Mike Safo with Grandmaster Sam Shankland

Joined today by Chess Grandmaster Sam Shankland. Sam and I talk about the rigorous travel schedule of a chess player, and how he can decompress after a big match overseas. We discuss the pros and cons of the various Chess tournaments in the world, how Saint Louis became the hub of the chess world and what makes him choose a tournament to play in. Sam is one of the rare chess superstars that didn’t start as a very young age so we talk about if that helped or hindered his development, how he balanced school and chess. Sam tells us the moment he chose chess as his profession, why it’s more nerve racking to face a lesser opponent and he finally explains to me what those numbers are next to his name (2705). We talk about arguably the greatest chess player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, their friendship and how they spar together. Sam takes us through his career leading to becoming a Grandmaster. We talk about the 2018 US Championship that he shockingly won and took the chess world by storm. Sam gives us his opinion on the US Olympic team, young players today and why he decided to write a book. From appearing on a reality TV show to his thoughts on how to make chess more mainstream to the physical demands that chess demands, Sam Shankland blew me away with his knowledge and conversation.

Follow Sam here:

https://samshankland.com/

https://twitter.com/gmshanky