Perpetual Chess Podcast

Brad Stulberg, best-selling author and co-host of Excellence Actually, explores what pursuing excellence looks like for amateurs. He discusses arrival fallacy versus summit fever. Conversation touches on chess as a microcosm of performance, balancing digital and analog learning, handling plateaus, and lessons from interviews with top players like Maxime and Kasparov.

FIDE Master Carsten Hansen, a prolific chess author and book reviewer, delves into tactics training and chess improvement. He addresses the common challenge of plateauing in tactical skills and provides insights on effective training strategies. Carsten also shares his top recent chess book recommendations, including intriguing biographies and improvement guides. Additionally, he discusses his collaboration on 'Chess Openings for Dummies', revealing his extensive writing process and upcoming projects, making for an enlightening conversation for chess enthusiasts.

Surya Ganguly, an Indian grandmaster and former second to Viswanathan Anand, shares wisdom on handling setbacks and the importance of gratitude. He reflects on his disappointing results from the World Rapid & Blitz Championships while emphasizing understanding over rote memorization in chess. Surya discusses how health scares shifted his priorities and highlights the supportive role of government jobs in chess careers. He also explores his passion for non-chess board games and the rewarding challenges of coaching elite players.

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 Year. I’m joined by Hammersmith Club Captain Gaston Franco to discuss the club’s remarkable turnaround and what other communities can learn from it. We cover topics like financial sustainability, league play, and gender dynamics, as well as the importance of creating an inclusive, welcoming environment. We also explore Gaston’s own chess journey, which highlights one of the game’s great strengths: its ability to provide instant community, especially when moving alone to a new country. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com, you can sign up for Chessable Pro here: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Check out their new courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! Check out GM Ganguly’s new course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-suryas-1e4-part-1/course/353840/ 2:00- Gaston Franco, the club captain of the Hammersmith Chess Club, joins me Mentioned: Watch Charlyze van Zyl’s tour of the Hammersmith Chess Club here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxR6mFl9d4E&t=1s John White, club chairman 6:00 The Transformation of Hammersmith Chess Club 12:00- Common Club Activities and Structure, How they Appeal to Women and Junior Players  17:00- League Participation and Competitive Play 20:44 Membership Fees and Financial Sustainability 29:47 Sponsorship and Community Support 31:00- How the Club Fielded a team in the FIDE World Team Championship 33:13 Role of Grandmasters in the Club Mentioned: GM Daniel King  34:28 League Matches and Club Activities 36:55 Chess Outreach and Community Engagement 39:10 Post-Pandemic Chess Boom 41:04 Challenges and Sustainability of Chess Clubs 43:18 Advice for Fledgling Chess Clubs 45:55 Guest Visits and Club Membership 47:24 Gaston’s Chess Journey from Buenos Aires to London  49:29 Comparing Chess Scenes: Argentina vs. London 51:52 The Future of Chess in Argentina 52:43 Community Events and Upcoming Tournaments Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 shared countless insights on his excellent blog, Infinite Chess, which I’ve been reading religiously since its launch. There, Junta offers thoughtful advice on topics such as improving your tactics, managing the clock, and budgeting your study time. For this interview, I compiled questions based on some of his most insightful observations as we explored chess improvement from a wide range of angles. Toward the end of the conversation, we also touched on Junta’s background, chess in Japan, and even picked up a few non-chess book recommendations.   Check out Chessiverse and take out of their end of year sale here: http://chessiverse.com/ Check out IM John Bartholomew’s Comprehensive Scandinavian Course here:  https://chessiverse.com/courses/scandi Find out more about Chessdojo’s classes here: https://www.chessdojo.club/blog/live-classes Use Code NY26 to get a free month of the tier program Use Code Ben to save 10% off anything  0:04- Junta joins me! Does Junta’s fellow Canberra, Australia resident, IM Andras Toth exist in real life? 0:06- How does Junta respond to FM Nate Solon’s inflammatory tweet about chess books? https://x.com/natesolon/status/1988955760965963898?s=20 0:11- Junta’s coaching and content creation background  0:12- What are the most common mistakes Junta sees amateurs make?  0:19- What did Junta learn from the book How to Become a Deadly Chess Tactician? 22:00- Junta shares some advice from his lifelong battles with time trouble  What I needed to cure my time trouble: https://juntaikeda.substack.com/p/how-i-escaped-time-trouble-hell In search of lost time: 20 Time Trouble Tips https://juntaikeda.substack.com/p/1-in-search-of-lost-time-20-time EP 383 with Dan Bock 24:00- How to learn to face your fears Mentioned: The Uncool by Cameron Crowe 39:00- The Impact of Talent in Chess Mentioned: GM Moulthan Ly, GM Max Illingworth  47:00- How did “the worst openings player in Australia” learn to tolerate them? Mentioned: GM David Smerdon’s The Complete Chess Swindler  51:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! Checkout their holiday sale here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ 52:00- What type of challenging exercises does Junta recommend in order to improve calculation? Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s Endgame Studies 101, IM Tatev Abrahamyan’s Endgame Studies: Solve to Evolve, Domination by Kasparyan, Studies for Practical Players  Sign up for Chessable Pro here: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 1:01:00- Junta’s recommended chess books and resources Mentioned: Lichess, The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games , My Great Predecessors   My 10 Memorable Chess Books https://juntaikeda.substack.com/p/my-10-memorable-chess-books 1:02:00- Is chess growing in Japan despite Shogi’s popularity? 1:08:00-  Balancing Chess and Content Creation 1:10:00- Why Junta wishes he had committed more to chess than university  1:13:00- Will Junta pursue the GM title? Mentioned: Dojo Talks with IM-elect Gauri Shankar  1:15:00- Non chess book recs! Mentioned: Murakami, Infinite Jest, The Book of Disquiet, Finite & Infinite Games  1:19:00- Thanks to Junta for sharing his advice and perspective!  Here is how to keep up with his work: Infinite Chess Blog: https://juntaikeda.substack.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@juntaikeda Website: https://juntaikeda.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this insightful discussion, IM John Donaldson, a noted historian and trainer, dives into Bobby Fischer's impactful chess guidance. He reveals Fischer’s four enduring tips for improvement and explores his unique trajectory from a 2100 player to elite status. John highlights the cultural and personal reasons for Fischer’s lasting fascination and shares behind-the-scenes stories from his training routines and influences. He also reflects on his memories of young chess star Daniel Naroditsky and the dynamics of the U.S. Olympiad team.

