Best Michael Yip Podcasts (2026)

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EP 465: Chess Improvement Q&A with IM Junta Ikeda - Tactics, Time Trouble & Training Resources 1:28:01

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9d ago1:28:01

1:28:01

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, Infi…

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2025 Episode 33 - 2025 Season In Review 1:13:31

7d ago1:13:31

1:13:31

Czabe and the Gang discuss the storylines and moments of the year in golf on the PGA Tour and the majors. Also, is there a "backdoor" open for a Brook Koepka return to the Tour sooner than expected? Yip Strickler has fallen. LIV Tour still alive, but is it thriving? Michael Brennan draws lovely Charley Hull in the Grant Thornton. Rory's triumphant …

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EP 464- IM John Donaldson- Bobby Fischer’s Chess Improvement Advice, the Story Behind His Colossal Rating Leap 1:29:15

16d ago1:29:15

1:29:15

What can Bobby Fischer still teach us about chess improvement? In this episode, renowned trainer, author, and historian IM John Donaldson returns to discuss Fischer’s writing, advice, and training methods, as featured in his new book Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer. We explore Fischer’s views on openings, what he said about his own IQ, and what mo…

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EP 463- FM Nick Matta on Immersion, Mindset, and a Remarkable Decade of Chess Improvement (Adult Improver Series) 1:23:58

23d ago1:23:58

1:23:58

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 m…

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2025 Episode 32 - The Christmas Show! 1:06:25

19d ago1:06:25

1:06:25

The Gang exchange "white elephant" gifts from their golf basements. Suggestions for what to buy your golfing loved one at GolfDom. What was the greatest "gift" you got from the game this year? Who deserves a "lump of coal" this year in golf? RIP Fuzzy Zoeller. "Don't talk to my golf ball!" MORE.... Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brand…

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2025 Episode 31 - Buddy's Pebble Beach Junket, Tour Changes? 1:02:19

27d ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Czabe is very *thankful* for all the CGG listeners so he's delivering a Thanksgiving podcast. He gets the Buddy Christensen details on a great junket at Pebble Beach with his lovely bride. He also met a longtime Czabe fan and CGG listener! Then John Ronis and Jon Guhl join Czabe to talk about a radically different PGA Tour schedule that is looming …

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EP 462- FIDE World Cup Reflections with GM Felix Blohberger: Blunders, Bouncebacks, Tiebreaks and The New Candidates Field 57:27

1M ago57:27

57:27

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 thou…

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EP 461- IM John Bartholomew on Chess Improvement Lessons, The Scandinavian Defense & His New Business Venture 57:56

1M ago57:56

57:56

IM John Barthomew is a former scholastic national champion turned popular and longtime chess Youtuber and serial entrepreneur. His clear and friendly teaching style has garnered him over 200,000 subs and many devotees of the Scandinavian defense, the opening for which he is best known. In our conversation we discuss: Five chess improvement conclusi…

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EP 460- FM Peter Giannatos on GM Daniel Naroditsky’s Life, His Last Days & How We Can Honor Danya’s Legacy 1:07:04

1M ago1:07:04

1:07:04

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 conversa…

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EP 459- GM Maurice Ashley on Pursuing Excellence, Seeking Novelties, and His Extraordinary Chess Journey 56:49

1M ago56:49

56:49

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…

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2025 Episode 30 - Czabe's Lightning Fast Greens Fall Adventures 1:36:29

1M ago1:36:29

1:36:29

Czabe went full "Invite Whore" at 3 elite DMV area clubs this past 2 weeks. Washington G&CC, Caves Valley GC, and Cattail Creek CC and of course he's going to bore you with the details. Why is putting on lightning fast greens such a challenge. And do you like it? Also, Czabe sits down with Caves Valley Director of Golf Matt Fuller to talk about the…

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EP 458: Pawel Kacprzak: The Founder of Chessvision.ai on Scanning Chess Diagrams, Digital Flashcards, and Building a Chess Business 42:52

2M ago42:52

42:52

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 …

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Bonus Pod- After Plenty of Upsets- 32 Players Remain in the FIDE World Cup (with IM Michael Rahal from Goa) 45:46

2M ago45:46

45:46

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 …

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EP 457- IM Carissa Yip: Her Memories of Danya, Pursuing Chess Professionally and Reflecting on her 4th US Women’s Championship 1:08:03

2M ago1:08:03

1:08:03

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 th…

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2025 Episode 29 - Michael Brennan Wins Bank of Utah Championship 36:04

2M ago36:04

36:04

Czabe and JOHN RONIS catch up with Leesburg, VA native and River Creek member Michael Brennan to talk about his cinderella run from being a sponsors invite, to winning on the PGA Tour for the first time. His week in Southern Utah was a missile launching, birdie barrage that has the whole golf world talking. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.…

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EP 456- GM Andy Soltis on Plateaus, Dual Careers, and his Many Brushes with Chess Legends 1:09:50

2M ago1:09:50

1:09:50

GM Andy Soltis is a U.S. Chess Hall of Famer, prolific author, and longtime Chess Life columnist who has left a lasting mark on American chess while balancing a decades-long career as an editor at the New York Post. His recent memoir, Deadline Grandmaster, retraces those parallel paths and shares remarkable stories such as playing a 16-year-old Vis…

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2025 Episode 28 - Alex Dickson "Beltway Golfer" Magazine 1:13:55

2M ago1:13:55

1:13:55

Czabe, John Ronis, and Buddy Christensen welcome Alex Dickson from the Beltway Golfer podcast to talk about the state of DMV area public golf. Spoiler: it's not great. Also the Gang is joined by Golf Channel Host Gary Williams of "5 Clubs" to discuss whether pro's should get back their amatuer status to play in USGA events, and also the continued r…

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[Replay] GM Daniel Naroditsky's 2020 Perpetual Chess Interview 1:22:37

2M ago1:22:37

1:22:37

As the chess world digests the devastating news of the passing of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, I found myself thinking back to our first interview in August of 2020 (Episode 191). At the time, as chess boomed during the pandemic, Danya was ascending from promising young American player to chess commentating superstar. In the interview Danya’s elo…

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2025 Episode 27 - A Case of the Yip Stricklers 1:25:22

2M ago1:25:22

1:25:22

Czabe welcomes JOHN RONIS, JON GUHL, and BUDDY CHRISTENSEN to the show as Guhl is finally back to recap his boots on the ground accounts of what happened at Bethpage. The fellas also all get in one last take or two on the Ryder Cup. Who is Yip Strickler, and why is he the "hero we need" right now? Maybe the biggest sandbagging case of the year, and…

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EP 455- Marcos Patricio Macedo: A Forensic Detective’s Reflections on Chess, Balance, and Burnout 1:02:17

3M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

The Adult Improver Series returns with a fascinating story that highlights the broad appeal of chess. Marcos Patricio Macedo is a Brasília-based forensic detective, dad, and chess enthusiast who rediscovered the game in 2018 and hasn’t stopped since. Chess has become a welcome escape from the pressures of his homicide-investigation work, and he’s h…

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EP 454 — Hanging Pawns (Stjepan Tomić) Shares Chess Book Recs for Every Level & Discusses His Big New Project 1:17:41

3M ago1:17:41

1:17:41

By Ben Johnson

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2025 Episode 26 - Dissecting The Bethpage Blunder 1:27:28

3M ago1:27:28

1:27:28

Czabe is joined by JOHN RONIS, BUDDY CHRISTENSEN, and CHRIS "CJ" JOHNSON to discuss the Euro's Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black. A full scope accounting of what went wrong, who rose to the moment, the future of the event and more. Settle in, and enjoy the best hour+ golf discussion of the Ryder Cup anywhere! Advertising Inquiries: https://redcir…

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EP 453- IM-elect Tatev Abrahamyan on the Long Road to her New Title. 1:01:39

3M ago1:01:39

1:01:39

Despite an impressive chess résumé as one of the U.S.’s top women players, Tatev Abrahamyan has had moments when she questioned whether it was all worth it. After a prolonged slump, she not only considered giving up on ever earning the International Master title, but she nearly quit competitive chess altogether. Fortunately, Tatev persevered. Earli…

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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

3M 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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2025 Episode 25 - "Pine Valley & Erin Hills In One Week!" 1:10:48

3M ago1:10:48

1:10:48

Czabe welcomes JOHN RONIS, BUDDY CHRISTENSEN, and CHRIS JOHNSON to talk about some outrageously good visits to world class courses. CJ gets his first ever look at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. While Czabe recaps his second(!) time seeing the amazing Pine Valley in person. The gang also celebrates Michael Brennan getting his battlefield promotion to full…

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

4M 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

4M 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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2025 Episode 24 - "The Ryder Cup Rosters Are Set!" 1:07:23

4M ago1:07:23

1:07:23

Steve Czaban, John Ronis, Jon Guhl, Buddy Christensen. "The Gang" reviews the Euros captains picks, and wonders if it's not them who has the "old lads" network. Who should be favored? How much is the home course advantage worth? PGA of America catering to the rich NYC market. How about $1000 for some plastic cups? The Walker Cup has come a long way…

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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

4M 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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2025 Episode 23 - "Fleetwood's Feelgood Finale" 1:04:38

4M ago1:04:38

1:04:38

Steve Czaban, John Ronis, Jon Guhl, Chris Johnson. The boys discuss Tommy Fleetwood's breakthrough triumph at the Tour Championship. Why he is so universally liked? The many unusual wrinkles of the Tour's best head of hair. Such as his 23 year old senior wife! What would be your preferred "format" for the Tour Championship? When will the Tour crack…

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

4M 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

5M 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

5M 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

5M 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

5M 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

5M 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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2025 Episode 22 - Scotty Scheffler Chokes Out Portrush 49:21

5M ago49:21

49:21

Steve Czaban, John Ronis, and Buddy Christensen offer a recap of the Open Championship which saw Scheffler claim his 4th major without breaking much of a sweat. What makes Scotty tick, though? Are we looking at the Ivan Lendl of golf? Or Nicola Jokic? A guy who is bored by how easy the game comes to him? Also, does he not get enough credit because …

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

6M 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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2025 Episode 21 - Is Links Golf The Only "True" Golf? 57:26

6M ago57:26

57:26

1 - Guess the Slope/Rating at Beacon Hill 2 - Gricklegrass and Gunch 3 - The Legend of Ko' Olau GC 4 - Crabgrass Is Boomin' 5 - I Cost Buddy a Sale! 6 - Links vs. American Golf 7 - So Many Great Golfers 8 - The KFT Funnel to PGA Tour 9 - That Guy Still Golfs? 10 - Golfer Fights NHL Enforcer 11 - Estonian Cinderella Story 12 - Maryland and Virginia …

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2025 Episode 20 - Special Guest: Ron Bubes US Adaptive Open 1:06:57

6M ago1:06:57

1:06:57

Czabe and the Gang are joined by Woodmont CC member and chairman of the US Adaptive Open which highlights various categories of impaired golfers of all ages. The gang also talks about the Padraig Harrington vs. Roger Maltbie dustup at the Senior US Open, plus Brooks Koepka being the latest Tour pro to lose his cool and destroy a tee marker. And mor…

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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

6M 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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2025 Episode 19 - Special Guest: Author Timothy Gay: "Roryland" 1:01:30

6M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Czabe is joined by author Timothy Gay who has written the book "Roryland - The Up and Down Life of Golf's Global Icon". The gang including John Ronis and Buddy Christensen go through all of the weaving turns of Rory's pro career, with fascinating details about his parents sacrifices for his golf career, the ill-fated contract he signed with his man…

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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

6M 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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2025 Episode 18 - "J.J. Spaun's US Open Highlight For The Ages" 1:14:05

6M ago1:14:05

1:14:05

Czabe is joined by John Ronis of Beacon Hill GC, Jon Guhl of the Middle Atlantic PGA, and Buddy Christensen of GolfDom and WorldWideGolf to discuss the US Open at Oakmont and the incredible putt on the 72 hole by unlikely winner J.J. Spaun. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsBy The Capital Golf Gang

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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

7M 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

7M ago1:06:02

1:06:02

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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2025 Episode 17 - "Oakmont CC: Big, Bald And.... Beautiful?" 59:06

7M ago59:06

59:06

1 - Welcome Back Jon Guhl 2 - Observations from Senior PGA at Congo 3 - When Was the Senior Tour At It's Peak? 4 - Rory Gets Snippy 5 - PGA Tour Needs Transparency 6 - Virginia Is For LIV-ers 7 - Mickelson's Crazy Flop Shot 8 - How Oakmont Lost It's Mind & It's Trees 9 - Is A 300 Par-3 A "Good" Hole? 10 - Shoutouts Advertising Inquiries: https://re…

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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

7M 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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2025 Episode 16 - "Golf Is A Redemption & Perseverance Game" 1:05:48

7M ago1:05:48

1:05:48

1 - Ben Griffin Gets Emotional At Colonial 2 - Angel Cabrera Keeps His Major Mojo Goin' 3 - How Much Can We "Celebrate" His Return? 4 - Where Were the Crowds at the PGA Championship? 5 - The Lack of Tiger & Phil 6 - The 10 Second Rule 7 - Stats Don't Matter 8 - Your Personal Scoring Revelations 9 - Upcoming Events Advertising Inquiries: https://red…

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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

7M 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…