When I read on GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s blog that his amateur friend had signed up to compete against players like Hikaru Nakamura and Hans Niemann in the Naroditsky Memorial, I knew I had to hear this story. That friend is NM Mike Mahoney. Mike is a pharmacist by day and a devoted online blitz player by night. For Mike, chess is usually a way to unwind, not something he takes too seriously. But he couldn’t pass up the chance to test himself in one of the strongest blitz tournaments the U.S. has ever seen.  Eugene will be mentoring Mike and traveling with him to Charlotte, and they both joined me to discuss: Why Mike decided to jump into such a stacked field How Eugene is preparing him for the challenge How Mike defines “success” in a tournament like this We also talk about Mike’s unconventional path to becoming a National Master, starting relatively late, as well as some great stories from the Boston blitz scene. I’m excited to follow how this unfolds, and Eugene and Mike will be back after the tournament for a trip report. In the meantime, you can follow Mike’s journey on Eugene’s blog.  Be sure to check out the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel where Eugene goes over one of Mike’s model games against the Caro-Kann. (The video will be out later this week)  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcudElmRsQYTwULtd_gnFw 00:00 Introduction to the Guests and Their Journey 02:50 Mike's Decision to Compete in the Naroditsky Memorial 05:41 Eugene's Support and Coaching Role 08:41 Mike's Past Experiences with Top Players 11:35 Analyzing Mike's Strengths and Weaknesses 14:37 Training and Preparation for the Tournament 17:31 Opening Strategies and Game Analysis Mentioned: The Hungarian Dragon  The Dragodorf 20:32 Eugene’s Philosophy on Gimmicky Openings 23:21 Defining Success in the Tournament Mentioned: IM Marc Esserman 27:04 Excitement in Facing Strong Opponents 31:35 Setting Performance Goals as a Coach 34:02 The Importance of Blitz Clock Management 35:33 The Origin Story of a Late Chess Starter Mentioned: Ilya Koyfman  36:39 Factors Contributing to Success in Chess 39:16 The Value of Community in Chess 40:56 The Evolution of Chess Accessibility 43:25 The Importance of a Fun and Relaxed Approach 43:37 Learning from Losses and Honest Reflection 46:02 Stories about legendary  GM Roman Dzindziashvilli and Bobby Fischer  Mentioned: Dzindzi-Jansa move 25 https://lichess.org/study/Th7i9fr2/kxMPOEjA 49:00 Upcoming Projects and Future Endeavors 50:00- Thanks to Eugene and Mike for joining me! You can follow Mike’s training and progress on GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s blog.  https://eugeneperel.substack.com/ If you would like to help support Mike’s dream trip you can do so via this Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/send-chess-rocky-to-fight-supergms-in-charlotte?lid=nlkk8jxujhda&utm_source=product&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TXN_User_Messaging_Thank_You_Option_A&utm_content=internal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices