Perpetual Chess Podcast

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.

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. In our conversation, he breaks down the habits and mindset shifts that fueled that rise, including: How complete immersion in chess during his college years accelerated his progress Why the mental game became increasingly important as he climbed the rating ladder The books, videos, and tools that helped him at each stage Nick’s improvement in his 20s may be rare, but his insights are applicable to players of a wide range of levels. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/  00:00 – Intro & AnnouncementsFInd out more about the teaching job opportunity at IS 318 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/796878173716685/posts/32637324772578611/ Join the Perpetual Chess discord here!              https://discord.gg/27AXnaUr 03:00 – Intro & Announcements Find out more about the teaching job opportunity at IS 318 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/796878173716685/posts/32637324772578611/ Join the Perpetual Chess discord here!              https://discord.gg/27AXnaUr 06:00 – Who Is FM Nick Matta? Mentioned Nick was also interviewed in episode 450- Hikaru in Louisiana https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2025/9/9/ep-450-hikaru-in-louisiana-stories-from-his-surprise-appearance-in-the-louisiana-state-championshipnbsp  Check out Nick’s USCF Rating History here: https://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=12845401 His rapid rise from 1480 → 2390 and return to chess after Katrina. Also Mentioned: Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andy Soltis, IM Jeremy Silman’s How to Reassess Your Chess, Pawn Power in Chess  11:30 – How the Improvement Started Immersion, study habits, book recommendations, and developing a love for feedback. Mentioned: Kasparov’s My Story with GM James Plaskett https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeEY66T0q80 GM Melih Khachiyan’s Evaluation and Planning Series on Chess.com https://www.chess.com/video/player/evaluation-and-planning---part-1 26:00 – Openings, Training, and Evolution Why he constantly changed openings, how his training shifted as he reached master level, and learning from top coaches. Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, IM John Bartholomew, GM Jacob Aagaard’s Thinking Inside the Box  35:00 – Time Trouble & Mental Game Breakthroughs Aagaard’s tough feedback, decision-making, cold-plunge training, meditation, and building emotional resilience. Mentioned: Karpov in a cold plunge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAhtMKhvG1A 59:00 – Coaching, Pursuing the IM Title & Final Advice Balancing coaching with personal ambition, whether he’ll chase the IM title, and his distilled guidance for adult improvers. 1:15:00- Thanks to Nick for joining me! Here is how to reach him:  Lichess coaches page: https://lichess.org/coach/nickmatta Chess.com coaches page: https://www.chess.com/member/nickmatta Email-  Nickmatta13 at gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 his YouTube channel where he has been sharing his thoughts on the FIDE World Cup, and was able to elaborate on many themes from his channel in our interview.  In our conversation we discuss:  The new Candidates qualifiers:  GM Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko plus who Felix now sees as the favorite to  win the Candidates. The pressure of tiebreaks including Felix’s take on GM Esipenko’s heartbreaking blunder against Wei Yi, plus what it’s actually like inside the venue between games. Felix’s chess career:  including his favorite books, his rating goals, and reflections on the viral video that helped grow his channel. .  This was another entertaining and surprising World Cup, and I am already excited for the FIDE Candidates next year. Timestamps  are below.  0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 01:30 Introduction  05:00- GM Felix Blohberger joins me Sub to his YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@febloh Felix’s video about the challenges of life as a chess pro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8DW6XShofQ&t=0 Esipenko’s blunder- https://x.com/GMJuditPolgar/status/1992651679108616301?s=20 07:00 The FIDE World Cup Experience-  10:00 Tiebreaker Tensions and Player Dynamics 14:00 Youth vs. Experience in Chess 15:30- Patreon mailbag question: Why does Felix think so many players were content to go to tiebreaks?  18:00- Felix’s thought on GM Sindarov  Sindarov’s 2700chess.com rating graph- https://2700chess.com/players/sindarov_javokhir 22:00 Wei Yi's Comeback Story 24:00  Felix’s big picture conclusions from the World Cup  29:00 Tournament Conditions and Player Experiences 31:00 The Pros and Cons of Making Predictions  33:00 Experiences in the Croatian Chess League 35:00 Confidence Boost from Recent Performances 36:30 Balancing Chess and Content Creation Felix Rook Endgame Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEESoSw164w 39:00 Resources and Training Techniques Mentioned: Yusopov’s Build Up Your Chess Series  42:00 Working as a Second for GM Harikrishna  Mentioned: The Anand Files by FM Michael Abeln 49:00 Career Highlights and Favorite Games Mentioned: Blohberger-Svane 2023 https://www.chess.com/events/2023-2024-austrian-chess-bundesliga/04/Blohberger_Felix-Svane_Frederik 52:00 Future Plans and Interests Outside Chess 55:00- An update on how he is enjoying  life as a chess professional  56:00- Thanks to GM Blohberger for joining me! Here is how to keep up with him: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@febloh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felixblohberger/?hl=en Website: https://www.felixblohberger.com/ If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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 Chessable creator, a teacher, an organizer, and a frequent commentator for major chess events, often from the St. Louis Chess Club. Maurice and I discussed: His perspective on chess improvement, as a rare late-starter who began tournament play at fourteen and still reached the Grandmaster level What we can learn from the ascent of GM Brewington Hardaway, who recently became the second African American GM at age fifteen The difference between being competitive and striving for excellence We also touched on the lessons Maurice learned from organizing the “Millionaire Chess” tournaments, his passion for salsa dancing and puzzle composition, and whether he has experienced any “pinch me” moments on his journey from “walking barefoot to school in Jamaica” to giving TED Talks and teaching chess to Will Smith. I have long looked forward to interviewing Maurice, and the conversation did not disappoint. 0:00- Check out Maurice’s popular and highly reviewed courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/GMAshley/ 0:03- Maurice’s chess improvement advice- why people shouldn’t focus on doing things “quickly.”  Mentioned: New York Times article about the Raging Rooks https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/26/nyregion/harlem-teen-agers-checkmate-a-stereotype.html Maurice’s Chessable Q & A- https://www.chessable.com/discussion/thread/1187730/ask-maurice-ashley-anything-special-qa-/ Cover Stories with Chess Life Interview: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-sskej-f237dc?download=1 10:30- Maurice’s observations about young GM Brewington Hardaway, who recently became the 2nd ever African American GM, at age 15.  Mentioned: You can read Maurice’s article about GM Hardaway here: https://new.uschess.org/news/inside-story-long-time-coming 17:00- Patreon mailbag question: Maurice’s siblings are kickboxing and boxing champions. What did they do to cultivate such achievement?  20:00- Which chess player got GM Maurice Ashley into salsa dancing?  23:00- Patreon mailbag question: ‘What are Maurice’s reflections on the Millionare Chess tournaments that he founded?”  28:30- What is the vision for Maurice’s “Clutch Chess,”  which took place recently  at the St. Louis Chess Club?  32:00- Is commentating still Maurice’s favorite professional activity? 36:00- Maurice’s passion for designing chess puzzles and courses  Mentioned: The puzzle that (temporarily) stumped MVL is here: https://x.com/MauriceAshley/status/1609261621247086592?s=20 42:00- Has Maurice ever had a “pinch me” moment?  45:00- Maurice’s struggles after earning the GM title 49:00- The origins of Maurice’s communication skills  52:00- What does Maurice want his chess legacy to be?  54:00- Maurice’s next projects 59:00- Thanks to Maurice for joining me! Here is how to keep up with his many activities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauriceashleychess/?hl=en Chessable: https://www.chessable.com/author/GMAshley/ X/Twitter:  https://x.com/MauriceAshley?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Polish programmer and chess enthusiast Pawel Kacprzak joins me to share the story behind Chessvision.ai. Chessvision.ai is a helpful app and browser extension that can scan chess diagrams and connect them to related YouTube videos and chess books, and allows you to easily turn these positions into digital flashcards. We talk about how Pawel’s side project grew into a full-time business, what it takes to build tech tools for chess players, and what Pawel has planned next for his growing platform.Pawel also discusses his enthusiasm for following professional chess, and his own approach to chess improvement. I have become a big fan of Pawel’s product, and I enjoyed chatting with him.  Thanks to our sponsor ⁠Chessable.com⁠, check out their Black Friday sale here: ⁠https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/?utm_source=chessable&utm_medium=shop_hero_banner&utm_campaign=enblackfriday2_2025⁠ 0:02- Pawel Kacprzak joins me! Mentioned: NM Han Schut’s video overviews of Chessvision.ai ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqwK8Q1NEjg⁠ 03:00 The Impact of Daniel Naroditsky 06:00  Pawel's Journey into Chess and Programming 10:30 Evolution of Chessvision.ai 17:00 ⁠Patreon mailbag question⁠: Can one use Chessvision.ai to scan diagrams from physical chess boards?  19:00 ⁠Patreon mailbag question⁠: What features will Pawel work on developing next? 23:00 Subscription Models and Accessibility 28:00 Community Engagement and Support 29:30- ⁠Patreon mailbag question⁠: Does Pawel consider himself an adult improver? 