Best Jan Gustafsson Podcasts (2025)

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EP 452: GM Daniel King — The Grand Swiss, Candidates Spots, and What It Takes to Win High-Stakes Swiss Tournaments 59:39

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6d ago59:39

59:39

The FIDE Grand Swiss always seems to deliver drama, and this year’s edition was no exception. To help break it all down, I am joined by popular commentator, Chessable author, and host of the Power Play Chess YouTube channel, GM Daniel King. In our conversation, Daniel shares his takeaways on: • The common thread that fueled the successes of GMs Ani…

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EP 451: GM Elshan Moradiabadi on Intuition, Coaching, and Why Fun Is Vital for Chess Improvement 59:45

13d ago59:45

59:45

North Carolina–based trainer and author Elshan Moradiabadi has won over 25 tournaments and was the 2001 National Champion of his native Iran. Despite his many accomplishments, Elshan is deeply reflective about the proper role chess should play in one’s life. While he has no regrets about the sacrifices he made, his experiences have given him valuab…

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EP 450 – Hikaru in Louisiana: Stories from His Surprise Appearance in the Louisiana State Championship 1:52:11

20d ago1:52:11

1:52:11

As you may have heard, ⁠GM Hikaru Nakamura made a surprise appearance ⁠at the Louisiana State Championship, as part of fulfilling FIDE’s World Championship qualification criteria. In return, the players he encountered gained memories and stories they’ll never forget. In this multi-guest special episode, I speak with several of Hikaru’s opponents, a…

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EP 449- GM Jesse Kraai on Confronting Tournament Fears, Mental and Physical Fitness, and What’s Next for Him and ChessDojo 1:01:49

27d ago1:01:49

1:01:49

ChessDojo’s GM Jesse Kraai is always one of my favorite people to talk chess with, yet somehow it had been five years since his last visit to the pod. Jesse returned at a great time, having been both studying and competing actively, and recently achieving his goal of qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Senior Closed Championship. His recent over-the-board…

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EP 448- NM Max Farberov on Beating Plateaus, Springing Opening Surprises, and Why Speed Chess Matters 1:01:43

1M ago1:01:43

1:01:43

NM Max Farberov is a 27-year-old chess instructor, Chessable author, and online speed-chess specialist with a Chess.com blitz rating north of 2600. He joined me after a busy chess summer that included his first European open and one of his best OTB results to date: winning clear first in the Under-2300 section of the Washington International. As Ma…

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EP 447: Going Pro at 57- GM Alex Fishbein on How New and Challenging Training Methods Fueled an Upset win at the US Senior Invitational 1:04:45

1M ago1:04:45

1:04:45

Going Pro at 57: `GM Alex Fishbein on How New and Challenging Training Methods Fueled an Upset win at the US Senior Invitational At 57 years old, Tennessee-based Grandmaster and Author, Alex Fishbein, has built an impressive chess résumé, with 12 state-championship titles across four states and multiple appearances in U.S. Championship events. But …

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EP 446- IM Greg Shahade on The State of Professional Chess, Why He Loves the Daily and Classical Formats & Adult Improving at Trivia 1:09:11

2M ago1:09:11

1:09:11

IM Greg Shahade was the very first guest of Perpetual Chess and has remained a frequent and insightful contributor ever since. A former youth national champion, Greg has subsequently been involved in the chess world in an array of capacities —founder of the US Chess School (which provides free training to top American juniors), creator of the now-d…

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EP 445- “It Worked So Well That I Stopped Doing It”: Adult Improver Nicholas Sloan on Dealing with Burnout After a Rapid Rating Rise 58:48

2M ago58:48

58:48

Nicholas Sloan is a Wisconsin-based Network Engineer, a dad of 4, and an extremely motivated chess improver. Usually. But after an incredible run of gaining 500+ rating points in two years, fueled by consistent hard work and a unique study approach, Nick hit a wall. He gave back 150 rating points, and lost his motivation to work hard on chess. That…

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EP 444 – Dr. Benjamin Balas on Chess Streaks, Blunders, and Brain Science 53:11

2M ago53:11

53:11

Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Balas is an MIT-educated professor of psychology at North Dakota State University, where his research focuses on visual recognition. He’s also a passionate chess player who blogs frequently about the intersection of science and chess. On his popular LiChess blog, Ben (aka NDPatzer) has explored topics like whether streakiness exi…

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EP 443- GM Jan Gustafsson on Building Opening Repertoires, Freestyle Chess, Father Time, and the Usual Array of Nonsense 1:14:36

2M ago1:14:36

1:14:36

Opening expert, Twitch streamer, former Team Magnus member, and longtime friend of the pod, GM Jan Gustafsson is back for another fun and far-reaching interview! We talk about the origins of his new Chessable course on the Austrian Defense, how his approach to repertoire building has evolved, and get his take on the recent Freestyle Chess drama in …

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EP 442- GM Johan Hellsten: Why Defending Is So Difficult — And How to Improve At It 1:07:18

3M ago1:07:18

1:07:18

EP 442- GM Johan Hellsten: Why Defending Is So Difficult — And How to Improve At It GM Johan Hellsten returns to Perpetual Chess for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked yet essential chess skills: defense. Johan is the 2006 Swedish National Champion, and a renowned author and coach, best known for his Mastering Chess series. In this intervi…

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EP 441- WCM Hannah Sayce: The 24-year old Twitch Streamer on the Key Factors Behind Her Rapid Rise to the WCM Title 43:12

3M ago43:12

43:12

In just a few years, 24-year-old Australian Twitch streamer Hannah Sayce went from playing casual online games during lockdown to earning the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title and competing in international tournaments. Her post-lockdown rise has taken her from below 1000 to a 2300 Chess.com blitz rating. In this conversation, Hannah shares the hi…

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EP 440- GM Alexandr Fier: “I Blunder a Lot” – One of the World’s Most Active Grandmasters on Intuition, Endgame Studies, and Maintaining His Love For the Game 1:07:24

3M ago1:07:24

1:07:24

GM Alexandr Fier is a 5 time champion of Brazil and 9 time chess Olympian. He also recently qualified for the FIDE World Cup for the 8th time by finishing tied for first at the American Continental tournament. But aside from all of his impressive accomplishments, what interests me most about GM Fier is how frequently he competes. Last year alone, h…

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EP 439 — Samuel Sonning (Founder of NoctieAI): The Instructive Value of Memorizing Games, the Benefit of Losing Rating Points, and a Deep Dive on Chess and AI 50:32

3M ago50:32

50:32

This week’s guest is Samuel Sonning, a Swedish computer scientist, former Google engineer, and founder of NoctieAI—a user-friendly chess platform featuring rating tests and bots designed to play like humans. In our conversation, Samuel discusses his unique improvement philosophy as an adult learner, including how memorizing famous games helped him …

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EP 438- Tony Ballard: Chess, Freedom, and Lessons Learned From 26 Years in Prison 1:06:02

4M ago1:06:02

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In this memorable episode of Perpetual Chess, we welcome back Tony Ballard, who spent 26 years incarcerated and credits chess with helping him change the course of his life. When we last spoke in Episode 289 (2022), Tony was still in a minimum-security facility. Now fully free, he’s making the most of his second chance. He’s working full-time at th…

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EP 437- Coach Jay Stallings and NM Adam Weissbarth talk Chess Teaching, Chess in the Movies and The Challenges and Rewards of Running a Chess Business 1:25:42

4M ago1:25:42

1:25:42

This two-part episode of Perpetual Chess features two of the most impactful figures in American chess education: Coach Jay Stallings and Adam Weissbarth. First up, Coach Jay shares insights from his decades of experience teaching over 30,000 students,and also discusses his recent work consulting on the chess scenes in the new Hollywood blockbuster …

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EP 436- Adult Improver Torkil Jara Bårdsgjerde on How Workplace Trash Talk Sparked a Lifelong Passion for Chess 1:16:31

