#84. Matthew Sadler About AI Chess, The Upcoming Candidates Tournament, And More!

In this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam talks to English grandmaster Matthew Sadler.

Matthew returns to the New In Chess Podcast to look back on the year that’s almost behind us and cautiously look ahead to the year we’re about to enter.

Matthew Sadler is a two-time British Champion, a streamer, a YouTuber, an expert in chess engines, and a prolific writer. The best-selling Game Changer, co-authored with Natasha Regan, on AlphaZero’s groundbreaking chess strategies and the promise of AI, was one of the most successful and talked about books of the past years.

These days Matthew is an IT Consultant, but he makes no secret of the fact that he fills his spare time with as much chess as possible. And although the FIDE rating list no longer has him as an active player, his FIDE rating still hovers eerily close to 2700.

In fact, Matthew might very well be the strongest amateur chess player in the world.

Last but not least, Matthew is the highly popular book reviewer of New In Chess Magazine.

For all these reasons, Matthew was invited to return to the New In Chess Podcast - to talk about the best books that came out and to discuss general tendencies and developments in the chess world.

Matthew is a great conversationalist and storyteller. You’ll enjoy his stories about 19th century Scottish-American Master Captain Mackenzie, Yugoslav legends Albin Planinc and Dragoljub Velimirovic, the benefits and dangers of AI, and much more.

Don’t miss it!

0:00 – Intro

2:55 – Matthew’s tells the story of Captain Mackenzie

12:14 – AD BREAK

12:52 – Matthew’s favourite books of 2025

15:30 – The forgotten genius of Albin Planinc

17:50 – Velimirovic

21:40 – Chess history’s tendency to forget non-world champion players

23:50 – David Bronstein

26:40 – Sergio Mariotti

33:42 – AD BREAK

34:45 – Matthew previews the Candidates Tournament 

37:55 - Vincent Keymer   

38:58 - Javokhir Sindarov

40:38 - Who are Matthew's favourites to win the Candidates?

43:50 – Why 2026 will look very different in terms of top level chess

49:21 – Has Freestyle been a success in 2025?

53:05 – AD BREAK

53:47 – Matthew’s field of expertise: computer chess!

55:48 – Why humans are moving towards a more engine-like style of play

1:03:45 – Is the Benoni still alive?

1:05:10 – Is English chess entering a new Golden age?

1:09:00 – Outro