PODCAST · leisure
Perpetual Chess Podcast
by Ben Johnson
Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world's best players, trainers and accomplished amateurs about their careers, current projects, best practices and the latest in chess news. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com
Episodes
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Ep 504- John Hartmann on the U.S. Championships, Chess Books, and the Future of Chess Technology
John Hartmann is the award-winning editor of Chess Life magazine, a longtime book reviewer, and an expert on ChessBase, engines, and chess technology. He joined me shortly after a visit to St. Louis to discuss the ongoing U.S. Chess Championships, the renovations to the St. Louis Chess Club, the...
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EP 503- GM Nikita Vitiugov on Chess Legends, Career Crossroads, and Team Nepo
GM Nikita Vitiugov is a former Russian champion who reached a peak ranking of #15 in the world. He has represented both his native Russia and England at the Chess Olympiad and worked on the World Championship team of his boyhood rival, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. In his excellent new book, Chess...
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EP 503- GM Nikita Vitiugov on Chess Legends, Career Crossroads, and Team Nepo
GM Nikita Vitiugov is a former Russian champion who reached a peak ranking of #15 in the world. He has represented both his native Russia and England at the Chess Olympiad and worked on the World Championship team of his boyhood rival, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. In his excellent new book, Chess...
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EP 502: GM Mauricio Flores Rios on Finding Lessons in Olympiad Games
As a three-time Chess Olympian representing Chile, GM Mauricio Flores Rios, renowned author of Chess Structures, has fond memories of this timeless, biennial tournament. But these days, he is more interested in the instructive quality of the games than in the races for medals. In our…
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EP 501: Leah Brown: How an Adult Improver Went From Beginner to 1600+ in Under 2 Years
The Adult Improver series returns to spotlight another guest who has benefited from chess and improved significantly at the game. Chess was recommended to Leah Brown as a healthier outlet for a mind that, in Leah’s words, tends to “torture itself.” Leah began playing tournaments less than two…
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EP 500: Jan Henric Buettner on FIDE, Freestyle Chess and the Game’s Untapped Potential
Jan Henric Buettner is a German entrepreneur, co-founder of Freestyle Chess alongside Magnus Carlsen, and a candidate for FIDE President. In his business career he has worked in technology, venture capital and hospitality. In our interview, we discuss: The logistical problems some participants...
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EP 499- IM Thomas Willemze on Game Review, Openings & Training with Focus
IM Thomas Willemze is a popular author, Chessable creator, and trainer who has worked with the Dutch National Youth Team, among countless other students. A data analyst by day, Thomas brings an analytical approach to thinking about the core components of chess improvement. In our conversation, we...
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EP 498- IM David Vigorito on How to Improve as an Adult & Build a Better Opening Repertoire
IM David Vigorito is a three-time state champion, renowned opening theoretician and trainer, and the author of many highly regarded books and Chessable courses. His latest course, 1. e4: The Gold Standard, offers an ambitious, principled repertoire against all of Black’s major responses. In our...
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EP 497- GM Valentin Dragnev on Improving Thought Processes, Building Chess Community and his Most Memorable OTB Moments
GM Valentin Dragnev is a two-time Austrian national champion and former chess Olympian who has had memorable OTB encounters with GM Magnus Carlsen, Vasyl Ivanchuk, and many other top players. After achieving so much over the board, he has increasingly focused his attention on chess training and a...
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EP 496: Kyle Boddy on His Continued Journey from Sub-1000 to 1550 USCF
The Adult Improver Series returns to welcome back an accomplished guest. Kyle Boddy is the founder of Driveline Baseball, an influential company that provides training and performance guidance for professional and aspiring baseball players. Despite the demands of running a company and raising a...
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EP 495- How Bill Goichberg Changed American Chess with FM Jon Jacobs
With the recent news of his passing, this week we look at the remarkable and wide-ranging chess legacy of FM Bill Goichberg. Among many other distinctions, Bill was the founder of the Continental Chess Association and the creator of the U.S. National Scholastic Championships, and he left an...
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EP 494- GM Jacob Aagaard on How to Improve Calculation & Learn From Your Mistakes
GM Jacob Aagaard is an award-winning author, a renowned trainer who has worked with GMs Sam Shankland, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and many others, and the co-founder of Quality Chess. Despite all of his accomplishments and the many demands on his time, Jacob retains his passion for chess books and…
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EP 493- GM Vasif Durarbayli: Why Every Serious Chess Player Needs a Coach
GM Vasif Durarbayli is a former World Youth Champion and two-time champion of his native Azerbaijan. Now based in St. Louis after graduating from Webster University, Vasif has turned much of his attention to ChessEver, an app designed to make following live chess easier. In our conversation we...