4M ago1:16:31

1:16:31

EP 436- Adult Improver Torkil Jara Bårdsgjerde on How Workplace Trash Talk Sparked a Lifelong Passion for Chess In this inspiring and relatable installment of the Adult Improver Series, we meet Torkil Jara Bårdsgjerde, a 39-year-old father of two, from Norway who discovered competitive chess after a bit of playful banter with a workplace rival. Tha…

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EP 435- IM Alex Ostrovskiy on Opening Prep, Norm Tournaments, and His Core Chess Improvement Advice & 1:03:23

4M ago1:03:23

1:03:23

IM Alex Ostrovskiy is a former Scholastic National Champion, New York State Champion, and accomplished coach who has earned one GM norm, and reached a peak USCF rating of 2560. In addition to his coaching work, Alex is a regular commentator on GM Hikaru Nakamura's Twitch channel, and a tournament organizer who runs frequent invitational tournaments…

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EP 434- GM Mauricio Flores Rios: The Acclaimed Chess Structures Author on How to Approach Different Chess Imbalances, Chess & A.I., and The Missing Ingredient in Freestyle Chess 56:44

5M ago56:44

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GM Mauricio Flores Rios' first book, Chess Structures, is a modern classic which is seemingly recommended on a weekly basis on Perpetual Chess. After nine years of work, Mauricio has recently released its follow-up, Chess Imbalances: A GM Guide. Like Chess Structures, it is a highly instructive book with a beautiful selection of games and useful gu…

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EP 433- GM Kenneth Rogoff: From the World Juniors to the World Bank. Dr. Rogoff on His Remarkable Transition from Top Young Chess Talent to Renowned Economist. 1:09:02

5M ago1:09:02

1:09:02

Dr. Kenneth Rogoff has undoubtedly had one of the highest-profile and most interesting careers of any Grandmaster working outside of chess. He is an author and Harvard professor who was once singled-out by none other than Bobby Fischer, as a player who had shown remarkable chess improvement. As a young chess star, Dr. Rogoff actually dropped out of…

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EP 432- NM Dana Mackenzie: The 5 Steps to Becoming a Chess Master & Other Chess Stories and Advice 1:07:50

5M ago1:07:50

1:07:50

NM Dana Mackenzie is a former math professor turned science writer who has maintained a passion for chess throughout his life and career changes.He is a USCF Life Master and was the 2 time state champion of North Carolina. Dana had a long running and popular chess blog which has now been turned into a book Did You Come Here to Play Chess or Have Fu…

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EP 431- GM Mihail Marin:The Award-Winning Author shares Chess Wisdom from Across the Generations 1:12:47

5M ago1:12:47

1:12:47

GM Mihail Marin is a prolific and popular author, trainer, and 3-time Romanian national champion. He has made numerous contributions to the chess canon but is probably best known for the book Learn from the Legends, published in 2005, which received high praise from GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Jeremy Silman, and many others. In 2025, its much-anticipa…

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EP 430: GM Susan Polgar on Perseverance and Empowering the Next Generation 1:05:41

6M ago1:05:41

1:05:41

GM Susan Polgar is a World Chess Hall of Famer and former Women’s World Champion. She is also the holder of numerous records, including being the first female “triple crown winner” and the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title by norms and rating. She is also an author, and Chessable author. Her latest book, Rebel Queen: The Cold War, Misogyny …

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EP 429- Omar Mills: Chess and Life Lessons Learned from Not Improving as Much as He Expected 1:03:11

6M ago1:03:11

1:03:11

The Adult Improver series returns to Perpetual Chess to welcome Omar Mills (aka ChessvonDoom) to the podcast. Omar fell in love with chess during the pandemic and has learned some unexpected lessons through the thousands of games he has played in subsequent years. He learned that chess improvement and maintaining a disciplined study routine is much…

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EP 428- IM Danny Rensch of Chess.com: Combating Cheats and Charting Chess's Future 1:10:49

6M ago1:10:49

1:10:49

IM Danny Rensch is a former child prodigy turned Chief Chess Officer of Chess.com, the largest chess website in the world. Danny rejoined me 8 years after his first visit to the podcast (Episode 18) to discuss all that is new with Chess.com. Inevitably, this means a detailed discussion of online cheat detection, and whether Chess.com thinks that th…

