EP 503- GM Nikita Vitiugov on Chess Legends, Career Crossroads, and Team Nepo

GM Nikita Vitiugov is a former Russian champion who reached a peak ranking of #15 in the world. He has represented both his native Russia and England at the Chess Olympiad and worked on the World Championship team of his boyhood rival, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. In his excellent new book, Chess Metamorphosis, he candidly reflects on his varied chess experiences.

In our conversation, we discuss:

What he learned from working with players like Nepomniachtchi and Peter Svidler, and what he observed from seeing them up close.

How two unforgettable training camps with GM Viktor Korchnoi altered the trajectory of his career.

Why he has accepted that his best competitive years are behind him, and what that means for his future.

How professional chess has changed, and why he might not pursue a chess career if he were starting out today.

We also discuss the candid, behind-the-scenes photos featured in Nikita's book, his passion for cooking and football, and much more. I loved reading Nikita's book, and it was an honor to hear more about it.

0:00 Intro

Thanks to our sponsor Claude AI. Check it out at Claude.ai/chess

2:00 GM Nikita Vitiugov joins the show 

3:00 Why Nikita wrote Chess Metamorphosis 

6:30 Why Nikita suspects that his best competitive years are behind him