EP 180 | Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer ft. IM John Donaldson

from Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast · host IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai

John Donaldson joins Dojo Talks to discuss his new book "Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer", a collection of Fischer’s lesser-known writings and annotations. The conversation explores why Fischer’s games are still highly instructive for modern players, how his practical decision-making shows up in systems like the King’s Indian Attack, and what his approach reveals about classic chess ideas like overprotection and restraint. They also dive into Fischer’s obsession with analytical accuracy, the origins of “the Rat” opening, and the importance of regularly playing tournament games if you actually want your study to translate into better results over the board. Pick up a copy here: https://amzn.to/3Op81Aw Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop Want to support the channel? Patreon - https://patreon.com/chessdojo Donate - https://streamelements.com/chessdojo/tip Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you. Website: https://chessdojo.club Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Discord: https://discord.gg/GhKsJtjpFw Twitter: https://twitter.com/chessdojo Patreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chessdojo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chessdojo Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@/chessdojoclips 00:05 New Fischer book and why Donaldson studies him 03:02 What’s inside the book 06:51 Why Fischer games still teach well 10:29 A key pawn move in the Kings Indian Attack 15:32 Fischer using classic chess ideas 24:02 Fischer arguing analysis and loving accuracy 39:20 What “the Rat” opening means 47:54 How many games to play each year and when Fischer became GM level

What this episode covers

John Donaldson joins Dojo Talks to discuss his new book "Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer", a collection of Fischer’s lesser-known writings and annotations. The conversation explores why Fischer’s games are still highly instructive for modern players, how his practical decision-making shows up in systems like the King’s Indian Attack, and what his approach reveals about classic chess ideas like overprotection and restraint. They also dive into Fischer’s obsession with analytical accuracy, the origins of “the Rat” opening, and the importance of regularly playing tournament games if you actually want your study to translate into better results over the board. Pick up a copy here: https://amzn.to/3Op81Aw Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.clubWatch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojoPlay Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop Want to support the channel?Patreon - https://patreon.com/chessdojoDonate - https://streamelements.com/chessdojo/tip Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you. Website: https://chessdojo.clubTwitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojoDiscord: https://discord.gg/GhKsJtjpFwTwitter: https://twitter.com/chessdojoPatreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chessdojoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chessdojoPodcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.comTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@/chessdojoclips 00:05 New Fischer book and why Donaldson studies him03:02 What’s inside the book06:51 Why Fischer games still teach well10:29 A key pawn move in the Kings Indian Attack15:32 Fischer using classic chess ideas24:02 Fischer arguing analysis and loving accuracy39:20 What “the Rat” opening means47:54 How many games to play each year and when Fischer became GM level

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EP 180 | Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer ft. IM John Donaldson

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This episode was published on February 20, 2026.

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