PODCAST · leisure
Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast
by IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai
The official podcast of ChessDojo (IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, & GM Jesse Kraai). Most episodes are streamed live to twitch.tv/chessdojolive.
Episodes
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EP 204 | Long Think, Wrong Think?
In this episode of Dojo Talks, the crew debates the classic chess saying “Long Think, Wrong Think,” explores the dangers of overcalculating, and breaks down lessons from Gukesh and other top players Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess -...
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EP 203 | 2026 Junior Draft
The Chess Dojo's annual Junior Draft is back! Jesse, David, and Kostya review last year's results, debate the world's most promising young chess talents, and draft their picks for 2026. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess -...
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EP 202 | Who Will Win The 2026 FIDE Olympiad?
Jesse, David, and Kostya preview the 2026 Chess Olympiad, breaking down the top contenders, Team USA, dark horses, board orders, and the notable players missing from the event. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess -...
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EP 201 | Summer Update + FIDE Elections
The ChessDojo sensei reconnect after a busy summer to recap recent tournament runs, European travels, behind-the-scenes FIDE election politics, and updates across the Dojo. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo...
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EP 200 | 2026 FIDE Election w/ Peter Heine Nielsen
For our milestone 200th episode of Dojo Talks, we are joined by Grandmaster and long-time second to Magnus Carlsen, Peter Heine Nielsen! The sensei and Peter discuss the upcoming 2026 FIDE Presidential election. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play...
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EP 199 | Jacob Aagaard Talks Books And The Future Of Chess Training
GM Jacob Aagaard joins Dojo Talks for a deep conversation on chess books, AI, coaching, and the future of chess improvement. 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...
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EP 198 | Is The Queen Worth 10?
The sensei discuss is the queen really worth 9 points, or should it be valued closer to 10? 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 -...
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EP 197 | Slumps
Jesse, David, and Kostya discuss slumps. How they happen, why they happen, and how to get out of one. 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?...
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EP 196 | Chess and AI
In this episode of Dojo Talks, the sensei revisits how rapid advancements in AI are shaping everyday life and changing the way chess players train, coach, and spar. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch -...
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EP 195 | Who Will Be Top 10 in 2027?
The Dojo Sensei review last year’s predictions, debates which rising stars and veterans will make the cut, and reveals their picks for the chess world’s Top 10 players in 2027. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess -...
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EP 194 | Should I Play Up?
Should you play up in chess tournaments? The sensi discuss tournament rating sections, strategy, and best methods for improvement. 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…
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EP 193 | The Opening Revolution
Jesse, David, and Kostya discuss the opening revolution caused by powerful cloud engines and modern analysis and it's impacts on the state of current chess at all levels. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo...
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EP 192 | The Next Generation
The sensei discuss the rise of young players Yagiz Erdogmus and Faustino Oro and the next generation of players and training. 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...
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EP 191 | The New ChessDojo Rating Converter
GM Kraai is joined by Dojoer Vlad Ghita to discuss the new ChessDojo Rating Converter. They break down the differences between Chess.com, Lichess, USCF, and FIDE ratings. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo...
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EP 190 | Who Won The War? Magnus, Hans, & Chess.com
Jesse, David, and Kostya discuss the recent Netflix documentary on the story behind Magnus, Hans, and Chess.com. 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...
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EP 189 | Is Sindarov The Real Deal? 2026 FIDE Candidates Recap
The Dojo (GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, IM Kostya Kavutskiy) recap the 2026 FIDE Candidates, including the historic run the young Javokhir Sindarov. They look back at their original predictions to see who came closest, who surprised, and who disappointed. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club...
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EP 188 | Will Sindarov Win the 2026 FIDE Candidates?
Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo At the halfway mark of the 2026 Candidates, one storyline has taken over: Sindarov is dominating the field. But is this a historic breakthrough—or just a heater that the…
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EP 187 | Blitz Quests w/ NM Jeremy Kane
In this Dojo Talks episode, we explore blitz chess with NM Jeremy Kane—what it takes to improve, how time management and openings matter, and whether blitz actually helps your classical game. Featuring insights from his work at Chess.com, plus real lessons from blitz rating climbs and practical...
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EP 186 | 2026 Candidates Predictions
The 2026 Candidates Tournament is right around the corner, and this field might be one of the most competitive we’ve ever seen. In this episode of Dojo Talks, we break down every player’s chances, compare our picks to the betting odds, and debate who’s truly a contender. From rising young stars…
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EP 185 | Do Kids Ruin Your Chess?
In this episode of Dojo Talks, we explore how having children impacts chess performance, from real examples of world champions to personal experiences as chess dads. With Hikaru Nakamura entering the Candidates as a new father, the question is more relevant than ever. We break down the short-term...
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EP 184 | Chessboxing and the Dreams of James Canty
FM James Canty III joins Dojo Talks to talk about becoming the World Chessboxing Champion, how he got into boxing, and what it was like competing with Team USA in Serbia. The conversation also covers training, the connection between chess and combat sports, nootropics and performance, and Canty’s...
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EP 183 | Should Draw Offers Be Banned?
A lively Dojo Talks debate on whether draw offers should be banned in chess. The episode covers the history of draw offers, the role of tournament culture and incentives, the Dubov–Nepo controversy, and whether changing draw rules would actually improve fighting chess. Join the Dojo -...
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EP 182 | Being a Chess Professional ft. GM Felix Blohberger
GM Felix Blohberger discusses the realities of being a modern chess professional, including balancing playing, coaching, content creation, and course development while pursuing a long-term goal of reaching 2600. The conversation explores training methods, opening preparation, tournament…
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EP 181 | Queen of Chess
In this episode of Dojo Talks, the Sensei review the Netflix documentary 'Queen of Chess' and discuss Judit Polgar’s rise to the top of the chess world. They break down what the film gets right, what it leaves out about the Polgar training experiment, and what her legacy means for future...
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EP 180 | Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer ft. IM John Donaldson
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...
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EP 179 | Modern Chess Training Methods
In this episode, Jesse and Kostya are joined again by TheChessNerd where they rank various digital-era training tools—from Puzzle Rush to AI bots—to determine which modern methods actually improve your game versus those that are just "mid." They debate the merits of fast-paced online play and new...
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EP 178 | The Top-10 Greatest Chess Tournaments Ever
In this episode of Dojo Talks, we rank and debate the 10 greatest chess tournaments of all time — from historic classics like London 1851, Hastings 1895, and St. Petersburg 1914 to legendary modern events featuring Kasparov, Fischer, Tal, Topalov, and more. Joined by ChessNerd, the Dojo team…
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EP 177 | GM Yusupov on Women in Chess
GM Artur Yusupov joins the podcast to discuss his work with the Women in Chess Foundation. 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 -...
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EP 176 | Gauri's Path to IM
This episode follows IM Gauri Shankar’s long, stop-and-start path to finally earning the IM title—balancing full-time teaching and content creation, struggling with USCF–FIDE rating disparities and nerves, reflecting on modern chess improvement and work–life balance, and discussing with Jesse and...
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EP 175 | 2025 FIDE World Cup
The episode recaps the 2025 World Cup and argues that the knockout + rapid-tiebreak format is too random for awarding three Candidates spots, even though Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Esipenko were deserving stories in different ways. The sensei preview how this unpredictability shapes the upcoming...
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EP 174 | Dark Squares: How Chess Saved Danny Rensch's Life
The sensei discuss Danny Rensch’s memoir, Dark Squares, exploring how a traumatizing cult upbringing and early chess success shaped his life, career, and the wider evolution of the chess world. Check out Dark Squares and pick up a copy here: https://amzn.to/4pyW2yt Join the Dojo -...
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EP 173 | The State of US Chess 2025
A wide-ranging recap finds US chess robust—shaped by Caruana’s four-peat and sharp prep, Woodward’s surge and Mishra’s uneven form, a stronger women’s field led by Carissa Yip’s GM push, players coping with the Naroditsky tragedy, India vs. USA depth debates, and the St. Louis Chess Club’s...
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EP 172 | Justice for Daniel Naroditsky
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…
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EP 171 | Nootropics
Jesse and Sam dive into how legal, common nootropics might boost chess performance by improving focus, stress-resilience, and brain health, and question where the line lies between smart optimization and unfair advantage. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live -...
