EP 162 | Underdog Story: How GM Fishbein Became the U.S. Senior Chess Champion

GM Alexander Fishbein shares how he won the 2025 U.S. Senior Championship by relying on stamina, heavy tournament practice, and deep training methods such as solitary chess and analyzing old annotated games. This Talks also highlights generational contrasts in chess culture, from preparation styles to the evolving rules on draw offers.

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0:15 – Introduction

2:34 – Becoming a Real Contender

6:00 – Finding an Edge Against More Talented Rivals

8:13 – Taking Time Off Work to Chase Chess Goals

10:52 – Training Stamina & Playing 100 Games a Year

18:20 – Why Rating Doesn’t Matter

21:11 – Core Training: Annotating Games & Using Engines

36:33 – Solitaire Chess & Personalized Training

51:06 – The “Post-Postmortem” Method (Old Book Analysis)

59:39 – Final Insights