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EP 492: Mr. Dodgy on Improving at Classical Chess + Chess Fam
Michael Duke (better known as Mr. Dodgy, or @chessproblem on X) is a Chessable author, the co-founder of Chessfam, and co-host of the Chicken Chess Club podcast. He has built a large online following through his passion for chess and his sharp sense of humor. But aside from the jokes, Michael…
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EP 491: Lessons from the Naroditsky Memorial with FM Dalton Perrine, GM Eugene Perelshteyn and NM Mike Mahoney
By all accounts, the Naroditsky Memorial was a touching tribute to the legendary streamer, educator and grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky. This week I welcome three guests to share their stories from the memorable event in Charlotte. Popular Chessable author and coach FM Dalton Perrine reflects on…
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EP 490- Bruce Pandolfini on 50 Years of Teaching Chess
Bruce Pandolfini is an American chess legend who has written many popular books, consulted on The Queen's Gambit and numerous other films and television projects featuring chess, and worked with countless future masters, including GM Fabiano Caruana and IM Josh Waitzkin. Bruce rejoined me to...
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EP 489- IM Rose Atwell on Discipline, Improvement, and Chess Psychology
17-year-old IM-elect Rose Atwell is one of the brightest young stars in American chess. She recently earned her International Master title, tied for first at the National High School Championship, and qualified for the U.S. Women's Olympiad team for the first time. Rose has also built a loyal...
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EP 488- GM R.B. Ramesh on Calculation, Confidence, and Coaching Champions
Renowned author and trainer GM R.B. Ramesh is one of the rare coaches who has worked extensively with the world's elite players while still providing practical advice for ambitious amateurs. Long respected as one of chess's leading trainers and authors, Ramesh has helped guide the development of...
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EP 487- Matt Rathkey on Chess Improvement, Jazz Improvisation, and Learning How to Learn
Can a background as a professional jazz musician help you improve at chess? Matt Rathkey says “yes.”. Matt is this week's guest on The Adult Improver Series. Like many players, he fell back in love with chess during the COVID pandemic and soon found himself playing regularly, watching top-level...
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EP 486: James Black Jr. on Going from Scholastic Star to Chess Mentor
As a scholastic player, James Black Jr. was an All-American who won numerous national titles and trophies, both as an individual competitor and as part of the famed IS 318 chess program in Brooklyn, New York, as featured in the documentary Brooklyn Castle. Alongside FM Joshua Colas and IM Justus...
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EP 485: GM Simon Williams on Mistakes, Revival, and the Future of Chesspublishing
GM Simon Williams returns to Perpetual Chess for the first time in several years. Simon is one of chess's most recognizable personalities, known as the Ginger GM through his work as a streamer, commentator, author and Chessable creator. He is also an accomplished tournament player, having shared...
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EP 484: Jordan Himelfarb on Interregnum and the Drama of the 2024 Candidates Cycle
Jordan Himelfarb is an award-winning editor for the Toronto Star and an avid games player who became fascinated by elite chess during the pandemic. That fascination eventually led to his excellent new book, Interregnum : Inside the Grueling and Glamourous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess…
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EP 483- Paulo SantAnna: What Happens When a Retired Adult Treats Chess Like a Full-Time Job?
Paulo SantAnna is living the dream of many adult chess improvers. The retired software engineer has spent the past several years devoting serious time and energy to improving his game, and the results have been impressive. When Paulo rekindled his interest in tournament chess, his FIDE rating had...
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EP 482- GM Ivan Sokolov on Talent, Training and Modern Chess
GM Ivan Sokolov is a former top-15 player who won major tournaments across multiple decades and became national champion of both Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. In classical chess, he scored memorable wins against Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand. In recent years, Ivan has become equally respected as…
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EP 481- IM Greg Shahade: Inside His Incredible Jeopardy Run
IM Greg Shahade has long been well known in the chess world as a three-time national scholastic champion and the founder of the Pro Chess League and the US Chess School. Recently, however, he reached a much broader audience with an impressive run on the syndicated trivia show Jeopardy!. Greg...
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EP 480- GM Eugene Perelshteyn & NM Mike Mahoney: Chess Rocky-Taking on Nakamura & Niemann at the Naroditsky Memorial
When I read on GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s blog that his amateur friend had signed up to compete against players like Hikaru Nakamura and Hans Niemann in the Naroditsky Memorial, I knew I had to hear this story. That friend is NM Mike Mahoney. Mike is a pharmacist by day and a devoted online blitz...
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EP 479 – GM Rafael Leitão on Sindarov’s Historic Candidates Win, His Training Methods & What Comes Next
With the FIDE Candidates now in the rearview mirror, 7-time Brazilian Champion and Chess.com “Game of the Day” columnist GM Rafael Leitão joins me to help break it all down. We discuss: Sindarov’s incredible performance and the training methods that helped him ascend to the top Vaishali’s strong...