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EP 170 | Remembering Daniel Naroditsky
David, Kostya, and Jesse share their memories of Danya, reflecting on his early talent, kindness, intelligence, humor, and lasting impact on the chess community. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch -...
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EP 169 | Total Chess World Championship Tour
The Dojo crew debates Norway Chess’s new “Total Chess World Championship Tour,” comparing it to past innovations, Magnus Carlsen’s influence, FIDE’s involvement, and the growing clash between classical, freestyle, and online chess circuits. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live -...
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EP 168 | 2025 Junior Draft Update
The sensei recap last year’s junior-draft results and rating swings, then run a snake draft to add three new juniors and two girls each—keeping graduated players for tracking, debating drops and Christopher Yoo’s suspension/return, and highlighting prospects like world junior champion Pranav V…
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EP 166 | 2025 Grand Swiss
The 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss thrilled fans with Anish Giri’s win, Matthias Blubaum’s surprise Candidates spot, and dramatic clashes between rising juniors and veterans, sparking debate on how to create more high-stakes events like it. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live -...
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EP 167 | What Does 3700 ELO Mean?
In this DojoTalks, the sensei argue that 3700 Elo engines are so far beyond humans that they beat elite GMs even while spotting queen/rook/knight odds. They discuss that this gap reframes odds chess, preparation, and training, showing how much headroom remains in human understanding. Join the…
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EP 165 | 2025 Maia Open Recap
In this Dojo Talks, Kostya recaps his trip to Portugal for the Maia Open with three chess streamers—Matthew, Rachel, and Anushka—along with David, discussing their experiences with tournament preparation and their performance. They highlight how sparring and collective training were crucial to...
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EP 164 | Hikaru Goes To The Farm
The Dojo (GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, IM Kostya Kavutskiy) discuss Hikaru Nakamura's path to the candidates, along with who they'd like to see qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess -...
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EP 163 | Blitz Specialists
This Dojo Talks explores what makes some players stronger at blitz than others, contrasting calculation-based vs. intuitive styles, online vs. over-the-board skills, and the role of premoves, time management, and tricky opening repertoires. The sensei also discuss the rise of a “blitz…
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EP 162 | Underdog Story: How GM Fishbein Became the U.S. Senior Chess Champion
GM Alexander Fishbein shares how he won the 2025 U.S. Senior Championship by relying on stamina, heavy tournament practice, and deep training methods such as solitary chess and analyzing old annotated games. This Talks also highlights generational contrasts in chess culture, from preparation…
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EP 161 | Ranking the Top 10 Chess Countries
In this episode of Dojo Talks, Jesse, David, and Kostya each reveal and debate their top 10 chess countries of all time—based on world champions, cultural contributions, and historic achievements—before combining their lists into a final ranking. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live…
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EP 160 | Jesse's Heresy
Jesse questions the usual way of learning chess, suggesting that copying moves can be as useful as deep strategy. The sensei discuss if playing blitz and checking with a computer can help players improve quickly. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play...
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EP 159 | How To Turbo Charge Your Tactics w/ GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko
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 Check out GM Mykhaylo Oleksiyenko at https://www.oleksiyenko.com Want to support the channel? Patreon - https://patreon.com/chessdojo...
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EP 158 | Do Chess and Philosophy Mix?
In this DojoTalks, the sensei explore whether chess and philosophy intersect, discussing three levels of chess philosophy, how personal beliefs shape play, and how computers challenge traditional ideas, while also examining deeper questions about why people are drawn to chess and what the game...
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EP 157 | Will Hans Niemann Become World Champion?
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…
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EP 156 | Who Will Be Top -10 in June 2026?
Episode note: the recording froze around the 31 minute mark, so you may hear a short piece cut out. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo In this episode, the sensei review their previous top 10 predictions for...
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EP 155 | What Made Norway Chess So Good?
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…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast have?
Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast about?
The official podcast of ChessDojo (IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, & GM Jesse Kraai). Most episodes are streamed live to twitch.tv/chessdojolive.
How often does Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast release new episodes?
Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast?
You can listen to Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast?
Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast is created and hosted by IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai.
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