Perpetual Chess Podcast

Ben Johnson
  • 4.8 (616)
  • Hobbies
  • Updated Biweekly

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

  1. 6d ago

    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 conversation, we discuss: How David’s process for researching openings has changed as engines have grown increasingly powerful. What adult improvers can learn from David’s own unusual chess journey and the huge rating gains he made in his late teens, 20s, and 30s. Why players should sometimes deliberately play openings and positions that make them uncomfortable. The challenges of finding opportunities to compete while balancing chess with work and family obligations. David also shares a funny story about the unexpected chain of events that followed our first interview in 2019, explains some of the ambitious choices in his new 1. e4 repertoire, and shares his strong opinions on Chess960 and some recent trends in professional chess. It’s always fun to catch up with David, and there is lots of practical chess advice in this one. 0:00 Intro Thanks to our sponsor Claude.ai Check them out at Claude.ai/chess 2:30 David’s new 1. e4 course and how engine-era opening research has changed 6:55 Why David recommends ambitious, principled opening lines 15:15 How much opening theory do amateur players actually need? 20:40 Adult improvement: what helped David make huge rating gains 26:00 The New England chess scene and David’s tournament schedule 31:55 A funny story stemming from David’s first Perpetual Chess interview 38:20 Improving by working on your weaknesses 44:00 Following professional chess and David’s dislike of alternative scoring formats 45:40 Why David has no interest in Chess960 Vigorito-Aagaard 2025 https://www.chesshere.com/master-games/1822045?fen=r1bqk2r%2Fpppp1ppp%2F2n2n2%2F1B2p3%2F1b2P3%2F2N2N2%2FPPPP1PPP%2FR1BQK2R+w+KQkq+-+6+5 50:30 What’s next for David https://www.chessable.com/author/dvigorito/  52:00- Thanks to David for joining me! Be sure to check out his courses on Chessable: https://www.chessable.com/author/dvigorito/ 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

  2. Sep 1

    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 community-focused website he co-founded, Chessivity.com. We discuss: The story behind Valentin’s fast rise up the ranks after a relatively late start to tournament chess. The struggles he has observed that adult students have in developing consistent thought processes. The vision behind Chessivity, a website that aims to connect chess players and help them track and share their chess training. Stories from Valentin’s chess career, including nearly beating Magnus Carlsen and cycling from Austria to Budapest to compete in the Chess Olympiad. This was a very insightful conversation with lots of good stories and practical chess advice. 0:00- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/CHESS.  03:05 GM Dragnev’s rise up the ranks Mentioned: The Art of Planning in Chess by GM Neal McDonald https://www.amazon.com/Art-Planning-Chess-Move/dp/071349025X 12:14 Transitioning to Chess as a Career 15:31 Advice for Parents and Young Players 18:29 Coaching Adults vs. Kids 21:52 The Importance of Thought Process in Chess 26:53 The Birth of Chessivity 30:32 Integrating Chessivity with User Accounts Follow Ben here: https://chessivity.com/profile/bennyficial1 31:05 Future Features and User Feedback 33:11 Valentin's Chess Career Highlights 35:05 Playing Against Magnus Carlsen Check out the Sicilian game here: https://lichess.org/broadcast/european-team-championship-open/round-2/kLFgyBxS/QCqXtaGu 38:39 Training and Preparation Strategies 42:10 Working with Top Players 44:46 Balancing Coaching and Competitive Play 47:07 Misconceptions in Chess Improvement 52:22 Valentin tells the story of cycling from Austria to Budapest before competing in the Olympiad 56:03 Thanks to Valentin for joining! Find him on Chessivity: https://chessivity.com/profile/valentin Lichess coaches: https://lichess.org/coach/DrAgnevstein Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  3. Aug 25

