EP 162 | Underdog Story: How GM Fishbein Became the U.S. Senior Chess Champion

Listen to this episode from Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast on Spotify. GM Alexander Fishbein shares how he won the 2025 U.S. Senior Championship by relying on stamina, heavy tournament practice, and deep training methods such as solitary chess and analyzing old annotated games. This Talks also highlights generational contrasts in chess culture, from preparation styles to the evolving rules on draw offers. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo 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/GhKsJtjpFw 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 0:15 – Introduction 2:34 – Becoming a Real Contender 6:00 – Finding an Edge Against More Talented Rivals 8:13 – Taking Time Off Work to Chase Chess Goals 10:52 – Training Stamina & Playing 100 Games a Year 18:20 – Why Rating Doesn’t Matter 21:11 – Core Training: Annotating Games & Using Engines 36:33 – Solitaire Chess & Personalized Training 51:06 – The “Post-Postmortem” Method (Old Book Analysis) 59:39 – Final Insights