, Daniil is not surprised at all that Ding Liren is playing much better than the pundits feared and he explains why. Interviewed by Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam immediately after the draw in Game 9, Daniil gives his take on what we’ve seen so far and what we can expect from the remaining games between Ding and Gukesh. He also shares memories and behind-the-scenes stories of the matches when he worked for Magnus Carlsen, and gives a sharp analysis of how the current world championship cycle is an economically bad idea for most chess professionals. In short, an episode you should not miss!

0:00 – Intro

1:30 – Welcome Daniil!

1:59 – Is Daniil surprised by the turn of events in the World Championship match between Ding and Gukesh?

5:36 – Daniil’s recollection of Ding’s world title victory against Nepomniachtchi last year

8:00 – Ding’s mental health issues

11:40 – The difference between a match and a tournament

14:27 – What is Daniil’s take on Magnus’s statement that the world title should not be decided in a classical match format?

17:20 – Will a 2800-player be able to maintain his rating in open tournaments?

19:50 – Ding’s current level and overall playing style compared to Gukesh and Magnus

25:02 – AD BREAK

26:00 – The Chinese and Indian ways of playing chess

29:50 – The Indian way of “learning through playing” as opposed to learning from chess books

31:13 – Why do Ding and Gukesh have guys like Rapport and Gajewski on their respective teams?

33:04 – Daniil’s experience coming up as a player in an era where engines where not as strong as they are now

37:24 – Daniil’s experience working with Magnus

40:55 – Does Magnus display the same “clarity” in his play that Fischer demonstrated?

42:52 – Why a modern coach should do more than just present lines

47:00 – How did Daniil befriend Magnus, and Magnus’s sense of humour

50:50 – AD BREAK

51:29 – Friendships among chess teams

55:59 – The Balenciaga sweater

57:36 – What is Daniil’s prediction for the rest of the World Championship?

1:02:22 – Why Daniil finds it “weird” to see top players like Magnus and Hikaru doing daily recaps of the World Championship match

1:06:34 – Liverpool vs Manchester City and Daniil’s love of other sports

1:08:28 – Weird press conference questions

1:13:53 – Should the World Championship match continue to exist in its current format?