FM Nick Matta, a FIDE Master and five-time Louisiana State Champion, shares his inspiring chess journey from 1400 to 2400 USCF. He emphasizes the power of immersion during college and how mental resilience became crucial in his climb. Nick discusses effective study routines and resources, such as books and online tools, along with insights on coaching psychology. He also highlights the importance of adapting training methods and staying physically fit while encouraging honest feedback and persistence in improvement.

Austrian chess grandmaster Felix Blohberger, the 2022 national champion and content creator, reflects on his intense experience at the FIDE World Cup. He shares insights into the pressure of tiebreaks, including a notable blunder by GM Esipenko. Felix highlights the rise of young talents like Sindarov and Wei Yi, and discusses the evolving landscape of the Candidates tournament. He also offers a peek into his own training, content creation, and personal goals, revealing the balance he strikes between chess and life beyond the board.

IM John Bartholomew, a renowned chess YouTuber and co-founder of Chessable, shares invaluable insights on chess improvement drawn from his experiences in the LiChess Lone Wolf League. He emphasizes the importance of self-talk and time management in decision-making. John introduces Chessiverse, featuring over 600 human-like bots that aid practice and strategy development, and discusses his exhaustive effort in creating a comprehensive Scandinavian course. He also shares amusing anecdotes about his talented friend, GM Daniel Naroditsky, highlighting their unique camaraderie.

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 days leading up to his tragic passing. In this conversation, Peter reflects on their friendship, shares what he feels is appropriate about Danya’s final days, and highlights a new fundraiser created to honor Daniel’s legacy. I’m grateful for the clarity and courage Peter brought to this deeply emotional discussion as the chess world begins to process and heal from this immense loss. 0:00- Intro-  Support the fundraiser here: https://givebutter.com/naroditsky 0:02- FM PeterGiannatos joins the podcast and begins with the story of how he met Danya.  Read Peter’s Eulogy here: https://x.com/PeterGiannatos/status/1981875015030079553?s=20 IM John Bartholomew’s tribute to Danya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kclevjiPK5I&t=2s 0:09- Getting Danya to move to Charlotte 19:00- Clarifying the timeline around Daniel’s death  32:00- The weight of the allegations on Daniel Mentioned: Daniel explains a Bc8 move that some found suspicious https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1g7la27/daniel_narodistky_full_analysis_of_the_move_bc8/ 43:00- How to honor Daniel’s legacy 57:00- One last Danya story - check out the games from "The Meatball Match" here: https://www.chess.com/c/2PprrfhA6 1:02:00- Thanks to Peter for sharing so many personal stories during a difficult time. Here is how to support Danya's legacy if you are so inclined: ⁠https://givebutter.com/naroditsky⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices