Chess with Mustreader
A Candidate Master interviews the world's top chess grandmasters and analyzes elite tournament play, including his own games.
A hybrid chess channel where a competitive, titled player bridges the gap between the elite grandmaster circuit and the dedicated club player. Episodes alternate between deep-dive interviews with the world's best—exploring their psychology and training—and enthusiastic solo analysis of recent tournament drama, often including the host's own games from the open section.
“The host is an active, titled player himself, which informs his analysis and interviews with a practitioner's eye. He uniquely blends formats, from deep game breakdowns to challenging grandmasters with opening trivia and a concluding blitz game, making the top level of chess feel more accessible.”
Who hosts this show
Greg Mustreader is a FIDE Candidate Master, entrepreneur, and active tournament player based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. His channel features a mix of long-form interviews with elite players like Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, and Vidit Gujrathi, alongside detailed, move-by-move analysis of major tournament games. A former lawyer, Mustreader returned to chess after a 15-year hiatus and now documents his own journey to improve his rating while providing commentary on the professional circuit.
Credentials & credits
- Candidate Master (FIDE)
- Active tournament player
- Former lawyer at an international law firm
- Chess.com Creator of the Month (May 2025)
Other ventures
- Host of Russian-language podcasts on technology, science, and books
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Is Vidit QUITTING Chess? | PODCASTJun 26, 2026 · 55 min
- 02Wei Yi on SINDAROV, CARUANA, and His First Candidates (Mandarin, English Subs)Jun 22, 2026 · 22 min
- 03THIS IS THE END! Drama in the Final Round of the UzChess CupJun 15, 2026 · 49 min
- 04NEPOMNIACHTCHI vs NIEMANN: THE REMATCH!Jun 14, 2026 · 41 min
- 05NEPO, VIDIT, and HANS Walk Into a Bar...Jun 13, 2026 · 43 min
- 06New BRILLIANCY by NEPO!Jun 12, 2026 · 32 min
- 07What Will NEPO Choose?Jun 11, 2026 · 29 min
- 08What Do NEPO, HANS, and I Have in Common?Jun 10, 2026 · 25 min
Notable episodes
- 01Wei Yi on SINDAROV, CARUANA, and His First Candidates (Mandarin, English Subs)
The host conducts the entire interview in Mandarin, a language he is not fluent in, using a translation app to allow the guest to express himself fully in his native tongue.
- 02Is Vidit QUITTING Chess? | PODCAST
A candid conversation with a top GM about burnout, loss of motivation, and the decision to step back from professional chess to become 'semi-professional'.
- 03NEPOMNIACHTCHI vs NIEMANN: THE REMATCH!
A deep-dive analysis of a highly anticipated game where Nepomniachtchi deployed 35 moves of secret preparation originally intended for a World Championship match against Magnus Carlsen.
- 04I WON THE TOURNAMENT AND CROSSED 2000 FIDE!
The host documents his personal chess journey, sharing his excitement and analysis after winning a tournament and crossing the 2000 FIDE rating barrier for the first time.
What you'll be asked on this show
Mustreader often opens with a playful, timed challenge (e.g., "Name all World Champions in 60 seconds") to disarm the guest and create a fun rapport. He then transitions to the guest's recent career events, probing specific games or decisions with pointed questions like, "In your game against Caruana, did you forget your opening preparation?". He consistently explores the guest's psychology ("How exactly did your loss of motivation work?") and process ("How was your day structured when you were grinding?"). He often concludes by looking toward the future and challenging his grandmaster guest to a blitz game.
The show alternates between two main formats: long-form interviews and solo game analysis. Interviews are conversational, well-researched, and often begin with a fun, timed challenge. Solo episodes are energetic and passionate, with the host analyzing his own tournament games with the same rigor as those of top GMs, often asking the audience to pause and find the best move.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
craft
2- Q.01
“How well do you know your chess history? Can you name all the World Champions in order?”
He often opens interviews with a fun, timed trivia challenge to warm up the guest.
- Q.02
“What do you think of the younger generation who don't read classic chess books?”
He uses this to surface opinions on the evolution of chess training methods.
personal
2- Q.01
“Which of your games from the recent tournament was your favorite, and which do you regret most?”
This question prompts specific reflections on key moments from a major event.
- Q.02
“Who is your favorite chess player from the past?”
This question reveals a guest's inspirations and influences.
backstory
1- Q.01
“Why did you decide to [take a break, change your approach] recently?”
Used to explore the strategic career decisions behind a player's recent activities.
mindset
2- Q.01
“How exactly did your [loss of motivation, burnout] work?”
He probes the psychological and mental aspects of being a top competitor.
- Q.02
“Overall, how would you rate your own performance at the Candidates?”
A direct request for self-assessment after a major tournament.
process
1- Q.01
“How was your day structured when you were grinding or preparing for a big event?”
This question uncovers the guest's daily habits and training regimen.
technique
1- Q.01
“In your game against [opponent], did you forget your opening preparation?”
He drills down into specific, critical moments from important games.
industry
1- Q.01
“What are your impressions of how [other top players] performed?”
This question gathers the guest's expert opinion on their direct competitors.
future
2- Q.01
“Can you tell me more about your side projects outside of playing?”
He asks this to explore the guest's ambitions and interests beyond the chessboard.
- Q.02
“What are your future plans and upcoming tournaments?”
A standard closing question to look ahead at the guest's career schedule.
Signature segments
- · Playing a blitz game against the guest at the end of an interview
- · Opening interviews with a timed trivia challenge
- · Analyzing his own tournament games alongside the pros
- · Asking the audience to "pause the video" to find a tactic
- · Conducting an interview in a guest's native language (e.g., Mandarin) with translation
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Exclusively top-tier chess grandmasters and influential figures in the chess world, often those who have recently competed in a major tournament like the Candidates or have a significant newsworthy event to discuss.
- Vidit Gujrathion Is Vidit QUITTING Chess? | PODCAST
- Wei Yion Wei Yi on SINDAROV, CARUANA, and His First Candidates (Mandarin, English Subs)
- Awonder Liangon HIKARU, HANS, Future of US Chess | Awonder Liang PODCAST
- Peter Svidleron What happens when MAGNUS IS GONE? | Peter Svidler PODCAST
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is sponsored by chess-related platforms like Chessreps.com. The audience consists of dedicated, improving chess players, making it a prime channel for chess improvement products, opening repertoires, software, and books.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the host's real name?
- The host's name is Greg Mustreader.
- What is the format of the show?
- The show alternates between two formats: long-form interviews with top chess players and solo episodes where the host analyzes recent tournament games, including his own.
- What are the host's chess credentials?
- Greg Mustreader is a FIDE Candidate Master and an active tournament player who recently crossed a 2000 FIDE rating.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast is active, releasing episodes on a weekly basis.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The primary platform is YouTube, but episodes are also available on audio platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- How can I pitch a guest for the show?
- The host's contact email for collaborations is listed in the description of his YouTube videos.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Chess with Mustreader - YouTube Channelyoutube.com
- [02]Greg Mustreader Is Chess.com Creator of the Month May 2025chess.com
- [03]Chess with Mustreader - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [04]Chess with Mustreader - Podcast Addictpodcastaddict.com
- [05]Greg Mustreader (mustreader) - Chess.com Profilechess.com
- [06]I WON THE TOURNAMENT AND CROSSED 2000 FIDE! - YouTubeyoutube.com
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