For this week’s (non-Candidates) podcast I am honored to be joined by Lou Hays. Lou Hays is a businessman, accomplished chess author, and the founder of Hays Publishing, which published many popular books beginning in the 1990s. Lou also is an accomplished amateur player, who began tournament chess in his 20s and made it up to near master level. Lou has had the opportunity to meet some of the true legends of the game, and shares some amazing stories about his time spent with Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and David Bronstein. We also discuss how chess improvement has, and has not changed over the decades, as well as Hays Publishing’s most successful books, and how the chess publishing industry has changed. I greatly enjoyed hearing Lou’s stories, and I am confident that you will as well.
For this week’s (non-Candidates) podcast I am honored to be joined by Lou Hays. Lou Hays is a businessman, a noted chess author, and the founder of Hays Publishing, which published many popular books beginning in the 1990s. Lou also is an accomplished amateur player, who began tournament chess in his 20’s and made it up to near-master level. Lou has had the opportunity to meet some of the true legends of the game, and shares some amazing stories about his time with Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky and David Bronstein. We also discuss how chess improvement has, and has not changed, over the decades, as well as Hays Publishing’s most successful books, and how the chess publishing industry has evolved. I greatly enjoyed hearing Lou’s stories, and I am confident that you will as well.
0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. New courses include GM Romain Eduoard’s Lifetime Repertoires: King’s Indian Attack.
If you use the link below to sign up for a Chessable pro membership, it helps to support the pod!
https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro
Mentioned:
Winning Chess for Juniors
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Tactics-Juniors-Hays/dp/1880673932
0:03- In 1992, Lou got to spend the weekend with Bobby Fischer. How did that come about, and what was the experience like?
Mentioned: Bobby Fischer, Complete Games of the World Champion, Zita Rajcsanyi, Ken Smith (founder of Chess Digest and the Smith-Morra Gambit), Fischer voicemail is on YouTube here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/CCa15k61MLY?si=igrs2WYVuyYHbltj
25:00- Lou shares his own chess story, including how chess improvement has, and has not changed
Mentioned: Hastings 1895 (Out of print), NM John Jacobs, Hal Bogner, IM Anatoly Lein
37:00- What was it like to spend a weekend with Boris Spassky?
46:00- Lou tells the story of playing legendary blitz player Israel Zelber.
49:00- How did Lou get into the chess publishing business?
Mentioned: My System: 21st Century Edition, Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Stuart Margulies, Yasser Seirawan
55:30- Patreon mailbag question: Would Lou consider putting Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors on Chessable?
Mentioned: James Stallings
1:00:00- Lou is also an accomplished improver at golf! Are there any parallels to chess improvement?
Mentioned:Lou’s book Make Your Golf Dream a Reality ,
1:01:00- What was it like to spend time with legendary GM David Bronstein?
Mentioned: The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein by Genna Sosonko, Mikanes Bronstein 1965
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EP 380- FIDE Candidates Wrap Up with GM Erwin L'Ami: Gukesh Ascends as Caruana Suffers a Heartbreaking Setback
EP 379- IM Renier Castellanos on How he Earned the GM Title at Age 41.
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 12 Breakdown (Part 2)- FM Mike Klein on the Player’s Mindsets, Historical Context, and the Alireza Shoe Controversy
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 12 Breakdown (Part 1)- An Epic Finish Awaits, as Naka, Nepo and Gukesh are Tied!
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 10 Breakdown (Part 2)- GM Jan Timman on the tournament so far.
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 10 Breakdown (Part 1)- Nepo and Gukesh lead Narrowly as Naka and Fabi are in Pursuit
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 7 Breakdown (Part 2)- GM Daniel King on the Tournament So Far
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 7 Breakdown (Part 1)- Nepo and Tan Zhongyi Lead after a Dramatic First Half of the Tournament
EP 377- NM Dan Heisman and NM Laura Smith. Two Accomplished Trainers on Capturing, Counting, and other Chess Concepts To Know
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates First 4 Round Breakdown. Nepo leads (As usual). Plus a Fan's Toronto Trip Report
EP 376- Adult Improver Jordan Groff on What it Takes to Make Master in 2024
EP 375- FIDE Candidates Mega Preview with GM Rafael Leitão, Chess by the Numbers, and On the Queenside
EP 374- GM Noel Studer- Chess Improvement Q & A- Avoiding Burnout, Addressing Weaknesses, Avoiding Blunders, & Lots More!
EP 373- Carol Ann Caronia: Advice for Chess Parents & Scholastic Teachers from an Author and Longtime Teacher
EP 372- GM Jan Gustafsson: Learning 1. E4, Life after Team Magnus, Chess Cheating, the FIDE Candidates & more
EP 371- GM Josh Friedel- Common Beginner & Intermediate Mistakes, Freestyle Chess, and Advice for Goal-Setting
EP 370- GM Paul van der Sterren- Breakthroughs, Declines, Mindfulness and the Odyssey of a 20+ Year Professional Career
EP 369- NM Robert Ramirez on the difference between Adult and Youth Chess Students, Chess in Cuba, and Why He Loves the Pirc Defense
EP 368- Erik Allebest (Chess.com CEO)- Online Cheating, The Magnus-Hikaru match that fell through, the Chess24 closure & more
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