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EP 478 – GM Ben Finegold on the Candidates, the Hans–Magnus Netflix Documentary, and TakeTakeTake’s Bold Business Move
It has been a busy time in the chess world, as dramas new and old bubble to the surface. GM Javokhir Sindarov is on the verge of winning the FIDE Candidates. A highly anticipated Netflix documentary has just been released about the Hans–Magnus controversy, and there is even some business…
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EP 477- Jennifer Shahade on Cheating, AI, and Thinking Like a Chess Player
Jennifer Shahade is a two-time U.S. Women’s Champion, poker professional, commentator, and acclaimed author. This week, she returns to the pod to discuss her new book Thinking Sideways: How to Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life. Drawing on chess, poker, and psychology, Jen shares practical...
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Bonus Pod: Sindarov’s Historic Start + Inside the FIDE Candidates with Mike Klein
FM Mike Klein of Chess.com joins the show from Cyprus to give an on-the-ground look at the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. We discuss the incredible start by GM Javokhir Sindarov, and what Mike has observed from his interactions with the rising star. Mike also describes the tournament...
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EP 476-Vlad Ghita: Is the Rating System Still Broken? A Data-Driven Investigation
It has been over two years since FIDE implemented major changes to its rating system aimed at combating rating deflation. But are those changes actually working? My guest, Vlad Ghita, joins me to dig into the data. Vlad is a Romanian arbiter, instructor, and chess enthusiast with a master’s…
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Book Recap #38- Silman’s Chess Odyssey + Stories from a Former Student with Gaurav Datta
The Perpetual Chess book discussion series Chess Books Recaptured returns with a personal, funny, and heartfelt episode. Gaurav Datta, a longtime student and close friend of IM Jeremy Silman, joins me to discuss Silman’s Chess Odyssey: Cracked Grandmaster Tales, Legendary Players, & Instructions...
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EP 476- GM Jan Gustafsson previews the 2026 FIDE Candidates
The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament is almost here, and GM Jan Gustafsson joins the podcast to break down the entire field. As a leading opening theoretician who has worked on GM Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship team, Jan brings unique insight into this high-stakes event. Jan will be on site…
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EP 475- Matt Biancuzzo (Byredofantome) on Keeping Chess Fun, Ignoring Rating, and Making Viral Chess Videos
This week’s guest on the Adult Improver Series is Matt Biancuzzo. Matt is a 31-year-old New York City consultant who is very active in both the local chess scene and on social media. He has taken full advantage of New York’s many chess opportunities, regularly attending chess gatherings and pub...
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EP 474- NM Han Schut on GM Jan Timman’s Legacy, Chess Improvement, & Using LLM’s to Create Helpful Chess Tools
This week’s returning guest is NM Han Schut. Han is a former corporate executive turned Chessable author and trainer, known for his expertise in the Chess Steps Method and chess technology. Han joins me to reflect on the legacy of his fellow Dutchman, GM Jan Timman, who recently passed away. He...
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EP 473- GM Aman Hambleton on SCC London, The London System & The Future of Chess
GM Aman Hambleton has been busy lately. In addition to his usual role as a popular Twitch streamer and Youtuber for the Chessbrah channel, he recently returned from London, where he was one of the lead commentators for Chess.com’s Speed Chess Championship. He also has recently released his highly...
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EP 472- Author Katie Kormanik on How Chess Helped Shape Her Life, and Why She Left it Behind
What role does chess play in our lives? That’s a recurring question on Perpetual Chess, and one that author Katie Kormanik explores in her new, personal memoir, Adventures of a Chess Girl. A former top scholastic player, Katie looks back at the competitive years of her early 20s and reflects on…
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EP 471- Dr. Kevin Scull on Adult-Only Tournaments, Plateaus and Progress
Is it possible to continue to get better at chess once you hit your 50s? The Adult Improver Series returns, and that’s one of the central questions I explore with today’s guest, long-time friend of the pod and fellow chess podcaster Dr. Kevin Scull. Kevin is the host of the popular Chess Journeys...
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EP 470- GM Yasser Seirawan on Fischer, Najdorf, Silman & How he Became a GM-Level Storyteller
In the 9 years of Perpetual Chess’ existence, GM Yasser Seirawan is the most requested guest by listeners. It took some time to make it happen, but today the renowned commentator, author, and 4-time US Champion delivers. We chat about: Yasser is renowned as a storyteller- what does he think the...
