Detroit Chess podcast hosts Jimmy Canty

Jimmy Canty

James “Jimmy” Canty III has been a regular feature on The Chess Drum since becoming a Master at age of 17. In more recent years, he put Detroit chess front and center after nearly winning the under-2300 prize at the 2016 Millionaire Chess Open. He was one clinching move away from the $40,000 first prize when he blinked and had to settle for 2nd.

After a $20,000 payout, he began to plot a course to earn the requisite norms for an IM title. Looking at his chess.com handle “GMCanty,” it is apparent he has bigger ideas. Last weekend, Canty was a guest on Derek Wilder’s chess podcast discussing Detroit chess, his own title goals and of course his rivalry with Chicago Chess Blitzers.

Canty is a regular chess.com streamer and recently joined the Pittsburgh Pawngrabbers which features locals Sergey Erenburg and Alexander Shabalov. The squad also boasts “free agents” Evgeny Postny and teen phenom Awonder Liang. Now 26, married, and a father, Canty talks about the past, present and what the future holds in his world of chess.