About this episode
The sensei debate Kostya’s controversial claim that all major chess tournaments should switch to rapid, exploring its potential impact on classical chess, player improvement, tournament structure, and fan engagement, ultimately leaving Jesse and David unconvinced. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop Want to support the channel? Patreon - https://patreon.com/chessdojo Donate - https://streamelements.com/chessdojo/tip Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you. Website: https://chessdojo.club Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Discord: https://discord.gg/sUUh8HD Twitter: https://twitter.com/chessdojo Patreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chessdojo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chessdojo Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@/chessdojoclips #chess #chesstraining Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction – Discussion on Kostya’s controversial quote about switching major tournaments to rapid. 01:16 – Context of the Quote – Explanation that it was a short Q&A answer, not a detailed proposal. 03:18 – Future of Classical Chess – Kostya argues that classical chess may become obsolete over time. 04:06 – Online Growth vs. OTB Decline – Discussion on why rapid and Blitz are growing online but not in classical tournaments. 06:06 – Opening Preparation Issues – Classical chess demands extensive opening prep, making it less enjoyable for some players. 10:25 – Classical for Beginners, Rapid for Pros? – Kostya suggests longer time controls are useful for improvement but not ideal for elite events. 12:07 – Rapid Chess Popularity – Historical attempts to promote rapid chess and why it hasn’t taken over. 22:49 – World Championship & Classical Chess – Arguments for why classical chess remains the gold standard for top-level competition. 30:55 – Quality of Games in Different Formats – Whether faster time controls lead to better or worse chess quality. 41:23 – Closing Thoughts – Debate recap with Jesse and David still unconvinced by Kostya’s stance on rapid chess.