    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 family, Kyle values chess as a hobby and makes plenty of time for it. When I first interviewed Kyle in 2022, he was rated below 1000 USCF, but was working diligently and had a long-term hope of reaching USCF 2000. Four years later, he has stuck with it and made considerable progress, recently reaching a new peak of nearly 1550 USCF. In this follow-up, we discuss: Why he still loves openings, and how studying them deeply has given him a competitive advantage against many higher-rated opponents. How he combines old-school, analog training methods with sophisticated uses of AI and chess technology. The parallels he sees between improving at physical pursuits like baseball and improving at chess. The immense value he gains from being part of a vibrant chess community in the Pacific Northwest. It is inspiring to see Kyle’s continued dedication to chess, and I look forward to following his continued progress in the coming years. 0:00- Intro Join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess Join the free discord:  https://discord.gg/hN3CJsbGn More on the Adult Improver Series: Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=8fda103624514126 Website: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover Check out our sponsor,  Claude Co-work at Claude.ai/chess 04:22 Kyle Boddy joins 06:05 What keeps Kyle playing and improving? 07:36 Switching to 1.e4 and open games Mentioned: Anand-Nunn 1990 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018185 08:43 Why Kyle still loves studying openings 10:45 How Kyle actually studies openings 12:12 Studying games blindfolded 16:00 How Kyle uses AI for chess 18:19 Engines, Maia Chess and practical preparation 20:34 Kyle’s tournament routine 24:19 How he trains tactics 26:48 Building a new opening repertoire 29:42 Daily chess habits 30:49 The importance of a chess community 34:17 Tournament chess in Seattle and beyond 35:20 Aging and adult chess improvement 37:45 Kyle’s path toward 1800-2000 40:11 Improving at endgames 42:50 Understanding vs. memorizing openings 44:35 The Joey Votto chess bet 45:33 Chess’s popularity among pro athletes 47:05 How much Kyle studies chess Can Adults Improve at Chess by NM Todd Bryant https://www.chess.com/article/view/can-adults-improve-at-chess 50:22 Blogging, AI and hiding your prep 52:53 Baseball vs. chess improvement 55:46 Will Kyle still be playing at 50?  56:00- Thanks to Kyle for joining and sharing his inspiring progress- follow his blog here: https://www.kyleboddy.com/blog/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  4. Aug 18

    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 indelible mark on the U.S. chess scene. My guest is chess journalist FM Jon Jacobs, who is working on an independent biography of Bill. Jon grew up in New York and got to know Bill personally as a top young scholastic player, with a young Bill Goichberg directing some of his formative tournaments in Brooklyn. Decades later, Bill sat down for 15 hours’ worth of interviews with Jon, which Jon has been crafting into a book. In our interview, we discuss Bill’s business legacy, chess accomplishments, family life, and much more. Bill changed the course of American chess, and I am grateful to Jon for joining me and fleshing out his life story. 00:00 - Intro and remembering FM Bill Goichberg 0:02- Maurice Ashley tweet regarding Goichberg- https://x.com/MauriceAshley?lang=en06:13 - Jon’s first memories of Bill08:14 - How Bill got started organizing tournaments14:16 - Growing chess in the pre-Fischer era18:21 - Bill’s proudest contributions to US chess22:54 - Continental Chess and its competitors24:39 - How big a business did CCA become?29:50 - Bill’s wife Brenda and their life together35:35 - Bill’s beginnings as a chess player39:48 - How strong was Bill as a player?44:07 - Did Bill ever work outside of chess? Mentioned: CCA and Domainvision.com https://www.chesstour.com/aboutcca.htm47:38 - The Continental Chess business model51:54 - Why Jon is writing Bill’s biography57:01 - Where to follow Jon’s work 1:00:00- Thanks to Jon for coming on, you can follow his Facebook page here-  https://www.facebook.com/p/A-Pawn-Made-Flesh-61568668591626/ 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

  5. Aug 11

    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 chess improvement. He returns to the podcast to discuss: How to actually improve at calculation, including why many club players should spend more time solving simple tactics rather than difficult calculation exercises Some of the key concepts from his excellent new book, A Killer Guide to Attacking Chess How to categorize the mistakes in your games without overcomplicating the process Some of the forthcoming chess books he is most excited about Jacob also teases an exciting new project with GM Garry Kasparov and shares his thoughts on the Olympiad, the FIDE election, and the health of the chess publishing business, among many other topics. There is always so much to learn from Jacob, and I greatly appreciate his generosity with his time. This week’s podcast is brought to you by Chessiverse.com. Be sure to check out their many features, and use code “Perpetual30” to receive a 30% discount on premium offerings and IM John Bartholomew’s Scandinavian Course.  00:00 Introduction  0:02- GM Jacob Aagaard joins 0:08- The Upcoming  Chess books Jacob is most excited about Naroditsky Memorial Box Set Quality Chess Chess Metamorphoss by GM Nikita Vitiugov Grandmaster Training Camp with GM Sam Shankland Unlock Your Chess Creativity by IM Richard Palliser  Winning Chess Tactics by GM Yasser Seirawan The Evans Gambit by IM Andrew Martin 17:00 Jacob’s Writing Workflow and Challenges 21:30 The Role of AI in Chess Writing 30:00 Patreon mailbag question: How does Jacob’s new book compare to his Excelling at Chess Series?  33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Jacob recommend one improve at calculation? 41:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Jacob’s advice for how to categorize the mistakes you make when reviewing and trying to learn from your games? 43:33 Categorizing Mistakes in Chess 45:00 Recommended Chess Books for Improvement Mentioned: Attack with Mikhail Tal Alekhine’s Best Games Books by GM Larry Christiansen Life and Games of Mikhail Tal 48:00 Working with GM Garry Kasparov on an updated The Great Predecessors Series  57:00  Patreon mailbag question: How is the chess publishing business doing? Does Jacob have any plans of streamlining the digital availability of the New in Chess Magazine archive?  01:10:00 Patreon mailbag question: Jacob’s thoughts on the Chess Olympiad, the FIDE election and Gukesh-Sindarov 1:16:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Jacob’s motivation for continuing to compete occasionally  01:17:00- What Jacob learns from being an adult improver at guitar  Mentioned: Jake Workman is Jacob’s guitar teacher  01:24:00- Thanks to Jacob for joining the show again! Here is how to keep up his work: Killer Chess Training https://killerchesstraining.com/ Books https://www.newinchess.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?authors=Jacob+Aagaard+Madsen&q=%2A 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

  6. Aug 4

    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 discuss: •• Why he believes every serious chess player needs a coach, and how not hiring one nearly derailed his own career. • Vasif's outstanding performance at the Naroditsky Memorial blitz, including a near-upset of Hikaru Nakamura. • An unforgettable over-the-board encounter with legendary GM Viktor Korchnoi. • How chess broadcasting can be improved, and his ambitious long-term vision for ChessEver. This was a really enjoyable conversation, and I recommend ChessEver to anyone who enjoys following top-level tournaments. 00:00 - Intro 01:16 - Insights from a top 10 finish at the Naroditsky Memorial blitz tournament Check out Vasif’s Naroditsky Memorial games here: The Nakamura game is game 13, 35. Rxa7! Was mate in 12.  https://lichess.org/study/UoNAiYdm/TehrviPk 03:52 - Playing Korchnoi 05:02 - Playing style: aggressive opening choices and psychological play 06:45 - The influence of legendary players and their aura on Vasif 09:16 - Off-the-board aspects of chess improvement and coaching advice 12:37 - Strategies for handling lost positions and psychological tactics 15:08 - The significance of coaching and Vasif’s past mistakes in self-improvement Vasif’s thoughts on Gukesh’s slump here: https://x.com/durarbayli/status/2079565216413556923 24:52 - The power of strategic preparation stories from chess books Mentioned: The Random Book that Made me a Grandmaster https://durarbayli.com/a-random-book-made-me-a-grandmaster/ The Method in Chess by Josif Dorfman https://www.amazon.com/Method-Chess-Iossif-Dorfman/dp/2957289024 30:00- Why we should not emulate Sindarov’s study approach Mentioned: Fooled by Randomness 39:06 - The journey from competitive chess to creating Chess Ever 44:50 - The vision for Chess Ever: following games, broadcasting, and innovation 53:41 - Monetization plans and future features of Chess Ever 58:51 - How Chess Ever differs from other streaming and follow platforms 61:47 - The future of chess broadcasting, AI commentary, and competition 63:48 - Final thoughts and encouraging feedback from listenersResources: Chess Ever App Road to Mastery by Golovka Static and Dynamic by Dorfman Nasim Taleb - Fooled by Randomness Connect with Vasif Durabayi: LinkedIn Twitter Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  7. Jul 28

    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 has become more serious about improving his own game. With a FIDE rating just shy of 2100, Michael was frustrated that he consistently performed much better in rapid than in classical chess. In order to change that, he sought out GM Alex Colovic for coaching after trying several instructors. He worked to address the biggest weaknesses in his game, including lazy calculation and overly ambitious opening choices. The work paid off as he defeated a grandmaster for the first time at age 38 and later held GM David Howell to a draw in a rapid game. In our conversation, Michael shares what he learned about improving as an adult, why his rapid results have always been better than his OTB results, and the practical changes that helped close the gap. We also discuss Chessfam, the ambitious new platform he co-founded to make finding and entering chess tournaments easier, as well as his observations from the recent European Chess Union Congress and the upcoming FIDE presidential election. (Please note this interview was recorded before Arkady Dvorkovich withdrew from the race.) As always, timestamps for all topics discussed are below. 00:04 Introduction to Mr. Dodgy  02:51 Chess Improvement Deep Dive and Dodgy’s recent achievements  Mentioned: GM Alex Colovic’s Substack 05:42 Lessons from Grandmaster Alex Colovic GM Alex Colovic- How to Become a Grandmaster https://www.quora.com/How-did-you-become-a-grandmaster/answer/Alex-Colovic?share=55b455d3&srid=hY2IT 08:49 Strengths and Weaknesses in Rapid vs Classical Chess 11:52 Opening Strategies and Learning Approaches GM Alex Colovic’s Suggestions for the Alapin- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6K0YFRN20U 14:38 Daily Practice and Calculation Work 17:49 Patreon Mailbag Question: Can We Expect another Mr. Dodgy Chessable course?  20:33 Recommended Resources for Improvement Mentioned: Improve Your Chess Calculation by GM RB Ramesh, Think Like a Super GM by GM Michael Adams and Philip Hurtado, Perfect Your Chess by GM Volokitin and IM Grabinsky  25:20 Exploring Diverse Thinking in Chess 26:15 Influential Players and Their Styles 27:21 Dodgy's Grandmaster Victory Story 30:19 Chess Party: A Unique Event Experience 35:45 Introducing Chess Fam: A New Chess Platform Mentioned: Sligo International, Maia Chess Festival, Sitges International  39:55 The Business Model Behind Chess Fam 43:54 Navigating New Skills in Chess Fam 48:01 Getting Involved with Chess Fam 48:26 The Need for Chess Tournament Reviews 50:43 Creating a Welcoming Environment for New Players 52:39 The Rise of Casual Chess Events 54:07 Insights from the ECU Congress 55:40 Understanding the Role of the ECU 59:00 The Future of European Chess Mentioned: GM Peter Arnaudov from ModernChess.com, Business Meets Chess & Kids & GM Pontuss Carlsson 01:05:07 FIDE Elections and the Importance of Term Limits Thanks to Mr. Dodgy for joining! Here are links to his stuff: X: https://x.com/ChessProblem Chessable- https://www.chessable.com/courses/s/dodgy/ Chessfam- https://chessfam.com/ Photo in thumbnail by David Llada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  8. Jul 21

    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 the lessons and memorable experiences of the tournament. Dalton also shares chess improvement insights from his excellent Chess Chatter newsletter and discusses Chessalyz, the AI-powered chess improvement platform he co-founded. Following Dalton, GM Eugene Perelshteyn and NM Mike Mahoney return to the podcast for an update on the "Chess Rocky" story. They discuss Mike's results after months of training for the event, along with unforgettable stories from the tournament, including their encounter with legendary GM Vasyl Ivanchuk. As always, I enjoyed hearing the stories and lessons from Dalton, Eugene and Mike, and I think listeners will find plenty to learn from their experiences. 00:04 Introduction and Background 01:01 The Narodzki Memorial Tournament Experience 04:01 Learning from Danya's Speedruns Mentioned: Chessbase India- Naroditsky Memorial Coverage https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL2unSfeOdoM Chessbase India Interview with Danya’s Mother: Daniel Naroditsky's mother shares heartfelt message to the chess community 06:53 Atmosphere and Community at the Tournament 10:04 Performance and Reflections on Games 13:01 Simplicity in Chess Improvement 16:02 Chessalyze: The AI-Assisted Coaching Platform 22:12 Future of Chessalyze and User Feedback 27:57 Advice for Ambitious Club Players Mentioned: Survive and Thrive: How to Blunder Less and Defend Better https://www.chessable.com/survive-thrive-how-to-blunder-less-and-defend-better/course/80629/ 34:00- Upcoming Tournaments and Projects Thanks to Dalton for joining! Here is how to keep up with him: Chess Chatter Blog Chessalyz.ai DaltonPerrine.com 38:00 GM Eugene Perelshteyn and NM Mike Mahoney join me Mentioned: Ivanchuk is here, GM Steven Zierk Sindarov-Woodward 2026 https://www.chess.com/events/2026-naroditsky-memorial-masters-rapid/03/Sindarov_Javokhir-Woodward_Andy IM Sagar Shah-Mahoney 2026- https://lichess.org/study/IgNM0rNc/ZiaxROGi 48:32 The Pressure of Competition: In-Person Challenges 54:37 Reflections and Future Aspirations 55:00- Thanks to Eugene and Mike for joining! You can keep up with Eugene via his Substack, https://eugeneperel.substack.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

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4.8
out of 5
616 Ratings

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

Information

  • Creator
    Ben Johnson
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    588
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Perpetual Chess LLC
  • Show Website
    Perpetual Chess Podcast

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