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EP 427- Key Chess Improvement Principles with GM Noël Studer: The Fallacy of Accuracy Scores, Leaky Roofs & Information Overload 58:21

6M ago58:21

58:21

GM Noël Studer is a two time Swiss National Champion turned blogger, course creator and chess trainer. Noël is also a regular guest on the podcast, and as an avid reader of his blog, I always have plenty of questions for him. This particular interview tackles questions like the following: What has training for a marathon taught Noël about chess? Do…

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Book Recap #38- Discussing 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know with Kevin Scull 24:47

6M ago24:47

24:47

The Perpetual Chess Book Review series, Chess Books Recaptured is back, to discuss a new tactics primer that has been getting a lot of buzz, 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know by FM Frank Erwich. My guest co-host is Kevin Scull, the host of the Chess Journeys podcast, and a dedicated student of the game. Kevin wanted to discuss this book because h…

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EP 426- NM Oleksandr Prokhorov on Sustaining and Growing Ukrainian Chess During the War 51:22

6M ago51:22

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Oleksandr Prokhorov is a Lviv, Ukraine-based chess organizer, trainer, FIDE arbiter and Twitch streamer. Ukraine has a rich chess history and has a vibrant grass roots scene in addition to famous natives such as Vasyl Ivanchuk, the Muzychuk sisters, and GM Ruslan Ponomariov. In recent years, I have marvelled at the persistent passion for chess in U…

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EP 425- IM Willy Hendriks: The Award-Winning Author on Nimzowitsch’s Ego, Tarrasch’s Tenets and What Their Rivalry Means for Modern Chess. 58:14

7M ago58:14

58:14

IM Willy Hendriks is an award-winning chess author, historian and chess trainer. He has just released his fourth book, The Philosopher and the Housewife:Tarrasch, Nimzowitsch and the Evolution of Chess. This book is the completion of a trilogy which casts a new light on chess history and looks at the evolution of chess ideas. Willy’s newest book fo…

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EP 424- GM Wojciech Moranda: Visualization, Pattern Recognition and the 5 Elements of Calculation 1:03:06

7M ago1:03:06

1:03:06

GM Wojciech Moranda is a high-level trainer, author and 2600+ rated player who has worked with the Polish youth national team and IM Levy Rozman among many other students. I often recommend his books for ambitious advanced players, so I was excited to welcome him back to discuss his new Chessable Course, The Moranda Method: How to Calculate Like a …

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EP 423- FM Nate Solon on The Right Way to Learn Openings, the Fundamental Flaw of Chess Puzzles and What He Is Working on and Planning for 2025. 1:01:01

7M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

FM Nate Solon is a data scientist, Chessable author, New in Chess Magazine columnist and the creator of the popular and insightful newsletter, Zwischenzug. Nate joined me shortly after we played in a tournament together to share his latest chess-improvement related thoughts and to reflect on recent lessons he has absorbed. We focused on a few theme…

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EP 422- WGM Dina Belenkaya on Her Recent Tournies, Her Continued Social Media Growth, and the Vision Behind her New Chess School 57:09

7M ago57:09

57:09

WGM Dina Belenkaya is a Russian-born and schooled chess champion who is now based in Charlotte, North Carolina. In recent years, Dina has built a massive Twitch, YouTube and Instagram following, while maintaining a busy competitive schedule. In this interview, we caught up with Dina's recent OTB results, including her impressions of the FIDE World …

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EP 421- GM Jan Gustafsson and FM Donny Ariel discussion: Can a mid-40s working dad make Grandmaster without doing any work? 1:04:11

8M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

This week’s podcast is a discussion among friends. FM Donny Ariel is an NYC based former scholastic champion who has attained 3 IM Norms. These days he is a working dad, who has recently decided to pursue not only the IM title, but the Grandmaster title as well. (Donny is chronicling this journey on his YouTube channel, The Road to Chess Grandmaste…

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EP 420- Nikolaos Ntirlis- Opening & Engine Advice from a Top Theoretician, Author, and Correspondence Player 1:03:34

8M ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Nikolaos Ntirlis is a Correspondence chess champion, and computer engineer who has become well known in the chess world for his vast opening expertise. Nikolaos is quite skilled at finding original opening ideas, and has grown popular through his books, and by highlighting new opening ideas on his Twitter/X account. The ideas Nikos suggests have of…

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EP 419- Dr. Joel Sneed on Quitting, Unquitting & Tilting- Why Even an Accomplished Psychologist & Author Struggles to Manage his Relationship with Chess 1:11:20

8M ago1:11:20

1:11:20

Dr. Joel Sneed is a professor, a practicing clinical psychologist and a highly-regarded chess author. And despite a busy professional and family life, Joel has achieved the rare feat of reaching a 2000+ USCF after starting tournament chess in his 30s. But, like many of us, Joel struggles to moderate his relationship with chess. He has long held a g…

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EP 418- Michael Franco (Adult Improver Series) on How He Got Acclimated to OTB Play, and Climbed to Nearly 2000 USCF. 1:02:11

8M ago1:02:11

1:02:11

The Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series returns to welcome back a guest who has continued to make steady rating progress. When I last chatted with Michael Franco, in 2021 (Episode 247), he was 7 years into his chess journey. Michael had reached a LiChess rating of 2000, but he was struggling as he tried to translate his online skill into OTB skil…

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EP 417- GM Alex Lenderman: A Player’s Perspective on the Twists, Turns and Controversies of the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz. 1:22:38

9M ago1:22:38

1:22:38

35-year old GM Alex Lenderman was a World Youth Champion and has won the World Open among many other chess accomplishments, but he had never previously had the chance to play in the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz. Since it took place in his hometown this year, Alex looked at the opportunity to compete in it as “a once in a lifetime opportunity.” But sinc…

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EP 416- IM Malcolm Pein: The Award-winning Journalist and Organizer on the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz, and Why He Is Optimistic about Chess Despite Recent Stumbles 1:15:47

9M ago1:15:47

1:15:47

IM Malcolm Pein is an institution in British chess who has played nearly every role imaginable in helping to grow the game. He is a former professional player who was the British Junior Champion in 1977 , but these days is extremely busy as an organizer, journalist, author, store-owner, and Captain of the England Olympiad team. After an eventful FI…

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EP 415- GM-Elect Mark Heimann on his Unexpected Road From OTB-retired FM to 31 year-old GM in 3 years! 1:16:37

9M ago1:16:37

1:16:37

31-year-old GM-elect Mark Heimann is an accomplished research scientist by day, and avid powerlifter, who has recently been making headlines in the U.S. chess scene during his work vacation time. In late 2024, Mark went on a stunning run where he earned GM norms in back-to-back tournaments in order to clinch the GM-title, less than 3 years removed …

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EP 414- Sunrise in the Bronx: David MacEnulty on Lessons Taught & Learned at an Inner-City Scholastic Chess Powerhouse 57:18

9M ago57:18

57:18

David MacEnulty is an award-winning author and chess teacher who coached for many years at CES 70 school in the Bronx. In this public school in a disadvantaged school district, the chess program began with modest expectations, but went on to win many national championships. David’s new book, Sunrise in the Bronx: Chess and Life Lessons from the Sou…

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Bonus Pod- FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Preview featuring IM Eric Rosen and FM Alisa Melekhina 54:09

9M ago54:09

54:09

In the chess world, the holiday season means its almost time for one of the most entertaining tournaments of the year- The FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championship. This year’s championship events are star-studded affairs featuring GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Hikaru Nakamura, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk and a litany of big-name challengers. For the first time, t…

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EP 413- GM Daniel Naroditsky Looks Back at Gukesh's Rise, Ding's Disappointment & the Heightened Emotions of the 2024 World Championship 1:29:23

10M ago1:29:23

1:29:23

Just one day after the match's unforgettable conclusion, I am honored to be joined by lead Chess.com Commentator and popular YouTuber, GM Daniel Naroditsky. Danya takes us straight to the deciding moment of the match and then looks back to contextualize broader lessons from a battle that was closer than many expected. We tackle questions such as: I…

