IM Willy Hendriks is an award-winning chess author, historian and chess trainer. He has just released his fourth book, The Philosopher and the Housewife:Tarrasch, Nimzowitsch and the Evolution of Chess. This book is the completion of a trilogy which casts a new light on chess history and looks at the evolution of chess ideas. Willy’s newest book focuses on the early 20th century, with a particular emphasis on Aron Nimzowitsch and Siegbert Tarrasch. We tackle questions such as:
Was Aron Nimzowitsch the most pretentious chess player of them all?
What does Willy think of My System?
Have the stylistic differences between Tarrasch and Nimzowitsch been exaggerated?
What can we learn about engines and modern chess through reading about these players?
Our conversation is filled with fun stories and reflections about these players, along with the contributions of the third “main character,” Semion Alapin. We also discuss Willy’s own competitive career and his potential next projects. It is always a pleasure to read Willy's work and to speak with him. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.
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0:02- Where did the title The Philosopher and the Housewife come from?
0:06- Willy tells a few stories to illustrate why he considers Aron Nimzowitsch to be “the most self-aggrandizing chess player of all-time.”
10:00- What were the chess stylistic differences of Nimzowitsch and Tarrasch?
Mentioned:
Modern Ideas in Chess by Richard Reti
18:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What does Willy think of the book My System?”
Mentioned:
Book Recap #18- My System with IM Christof Sielecki
Book Recap #37- My System (fast track edition) with GM Alex Fishbein
Aron Nimzowitch: A Reappraisal by GM Raymond Keene
https://www.amazon.com/Aron-Nimzowitsch-Reappraisal-Raymond-Keene/dp/0713484381
23:00- Where does the third character in the book, Semyon Alapin fit in?
31:00- How are engines connected to the themes of Willy’s writing?
34:00- What is the “Trainer’s fallacy?”
42:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What ideas does Willy have for upcoming books?”
Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors, Mihail Marin’s Learn from the Legends 1 and 2
45:00- Does Willy follow modern chess and chess drama? Does he like freestyle chess?
48:00- What has Willy been reading?
Mentioned: Daniel Dennett
Tarrasch’s 300 Chess Games, the Works of Edward Lasker and Milan Vidmar, The Essential Sosonko, In Black and White
52:00- Has Willy been competing OTB lately?
54:00- Thanks as always to Willy for visiting the pod and for advancing our knowledge of chess history!
You can get his books here:
https://www.newinchess.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Willy+Hendriks
You can also get a physical copy in the US from Chess4Less:
https://chess4less.com/products/the-philosopher-and-the-housewife-willy-hendriks
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