Best Chess.com Podcasts (2025)

1
Fabiano Predicts Who Will Go To The Candidates 22:05

Play Pause

19m ago22:05

22:05

The final round of the crucial FIDE Grand Swiss is upon us. With everything on the line, we discuss the journey so far, the possible scenarios, and who is the most likely to become the next Candidate. Enjoy! If you'd like to support the channel, these are the best ways: ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: http…

1
Fabiano's Masterclass #001 | What Is Happening With Gukesh? 59:01

3h ago59:01

59:01

Welcome to Fabiano's Masterclass! This weekly new series aims to provide the highest level of chess analysis, presented by none other than one of the greatest chess players to ever play the game, Fabiano Caruana. Episode 1 focuses on the battle between 16 yo Abhimanyu Mishra, and WC Gukesh. Consider supporting the channel: ♟️Play With Us: https://w…

1
[Bonus] Brian Keating on Humility, Chutzpah, and the Arrow of Time 18:39

4d ago18:39

18:39

Episode Description Right after wrapping up their main conversation, James and Brian hit record again for a bonus session. What came out is an unfiltered talk on humility, arrogance, and the strange mix of traits needed to achieve great things. From the wisdom of the Talmud to the Dunning–Kruger effect, they explore why even Nobel Prize winners wre…

1
How to Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner with Prof. Brian Keating 1:13:13

5d ago1:13:13

1:13:13

Episode Description James sits down once again with cosmologist Brian Keating—longtime friend of the show and author of Into the Impossible: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner. In this candid conversation, they challenge each other’s views on focus, curiosity, and the trade-offs of staying in your lane. Brian shares behind-the-scenes lessons from inte…

1
Episode 59: What If Being Smart Was The Problem? 23:14

8h ago23:14

23:14

Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
From Deep Blue to Bittensor — Why Subnets Are the Next Internet Boom 1:27:49

7d ago1:27:49

1:27:49

A Note from James I’ve been on and off writing. From 2004 to 2021, I wrote one to two books a year, without fail. Since then, nothing. But I’ve been working on an idea: obsession. When I’m not obsessed, I can’t do much—sometimes not even the basics. But when I am obsessed, I can turn that energy into real outcomes: a business, a book, a skill, some…

1
FIDE Makes A BOLD Move, Anti Cheating Proctor Goes Live 1:23:58

10d ago1:23:58

1:23:58

♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr

1
Rick Harrison: The Pawn Business, Hidden Histories, and the Best Model in Banking 31:51

12d ago31:51

31:51

A Note from James The man, the myth, the legend—Rick Harrison. You know him as the star of Pawn Stars, the reality show based on the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. The show has been running for over 21 seasons, and Rick himself has become the godfather of the pawn business. I even joined Rick and Chumlee on their own podcast, Pawn After Dark…

1
Episode 58: Why Playing Many Different Openings Won't Work For You 20:36

9d ago20:36

20:36

Watch the YouTube Short here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bD6OPduy1DQ Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to …

1
From Zero to World-Class: Tristan de Montebello on the Art of Public Speaking 1:56:00

18d ago1:56:00

1:56:00

A Note from James I’m honored to have today’s guest: Tristan de Montebello, a finalist in the World Championship of Public Speaking. He also co-founded UltraSpeaking (ultraspeaking.com/james), where he teaches techniques to improve communication through games and real-world practice. We even played some of those games during this episode, and they …

1
Episode 57: The Reason Chess Training Is So Confusing 26:36

13d ago26:36

26:36

Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
Astro Teller on Moonshots, Self-Driving Cars, and the Future of Innovation 1:02:00

20d ago1:02:00

1:02:00

A Note from James What does it take to make a discovery that changes the world? Think about landing on the moon — a true moonshot. Along the way, countless technologies were invented that reshaped life back on Earth. My guest today, Astro Teller, has been part of that same kind of world-changing work. At X — Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory — he’s led p…

1
Matt Smith: Rethinking College with “The Preparation” 1:02:39

24d ago1:02:39

1:02:39

A Note from James There’s always been debate about whether college is worth it. But what if there’s a better alternative—one that actually prepares you to become the person you want to be? My good friend Matt Smith just wrote a book with Doug Casey called The Preparation. It’s not theory—he’s been putting his own son through it as a real-world expe…

1
Episode 56: The Biggest Lie We Tell Ourselves 30:51

27d ago30:51

30:51

Here are the further resources that I mentioned in the podcast: Books: Radical Acceptance - Tara Brach 4000 weeks - Oliver Burkeman The Tao of Seneca - Three free PDFs put together by Tim Ferriss Meditations - Marcus Aurelius (many different versions of it online as PDFs available, just Google it) Awareness - Anthony de Mello Mindset - Carol Dweck …

1
Case Kenny: Stop “Settling Down” and Start “Settling Up” 40:33

28d ago40:33

40:33

Episode Description James sits down with Case Kenny, author of The Opposite of Settling and host of New Mindset, Who Dis?, to talk about how our expectations around relationships shape the way we date and commit. Case shares the research, stories, and mindset shifts that helped him go from avoiding commitment in his twenties to finding fulfillment …

1
Damn, Hikaru…I Thought We Were Friends 1:01:04

21d ago1:01:04

1:01:04

In this episode we address Hikaru's reaction to Fabiano's statement regarding Titled Tuesday, and the cheating that goes on in that event. Fabiano shares his candid reaction to Hikaru's charged statement, and we also discuss the most recent chess events - Esports World Cup, and the STL Rapid & Blitz. CHECK HIKARU'S REACTION HERE- https://youtu.be/_…

1
Episode 55: You Are Not Your Rating 17:22

1M ago17:22

17:22

Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
Danny Rensch Reveals All: Chess.com's War on Cheating, Monopoly Myths & Growing Up In A Cult 2:18:26

28d ago2:18:26

2:18:26

We sat down with the CCO of @chess Danny Rensch, in a tell all conversation about his upbringing in a cult, how chess.com became the biggest chess platform in the world, the current cheating plague and how the platform is working to combat it, his relationship with Hans, and much more. Pre-order Danny's upcoming book, Dark Squares, here: https://ww…

1
Will Bittensor be Bigger than Bitcoin? | The TAO Pod 1:26:48

1M ago1:26:48

1:26:48

Episode Description: Hosted by James Altucher (serial entrepreneur, bestselling author of "Choose Yourself," podcaster, hedge fund manager, chess master, and investor in over 20 companies, with expertise in crypto and AI) and Joseph Jacks (founder and general partner of OSS Capital, the world's first VC firm dedicated to commercial open-source soft…

1
$100K Scam Story: How to Spot Con Artists with Johnathan Walton's Red Flags 1:17:42

1M ago1:17:42

1:17:42

A Note from James: "Anatomy of a Con Artist. The 14 red flags to spot scammers, grifters, and thieves". This is a book—an amazing book—by Johnathan Walton. Check out his podcast Queen of the Con, and his new one Cocaine Air. We talk about both in this episode. But his book, Anatomy of a Con Artist, is just dead on. Johnathan shares how he got conne…

1
Episode 54: How to improve your thinking (not with AI) 22:56

1M ago22:56

22:56

Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
Bitcoin, Ethereum, and AI: James Altucher on Smart Humans with Slava Rubin 55:14

1M ago55:14

55:14

A Note from James: I was honored to be on the Smart Humans Podcast. I’m a big fan of the show, and I was happy they asked me on—especially since I got to talk about things I don’t usually cover here. We discussed my specific predictions for investments like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tau, and stablecoin-related tokens like Curve and Aave. We also explored …

1
Episode 53: Good vs Bad Mistakes 15:01

1M ago15:01

15:01

Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
Stoicism with Ryan Holiday - Part 2 42:41

2M ago42:41

42:41

A Note from James: We kept recording because the conversation wasn’t done. Part 1 was about writing and honesty. Part 2? It’s about consequences—what happens when people believe their own hype, when we confuse being loud with being right, and when storytelling gets weaponized. Ryan Holiday has written about ego, stillness, and obstacles. But this p…

1
Searching For The Lost Freestyle Chess Interview 1:01:33

1M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

The boys reunite to discuss the lost Freestyle chess interview, the aftermath of the changes in organization that were implemented in Vegas, Hans Niemann's ascent, and the incredible victory of Levon Aronian. ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Co…

1
Stoicism with Ryan Holiday - Part 1 42:01

2M ago42:01

42:01

A Note from James: Ryan Holiday is one of the few writers I consider a peer—not just because of the work he’s done, but because of the choices he's made along the way. We’ve both published a lot of books. We've both dealt with audiences, platforms, and the weight of having a “point of view” in a world that increasingly wants you to pick a side. Thi…

1
Launching and Scaling Subscriptions as a Solopreneur with Mike Morrison of Membership Geeks 40:12

2M ago40:12

40:12

Many of my guests on the podcast have built and skilled large membership and subscription businesses with big teams of specialists and sophisticated software to support their efforts. But what if the team is just you? Mike Morrison, launched the Membership Geeks Podcast 9 years ago to help solopreneurs build online membership businesses. You can dr…

1
Episode 52: This Might Work in Business - But Destroys Your Chess 15:23

2M ago15:23

15:23

Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
Crazy Finance: Episode 2 - Is College Still Worth It? 27:19

2M ago27:19

27:19

A Note from James: When I first said that college was a scam, people thought I was joking—or worse. But I wasn’t. If you’re 18 and listening to this, don’t go to college. And if you’re a parent, don’t send your kid without doing the math. College doesn’t guarantee a better life anymore. In fact, it could cost you years of freedom, tens of thousands…

1
Crazy Finance: Episode 1 – Why Buying a House Might Be the Worst Financial Decision 25:52

2M ago25:52

25:52

A Note from James: Owning a home has been sold to us as the American dream. But what if it's actually a financial nightmare? In this episode, I talk with my friend Doug Hill about why I think buying a house is a bad idea—not just a little bad, but one of the worst investments you can make. Doug and I disagree on some points, and that's the fun part…

1
Anna & Pia Cramling EXPOSE Chess Truths: Women's Titles Debate, Is Chess Talent Genetic? 57:18

2M ago57:18

57:18

Anna & Pia Cramling, the greatest mother-daughter duo in chess, join the boys in St. Louis for a rare In-Person episode. We talk everything, from growing up in a chess family dynamic, to social media fame, to women's titles in chess and more. ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Websit…

1
GM Title After 10 000 hours of Practice? 17:32

2M ago17:32

17:32

Subscribe to my free Newsletter: https://nextlevelchess.blog/newsletter Learn what and how to train and stop wasting time on things that don't matter: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system Reach 1200 Chess.com (1400 Lichess) thanks to my all-in-one course: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/beginne…

1
Danya Naroditsky | The Real Story Behind His Titled Tuesday Controversy 1:25:34

2M ago1:25:34

1:25:34

Danya Naroditsky joins the show to talk about his unexpected ban from the recent titled tuesday. What exactly happened, what were the reasons behind the ban, and what can be done in the future to avoid these situations in the future - we discuss it all! Support the Channel👇 ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: …

1
Michelin Stars, Tragedy, and the Discipline to Be Great | Chef Curtis Duffy 1:00:15

2M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

A Note from James: So Chef Curtis Duffy—he’s won Michelin Stars, a James Beard Award. He’s been on Netflix’s Iron Chef, was a judge on Top Chef season 21, and he’s even shown up in The Bear. He runs the Chicago restaurants Ever and Grace, and he wrote this incredible memoir called Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef. I could list all the accolades, but wha…