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EP 412- GM Jon Ludvig Hammer on Broadcasting the World Championship, How Chess is Covered in Norway & His Pet Opening System 1:10:01

10M ago1:10:01

1:10:01

GM Jon Ludvig Hammer is 3-time Norwegian Champion, popular commentator and highly-reviewed Chessable author. Most recently, GM Hammer has been broadcasting the World Championship for the YouTube channel of Magnus Carlsen’s TakeTakeTake app. In our conversation, Jon Ludvig discussed the origins of the Taketaketake company, and of his relationship wi…

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Bonus Pod- Ding-Gukesh in the Homestretch. Post-round 12 Analysis, Stories and Chess Improvement Takeaways with IM Andras Toth 36:08

10M ago36:08

36:08

An utterly unpredictable and entertaining World Championship match continues, and I am joined by popular YouTuber, Streamer, and Chessable Author, IM Andras Toth to discuss it. Andras has been regularly updating a free course on the program, and also had recently returned from visiting the match in Singapore. Andras provides a fun trip report, we d…

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Bonus pod- Tension escalates, as Ding-Gukesh remains tied after 9 rounds. Chess.com’s FM Mike Klein shares behind-the-scenes stories from Singapore. 40:03

10M ago40:03

40:03

Tension continues to escalate at the 2024 FIDE World Championship, as the match is now tied after 9 rounds. In recent rounds, both players have missed opportunities at times and also defended well in an entertaining match. In a Perpetual Chess World Championship tradition, I am joined by Chess.com’s FM Mike Klein. With so much insightful match anal…

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EP 411- Adult Improver Supraja Vadlamani on How She Went from Chess Noob to Olympiad Participant in Just a Few Years. 56:08

10M ago56:08

56:08

The Adult Improver Series returns to spotlight the inspiring story of another amateur chess player. This week’s guest is Supraja Vadlamani. Supraja is an India-born, Uganda-based economist who learned to play chess just a few years ago. Her interest intensified during the pandemic, and through some unusual circumstances, Supraja got the opportunity…

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Bonus Pod- The World Championship is Deadlocked through 6 Games. IM Michael Rahal joins from Singapore & GM Jon Ludvig Hammer on the Match’s Surprising Trajectory 1:00:10

10M ago1:00:10

1:00:10

The 2024 FIDE World Championship has been somewhat surprisingly tense and entertaining, and is tied after 6 games. I was privileged to be joined by two return guests to discuss the following: Trainer, author and FIDE Press Officer, IM Michael Rahal (0:00) describes the venue in Singapore and provides behind the scenes details and perspective on the…

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EP 410- Chess improvement, Chess Business, and AI coaching with GM Avetik Grigoryan of Chessmood.com 1:05:29

10M ago1:05:29

1:05:29

GM Avetik Grigoryan is the founder and lead trainer of the education chess website Chessmood.com. I last interviewed Avetik in 2020, and his company has seen explosive growth since then. We discussed what Avetik has learned about growing a chess start-up, but also what he has learned about the challenges adults face in trying to improve at chess. W…

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EP 409- GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez: A Tireless Tournament Circuit Grinder on Overcoming Setbacks, Managing Energy, the Risks of OTB Cheating & His Love for the Scotch Opening 1:30:37

10M ago1:30:37

1:30:37

This week’s guest, GM Fidel Corrales Jimenez is an accomplished trainer, player, Chessable author and one of the busiest players on the US tournament circuit. As such a frequent competitor, Fidel has had more than his share of successes (including winning the 2023 World Open!), but I have nonetheless often wondered how he finds the time and energy …

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EP 408- FIDE World Championship Mega Preview- Talking Ding Liren with GM Davorin Kuljasevic, Gukesh with IM Cyrus Lakdawala and Match Statistics with NM Matt Jensen 1:18:46

11M ago1:18:46

1:18:46

It is World Championship season again! The FIDE World championship takes place from November 25 to December 13, in Singapore. As you probably know, GM Ding Liren will be defending his title against 18 year old wunderkind, GM Gukesh D. This is a unique matchup which features a fast-rising top 5 challenger, and a slumping World Champion who has falle…