33:30 Chess Resources and Learning 35:30 Closing Thoughts and Advice Thanks to Pawel for joining me! Here is how to reach him, as well as how to find out more about Chessvision.ai: Email- Pawel at ⁠Chessvision.ai⁠ Twitter/X-  ⁠https://twitter.com/ChessvisionAI⁠ Discord-  ⁠https://discord.gg/zkcBPhWhme⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2025 FIDE World Cup has been as dramatic as ever. Top seeds like GM Gukesh D, Ian Nepomniatchtchi, and Anish Giri have been eliminated, but we still have some top 10 stalwarts remaining, as well as many surprise advancers to the Round of 32. Joining from Goa, FIDE Press Officer IM Michael Rahal helps break it all down. We discuss: Should we be surprised by the number of upsets? The performances of veterans like GM Peter Leko (still in) and GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (eliminated) Whether the reports of poor playing conditions in Goa are well-founded Key matchups to watch when play resumes tomorrow,  and who might clinch a FIDE Candidates spot Timestamps for topics discussed are below. 00:00 Introduction and Overview of the World Cup 04:00-  IM Michael Rahal joins  06:32 Patreon mailbag question- Does the number of upsets suggest that the top players are protected?  Mentioned: Chessnumbers-data https://x.com/ChessNumbers/status/1986634183415111831?s=20 Peter Leko interview with Chessbase India- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Fh1lQBmGI&t=3s 09:00  Notable Matches 11:30 The Impact of Player Preparation and Conditions 15:30 Match Predictions and Player Insights 18:00 Reflections on Chess Legends and Their Influence 23:00 Reflections on Ivanchuk’s Press Conference  25:00 Reflections on Daniel Naroditsky 28:00 Tournament Conditions and Player Experiences Tweet from GM Neiksans: https://x.com/GMNeiksans/status/1986117054911684978?s=20 37:00 Upcoming FIDE Candidates in Cyprus 39:00- Breaking down the brackets https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1osncpq/world_cup_2025_pairings_for_final_32/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button 46:00 Rest Day Activities and Team Spirit 48:00- Thanks to IM Michael Rahal for joining me!  Here is how to keep up with him: X: https://x.com/Rahal_Michael Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelanthony.rahal/ FIDE YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@FIDE_chess Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh off her third consecutive (and fourth overall) U.S. Women’s Championship title, I was honored to catch up with 22-year-old IM Carissa Yip. Carissa has taken a gap year from Stanford University and is immersed in a demanding schedule of training and competition. She’s had some excellent results this year and is now ranked #21 among women in the world. Despite her success, Carissa has also experienced the emotional ups and downs that every serious chess player can relate to. In our conversation, she discusses: Her personal recollections of GM Daniel Naroditsky, including how he once went out of his way to help her prepare during a major tournament. The helpful opening advice recently shared with her by her friend and coach, GM Awonder Liang. How she overcame sluggish starts to win both the 2025 U.S. Women’s Championship and the Cairns Cup. Carissa shared a mix of funny stories and thoughtful reflections on her training regimen, the gender gap in chess, and her advice for improvement. She even recommended a novel to read and touched on her passion for writing. I really enjoyed catching up with Carissa and am excited to see her bright future continue to unfold.  0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 0:02- Carissa joins the pod. She begins by sharing her recollections of GM Daniel Naroditsky  Mentioned: Zatonskih-Yip 2020 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2011266 0:05- Carissa had slow starts at both Cairns Cup and this US Champs- Why?  0:07- Carissa’s training regimen Mentioned: Killer Chess Training 0:09- Carissa’s Opening Approach Mentioned: GM Awonder Liang Check out Carissa’s US Championship Games here: https://lichess.org/study/etqoyX0E/QRi8cCdw 17:00- How to approach a new opening 19:00- Carissa’s approach to training games 22:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Would Carissa prefer a corporate career or to pursue chess professionally?”  24:30- Carissa retells the story of a funny bet between GM Awonder Liang and GM Sam Shankland Mentioned: February 2025 Chess Life Magazine https://new.uschess.org/magazine/feb-25-chess-life 28:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How can I overcome a slow start, as Carissa has done repeatedly?”  36:00- Carissa’s fiction recommendation: Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan 38:00- Carissa’ passion for writing  40:00- How does Carissa describe the  e-sports experience of the recent USA vs. India match? l  48:00- Patreon mailbag question: “Why does Carissa think no female player subsequent to Judit has reached her level of dominance?”  54:00- Patreon mailbag question: “If Carissa could ask men in chess to do one thing differently, what would it be?”  57:00- Carissa discusses her friendship with rising American star, IM Alice Lee 59:00- Carissa’s upcoming tournaments 1:01- Carissa’ chess improvement advice! Thanks to Carissa for joining me again! Be sure to follow her on X and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carissayip/ https://x.com/carissayipchess?lang=en Image in thumbnail by Lennart Ootes for the St. Louis Chess Club https://www.flickr.com/photos/stlchessclub/54876804247/in/album-72177720329882462 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices