Premier Chess: Conquer the Game; Master Your Life

Hosted by National Master Evan Rabin, CEO of Premier Chess

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284

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Apr 2025

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About the show

I am a national chess master, who was born and raised in New York City. After working in Enterprise Sales for a years after graduating Cum Laude from Brandeis University with a BA in Business International Studies, I decided to begin Premier Chess in September 2017. Since then, we have partnered with 100+ schools and companies including the law firm Kramer Levin. On this podcast, I speak about business, life, education and chess and bring on frequent guests. Learn more about Premier Chess at www.premierchess.com.

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April 24, 2025Episode 28351 min

Episode 283 with International Master Malcolm Pein, Serial Chess Entrepreneur

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 283, I have the pleasure of conversing with International Master Malcolm Pein, Chief Executive at Chess in Schools and Communities, Chess Correspondent at The Daily Telegraph, Proprietor of Chess & Bridge Ltd and Executive Editor of CHESS Magazine. Malcolm is a Former British Junior Champion. As a Qualified FIDE Trainer, he has trained over 20 national and world junior champions. He has been a Chess Correspondent of The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph for over 30 years and has commentated on chess for the BBC, Sky TV, Canal+, Independent Television News and CNN.He is the author of many books and Executive Editor of CHESS Magazine. He has consulted on many films, including Chess Masters: The Endgame, EastEnders, Casualty, X-Men: Days of Future. In 1992, he founded the London Chess Centre, a games shop in central London and the UK’s only dedicated chess shop. In 2010, I founded Chess in Schools and Coommunities, which teaches chess in 350 schools and 800 classrooms weekly. Over 250,000 children have learned life skills through chess in its' programs. In 2016, he was appointed Manager of the England Open Team. Notable successes include defeating China (the strongest chess country in the world at that time) at the Chess Olympiad in Baku in 2016. In 2019, England took the silver medals at the World Team Championships at Astana, the team's best result for over 20 years and later that year at Batumi, England took the bronze medals at the European Team Championships. We speak about parallels between Malcolm and our 109th Podcast Guest National Master Bruce Pandolfini, growing up in Liverpool, his favorite Beatles songs, fundraising and more.

April 20, 2025Episode 2821 hr 11 min

Episode 282 with Sami Steigmann, Holacaust Survivor

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 282, I have the merit of speaking with Sami Steigmann, who is a Holacaust survivor, educator and motivational speaker. A few years ago, our 50th Podcast Guest Esther Deutsch, his honorary granddaughter, told me about Sami. I was excited to meet him at a Kosha Dillz Chanukah concert, in which he danced on stage. Sami was born on December 21, 1939 in Czernovitz, Bukovina, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire belonging to Romania. From 1941 through 1944, he was with his parents at Mogilev-Podolsky, a labor camp in an area called Transnistria. The camp was liberated by the Red Army and his family was deported by the Romanians, not by the Germans. In 1961, his family emigrated to Israel, where he served in the Air Force. In 1968, he came to the United States. He lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he married, divorced and eventually, in 1983 returned to Israel. However, in 1988, he returned to the United States, choosing New York City as his final home. Since then, he has spoke to thousands of people as an educator and motivational speaker. We speak about empathy, an overview of the history of the Holocaust since World War 1, knowledge versus action, overcoming obstacles, the global chess community, the benefits of chess, positivity and more.

February 14, 2025Episode 28149 min

Episode 281 with Dani Zoldan, Owner of Stand Up NY

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 281, I have the pleasure of conversing with Dani Zoldan, Owner of Stand Up NY. Dani has been a serial entrepreneur since he was 19 years old. While in college, he founded the online music company Eargazmic.com, which was a website where independent bands and musicians promoted and sold their music.In 2008, he purchased Stand Up NY, the famous comedy club, which recently moved from the Upper West Side to Time Square. Stand Up NY became popular with many of the world’s best comics, including Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Robin Williams, Louis CK and Jon Stewart.We speak about meeting at Aleeza Ben Shalom, the famous Netflix Jewish matchmaker's event, the reasons for comedy, alternatives to showcases, the behind the scenes of running a comedy club, chutzpah, The Chosen Comedy Festival, improvisation in chess and comedy and more.

December 23, 2024Episode 2801 hr 0 min

Episode 280 with Peter Doggers, Director of Content at Chess.com and Author of THE CHESS REVOLUTION

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 280, I converse with Peter Doggers, Director of Content at Chess.com. Peter is one of the world’s biggest experts on the world of chess, having written about the game for almost two decades. He recently wrote a book The Chess Revolution: From the Ancient World to the Digital Age, in which he explores chess as a cultural phenomenon from its earliest beginnings in ancient India to its biggest stars and most dramatic moments to the impact of the internet and AI.We speak about the Chess Museum in Amsterdam, journalism, our 91st Podcast Guest Judit Starzay's tournament at the Annual Chess.com meet up, the Carlsen- Niemann drama, Fischer Random/Freestyle chess, thoughts on the Liren-Gukesh World Championship match, mindset and more.