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EP 469- Author Brad Stulberg on What ‘Excellence’ Means for Amateur Chess Players
Best-selling author Brad Stulberg has devoted a large part of his professional life to studying what it means to be excellent. He has interviewed peak performers in fields ranging from athletics and music to, of course, chess. His new book, The Way of Excellence distills all he learned. In our...
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EP 468- FM Carsten Hansen on Tactics Plateaus & The Best Recent Chess Books
Prolific author and book reviewer FM Carsten Hansen returns to Perpetual Chess to talk chess improvement, chess publishing, and to provide a rundown of standout recent chess books. We start with a listener question about plateauing in tactics training. How do we know if we’re just hitting a speed...
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EP 467- GM Surya Ganguly on Gratitude, Overcoming Bad Tournaments & Life Lessons from Vishy Anand
Grandmaster Surya Ganguly is a six-time champion of India, a popular Chessable author, and a former member of Viswanathan Anand’s World Championship preparation team. He is also a co-founder and coach at ProChessTraining.com, where he works with students ranging from adult amateurs to elite...
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EP 466 – Gaston Franco on the Remarkable Turnaround of the Hammersmith Chess Club and How to Grow Chess in Your Community
Twelve years ago, the Hammersmith Chess Club in London was down to fewer than 20 members and facing an uncertain future. Today, thanks to committed volunteers, a welcoming culture, and the broader boom in chess, it’s the largest chess club in London, and was recently named ECF Chess Club of the...
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EP 465: Chess Improvement Q&A with IM Junta Ikeda - Tactics, Time Trouble & Training Resources
Japanese-Australian chess player, trainer, and content creator Junta Ikeda is the 2013 Japanese National Chess Champion and a runner-up in the 2020 Australian Championship. These days, with a full-time job outside of chess, Junta devotes most of his chess energy to helping others improve. He has...
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EP 464- IM John Donaldson- Bobby Fischer’s Chess Improvement Advice, the Story Behind His Colossal Rating Leap
What can Bobby Fischer still teach us about chess improvement? In this episode, renowned trainer, author, and historian IM John Donaldson returns to discuss Fischer’s writing, advice, and training methods, as featured in his new book Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer. We explore Fischer’s views on...
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EP 463- FM Nick Matta on Immersion, Mindset, and a Remarkable Decade of Chess Improvement (Adult Improver Series)
The Adult Improver Series returns with the remarkable story of FM Nick Matta, a five-time Louisiana State Champion who made one of the most unusual rating climbs in recent memory. Nick returned to tournament chess as a college freshman and went from roughly 1400 to 2400 USCF over the next decade....
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EP 462- FIDE World Cup Reflections with GM Felix Blohberger: Blunders, Bouncebacks, Tiebreaks and The New Candidates Field
As a fascinating and upset-laden FIDE World Cup comes to an end, 2022 Austrian National Champion GM Felix Blohberger joins me to break down the key moments, share stories from his own World Cup experience, and reflect on his chess career. GM Blohberger has been offering insightful commentary on…
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EP 461- IM John Bartholomew on Chess Improvement Lessons, The Scandinavian Defense & His New Business Venture
IM John Barthomew is a former scholastic national champion turned popular and longtime chess Youtuber and serial entrepreneur. His clear and friendly teaching style has garnered him over 200,000 subs and many devotees of the Scandinavian defense, the opening for which he is best known. In our...
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EP 460- FM Peter Giannatos on GM Daniel Naroditsky’s Life, His Last Days & How We Can Honor Danya’s Legacy
FM Peter Giannatos, founder of the Charlotte Chess Center, was a close friend of GM Daniel Naroditsky and played a pivotal role in encouraging Daniel to build his post-collegiate life in Charlotte. Peter and the tight-knit Charlotte community spent significant time with Danya, including in the…
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EP 459- GM Maurice Ashley on Pursuing Excellence, Seeking Novelties, and His Extraordinary Chess Journey
This week’s guest is U.S. Chess Hall of Famer GM Maurice Ashley. Maurice will forever be known as the first African American to earn the Grandmaster title, yet he has gone on to build a varied and distinguished career across all facets of the game. He is a popular author and highly regarded...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world's best players, trainers and accomplished amateurs about their careers, current projects, best practices and the latest in chess news. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com
HOSTED BY
Ben Johnson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Perpetual Chess Podcast have?
Perpetual Chess Podcast currently has 593 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Perpetual Chess Podcast about?
Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world's best players, trainers and accomplished amateurs about their careers, current projects, best practices and the latest in chess news. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com
How often does Perpetual Chess Podcast release new episodes?
Perpetual Chess Podcast releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 593 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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You can listen to Perpetual 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 Perpetual Chess Podcast?
Perpetual Chess Podcast is created and hosted by Ben Johnson.
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