20 Questions: Greg Shahade

Greg Shahade is the founder and commissioner of the Pro Chess League, a tournament pitting 16 teams from around the world. He is also the founder of the U.S. Chess School which is dedicated to providing free, intensive training to the most promising young chess talent in the United States.

1. Favorite Color: The rainbow (I don't have a favorite)

2. Favorite Movie: Pulp Fiction

3. Favorite TV Show: The Wire

4. Favorite Musician: The Killers

5. Favorite Food: Doughnuts

6. Favorite Chess Player: IM Lawrence Trent

7. Favorite Opening: Marshall Gambit

8. Favorite Time Control: Fast (3 or 5 min)

9. Knights or Bishops: Bishops

10. Hobby other than Chess: CrossFit, Trivia

11. What inspired you to create the Pro Chess League (PCL)?

I couldn’t figure out why there was no chess league between cities. It made sense to me, so why not do it? I spoke with a few people in the chess world, and they were all into it. It was really created on a whim. I had the idea, emailed people, and made it happen. 

12. There are very few large team chess tournaments, the other large one notably being the Chess Olympiad. Can you speak to what makes the team format so special? 

You will see a lot of fighting chess. Players are not competing just for themselves, so a wimpy draw affects your entire team. You have to think, am I squandering an opportunity for my team if I go into a specific line? Plus, it is cool to see players of different levels face off. In the PCl this year, it is a requirement that all teams have women players. So you will see women's chess and younger players competing, not just the same faces. Team chess tournaments also require a lot of strategies, such as who will play this week or whether or not to go for a draw. There is a little extra stake in the game when your team is counting on you. 

13. Sometimes top-level players will take quick draws in the final round of tournaments, especially if nothing is riding on their performance in that last game. Do you think the team format will change that mindset?

There is a lot of tension in team chess. When you are playing for others, losing a round can be brutal. If that last game of a match is the difference for a tied score, the pressure can be high. It’s not something you always experience in chess. If you lose, it can be brutal. But a win can make you the hero! 

14. Since 2016, you’ve been saying the future of chess is in faster time controls like rapid and blitz. It now looks like the chess world is transitioning to faster time controls. What are your thoughts on people saying classical chess is dying out?

It’s sort of true. I do think faster chess will be elevated in importance. When the top 5 play each other over and over, they draw so much, especially in classical. I honestly think, at some point, Fischer Random might take over and wouldn’t be shocked. In my opinion, the World Championship match is a joke. Playing one twelve-game match to determine the champ is not a great way to find the best player in the world, although we already know who that is. We need more games per match to increase the sample size. More games at faster time control is much more indicative of who is better at chess than fewer games at a slower time control. That is why I loved watching the Champions Chess Tour (CCT) Airthings Masters. It was the best event I’ve ever seen, and the new armageddon format and double-elimination bracket were great. Here is the thing: a lot of club players love classical chess, so I don’t think it will ever die out. 

15. There seemed to be a lot of confusion about the double-elimination bracket, and even some dislike of it. Why do you love it so much?

It is a standard format in dozens of games and sports, so bringing it to the chess world only makes sense. This year's CCT and qualifiers allowed new players in based on merit. I love that the entire top-level chess community had the chance to compete without being at the mercy of some organizer who likes you. Let’s imagine 8 top players in a single elimination bracket. It matters who gets paired with someone like Carlsen because if that poor player loses, he is gone. Goodbye! When you lose a match, you get another chance to show your skill against other competitors and keep fighting. Everyone can have a bad day without ruining their tournament because you can come back in the loser bracket. 

It is one of the biggest tournaments based solely on merit. You see new names because of this. All these top tournaments pick the players they want to be in the event, not always players that deserve it. Look at GM Alexey Sarana and GM Rauf Mamedov. They are not chosen often for events, but in the CCT, they were incredibly successful. I love that It is democratic. Tournaments are better when the playing field is based on merit. We have chess. Let the games determine who plays.

16. Many years ago, you wrote an article for US Chess on the value of studying openings, explaining that when you do it right, you learn more than just the opening but also important strategy and tactical concepts. Looking at the current climate of chess, where everyone has easy access to detailed opening lines through Chessable and other sites, do you still feel this holds or is there now a more important aspect of chess to study?

Always studying openings is less important, but having a solid repertoire is. I don’t think people should be switching their openings often. During the pandemic, I revamped my repertoire. I studied new solid openings and did it with the goal that it could last my lifetime. Occasionally I will study problems here and there. But the goal of the work is you don’t have to do it anymore! Don’t play crap openings. Choose something solid and unlikely to be refuted easily.

One of Greg's Best Games

17. You like to live a spontaneous life. What is the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?

Many years ago, I wanted to travel somewhere and get off the plane with no plans or any hotel booked. I ended up going to Barcelona, found a hostel somewhere, and had a blast. Another time, I planned a trip to Seoul in two days and used couchsurfing.org to find a place to sleep. 

18. Along with chess, you are an avid CrossFitter and now play trivia in the LearnedLeague. What draws you to competing in such difficult competitive hobbies?

It’s fun! Trivia is cool because I know so many things about the world now. Unlike chess, trivia is more binary. When I study and learn some trivia, it immediately pays off. Instantaneously I am better at trivia because I know another thing. In chess, if I analyze some games and learn an idea, I am not immediately better at the game. You have to be able to transfer the knowledge at the right time, and even then, it may not work out. In trivia, I learn something, and I am better. 

19. How do you learn to memorize so many facts for trivia, and can people apply your method to learning chess?

I use spaced repetition, which is the same idea Chessable has implemented. For example, when I study a flashcard and get it right, I’ll see it in 8 days. The second time I get it right, it could be another 30-plus days till I see it again. 

20. Anything new or exciting about this year’s PCL you would like to highlight? 

I like the new format a lot. This year every matchup is so important. As soon as a team loses three matches, they are eliminated. Once a team wins three matches, they are in the playoffs. If a team wins their first two matches, they have to win the third or they lose their spot in the playoffs. There is no match that doesn’t matter or where you can decide not to take it seriously. In the playoffs, you either win or go home.

Some responses have been abbreviated for brevity and clarity.