October 21, 202423 min

Episode 279 with Neha Sharan, Founder of Girls4Chess

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 279, I converse with Neha Sharan, Founder of Girls4Chess. Girls4Chess (501(c)(3) non-profit organization) is dedicated to empowering young girls to excel in chess by providing them with the resources, training, and support they need to grow and succeed. Neha is also a certified tournament director.We speak about ways to get more women and girls into chess, her mentorship from our 91st Podcast Guest Judit Starzay, Director of Chess Club Relations at Chess.com, the founding of her non-profit, the upcoming Saint Louis Chess Conference, in which I am co-presenting "Chess in the Business World" with our 154th Podcast Guest Jim Egerton, Author of Business on the Board, and our 233nd Podcast Guest Vishnu Warrier, Sr. Technology Consultant at EY & Author of The Chess Bible, and more.

September 22, 2024Episode 27844 min

Episode 278 with Jenny Ingber Ph.D, CEO of Chess in the Schools

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 278, I converse with Jenny Ingber Ph.D, CEO of Chess in the Schools, one of our favorite charity partners. Jenny Inberg started as CEO at Chess in the Schools in June 2023, after her predecessor Debbie Eastburn, our 117th Podcast Guest, stepped down. Jenny Ingber has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Chemistry and Secondary Education from University of Miami, MA in Teaching Chemistry from New York University and a PhD in Science Eduacation from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before working at Chess in the Schools. We speak about the benefits of chess, inspiration from children, the Annual Chess in the Chess Park Rapid Open, Title 1 schools, employee retention, hands-on leadership, tips for fundraising, successful alumni, the upcoming Saint Louis Chess Conference, which we are both speaking at, and more.

September 18, 2024Episode 27735 min

Episode 277 with Gunnar Bjornsson, President of the Icelandic Chess Federation

Send us Fan MailIn Podcast Episode 277, I converse with Gunnar Bjornsson, President of the Icelandic Chess Federation. In addition to serving as the President of the Icelandic Chess Federation, Gunnar hosts the annual Reykjavik Open, which is coming up again, April 9-15, 2025. Furthermore, he is a Vice President of the European Chess Union. Our 131st Podcast Guest International Master Yaacov Norowitz earned one of his norms there in 2013. Gunnar also worked many years in financial services at Landsbanki. We speak about his thoughts on the ongoing Olympiad, the World Corporate Chess Championships, where we met, the Icelandic Chess Culture, the legacy of the 1972 Fischer-Spassky World Championship Match, Queen's Gambit, streamers and more.

September 5, 2024Episode 27655 min

Episode 276 with Joel Dick, Data Engineer at Tempered AI and Adult Improver

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 276, I have the pleasure of conversing with Joel Dick, who is a Data Engineer at Tempered AI and adult improver. He hails from Toronto, home of our 14th Podcast Guest Mike Ivanov, who recently became an International Master. As a frum (observant) Jew, Joel has 8 kids. Joel studied in Israel with two our former podcast guests, International Master Yaacov Norowitz and Rabbi Mendy Brukirer. Joel has 13+ years of experience in both technology and finance. We speak about the relationship of chess and Judaism, tips for improvement, our Long Island Instructor Candidate Master Brian Karen's Chess Book Collectors Facebook group, community, the importance of tournaments, the influence of Sammy Reshevsky, his experience participating in the Chess Dojo and more.

July 4, 2024Episode 27553 min

Episode 275 with National Master Mikhail Sher, PhD., Associate Professor of Management at Monmouth University

Send us Fan MailIn Premier Chess Podcast Episode 275, I converse with National Master Mikhail Sher, PhD., Associate Professor of Management at Monmouth University. Dr. Sher’s main research interests lie in the areas of inventory control and supply chain management. He has a Bachelors of Science from Carnegie Mellon University, Masters of Science from Columbia University and Ph.D. from Drexel University. He is a national master and the son of the late Grandmaster Miron Sher, and WGM Alla Grinfeld, who both taught me as a child.We speak about Miron's legacy, Miron's book Dream Moves, which was posthumously published, the 20% rule, various chess careers, the late National Master Bruce Alberston, confidence, artificial barriers, parallels between chess, leadership and poker and more.

June 20, 2024Episode 27420 min

Episode 274 with Captain Zoe Marks, Director of Overseas Operations at Yatar Israel

Send us Fan MailIn Episode 274, I have the honor of conversing with Captain Zoe Marks, Director of Overseas Operations at Yatar Israel. Zoe Is A Former IDF Officer (2018-2021) And Active Reservist Who Served With Distinction, In The Etzion Region. Zoe Joined YATAR In September 2023 After Working For Nearly Two Years For El Al Airline Security In JFK And Dubai. She Is committed to ensure that Yatar can carry out its mission of protecting Israel and Its people from terrorist threats.We speak about saving lives, conversations, unity, fundraising, her experience learning chess a kid and more.