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From 17 epsHost
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Recent episodes
EP 488- GM R.B. Ramesh on Calculation, Confidence, and Coaching Champions
Jun 23, 2026
1h 12m 48s
EP 487- Matt Rathkey on Chess Improvement, Jazz Improvisation, and Learning How to Learn
Jun 16, 2026
1h 14m 45s
EP 486: James Black Jr. on Going from Scholastic Star to Chess Mentor
Jun 9, 2026
1h 01m 02s
EP 485: GM Simon Williams on Mistakes, Revival, and the Future of Chesspublishing
Jun 2, 2026
57m 33s
EP 484: Jordan Himelfarb on Interregnum and the Drama of the 2024 Candidates Cycle
May 26, 2026
43m 43s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/23/26 | ![]() EP 488- GM R.B. Ramesh on Calculation, Confidence, and Coaching Champions | Renowned author and trainer GM R.B. Ramesh is one of the rare coaches who has worked extensively with the world's elite players while still providing practical advice for ambitious amateurs. Long respected as one of chess's leading trainers and authors, Ramesh has helped guide the development of stars such as GMs Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, and Aravindh Chithambaram. As his students continue to reach new heights, Ramesh remains committed to sharing lessons that can benefit players at every level. For that reason, it was exciting news when he recently announced the relaunch of his YouTube channel, where he plans to regularly share free instructional content. In our conversation, we discussed: • What he has learned from coaching elite players• When to focus on calculation versus pattern recognition• The risks of burnout for top young players We also discussed Ramesh's plans for future content, whether he has any new chess book recommendations, and how aspiring players can make the most of their limited study time. There is always so much to learn from GM R.B. Ramesh. Thanks to this week’s sponsors, Chessiverse.com. Use code “Perpetual30” to save 30% on premium offerings, and IM John Bartholomew’s Complete Scandinavian Course. 0:00 Introduction 2:10 GM Ramesh joins. Why is he relaunching his YouTube channel? 4:50 What Ramesh has learned from coaching elite players like Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram 7:45 Why young players focus too much on openings 10:00 How strong players think: candidate moves, objectivity, and avoiding analytical bias 13:30 Visualization, calculation, and why club players struggle to analyze deeply 16:15 Common problems even elite players face: time trouble, concentration, and handling losses Check out Ramesh’s interview with Praggnandhaa here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU0J3ftM8BQ 21:00 How coaches can help players overcome psychological obstacles 27:00 Patreon mailbag question: Might players like Praggnandhaa and Gukesh be dealing with issues like burnout, and a lack of balance in their lives? Mentioned: https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/right-now-it-s-a-challenge-to-enjoy-chess-gukesh-101781022470045.html 31:30 The dangers of playing too many tournaments 35:15 Long-term burnout concerns for today's generation of prodigies 37:20 Patreon mailbag question: What does Gukesh need to do to regain his best form? 44:45 Does being World Champion create unique psychological pressure? 48:45 Listener question: Pattern recognition vs. calculation 51:00 Analysis vs. calculation: an important distinction 54:10 How adults with only a few hours per week should spend their chess study time 55:30 Future books, Chessable courses, and long-term projects 57:30 What viewers can expect from Ramesh's YouTube channel 1:00:30 Training camps, teaching philosophy, and adapting to students 1:02:30 Why Ramesh stopped reading most chess books 1:04:00 The psychological side of coaching and improvement 1:06:30 Final advice for amateurs and aspiring professionals 1:07:40 Outro Thanks to GM Ramesh for joining me again! Be sure to SUB to his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@RameshRB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 12m 48s | ||||||
| 6/16/26 | ![]() EP 487- Matt Rathkey on Chess Improvement, Jazz Improvisation, and Learning How to Learn | Can a background as a professional jazz musician help you improve at chess? Matt Rathkey says “yes.”. Matt is this week's guest on The Adult Improver Series. Like many players, he fell back in love with chess during the COVID pandemic and soon found himself playing regularly, watching top-level broadcasts, and solving puzzles. Along the way, he drew upon lessons from years of studying music, particularly the role of pattern recognition, deliberate practice, and improvisation. After years of dedication, Matt has raised his Chess.com blitz rating from roughly 1200 to over 1900. Matt also has a fascinating day job. He is a learning designer on Duolingo's chess team, helping build what has quickly become one of the largest entry points into chess in the world. Launched last year, Duolingo Chess now has more than 7 million daily active users, most of whom are new to the game. Matt shares his improvement advice, discusses the parallels between jazz and chess, and reflects on what he has learned about the science of skill acquisition. This was a fun conversation, and it is encouraging to see so many new players discovering chess through Duolingo. 00:00 Introduction Join the free Perpetual Chess Discord here: https://discord.gg/7KxjmaTW Sub to my free newsletter here: https://benjohnson.substack.com/ Join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess 02:00 Matt Rathkey joins 04:10 The Return to Chess: A Pandemic Story 07:04 Rediscovering Chess: The Queen's Gambit Effect 10:08 Setting Goals: The Journey to 1500 Matt’s USCF rating page: https://ratings.uschess.org/player/13412385 13:09 Learning Through Observation: Active Engagement 16:04 The Importance of Tactics in Chess 18:48 Understanding Openings: Beyond Memorization 21:41 Chess Culture and Personal Growth 24:42 The Future of Chess: Duolingo's Chess Course 34:56 Overcoming Chess Intimidation 36:48 Duolingo Chess: Making Chess Accessible 39:44 Engaging with Oscar: The Duolingo Chess Bot 42:53 Learning Pathways in Duolingo Chess 46:41 Designing Effective Chess Lessons 51:08 Personalized Learning in Chess 53:14 The Intersection of Music and Chess 01:02:06 Advice for Chess Improvement 01:08:24 The Journey of Continuous Improvement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 14m 45s | ||||||
| 6/9/26 | ![]() EP 486: James Black Jr. on Going from Scholastic Star to Chess Mentor✨ | chess educationcompetitive chess+3 | James Black Jr. | IS 318Webster University+2 | — | chessmentorship+5 | — | 1h 01m 02s | |
| 6/2/26 | ![]() EP 485: GM Simon Williams on Mistakes, Revival, and the Future of Chesspublishing✨ | chessmistakes+4 | GM Simon Williams | Chesspublishing.comChessable | LondonReykjavik | chessSimon Williams+6 | — | 57m 33s | |
| 5/26/26 | ![]() EP 484: Jordan Himelfarb on Interregnum and the Drama of the 2024 Candidates Cycle✨ | 2024 FIDE Candidates cyclechess drama+3 | Jordan Himelfarb | Toronto StarInterregnum | — | chessFIDE Candidates+5 | — | 43m 43s | |
| 5/19/26 | ![]() EP 483- Paulo SantAnna: What Happens When a Retired Adult Treats Chess Like a Full-Time Job?✨ | chess improvementadult learners+4 | Paulo SantAnna | ChessdojoFIDE | — | chessFIDE rating+4 | ChessiversePerpetual30 | 1h 09m 13s | |
| 5/12/26 | ![]() EP 482- GM Ivan Sokolov on Talent, Training and Modern Chess✨ | chess improvementtraining+4 | GM Ivan Sokolov | Uzbek National TeamChessable+1 | YugoslaviaNetherlands | chesstraining+8 | — | 54m 21s | |
| 5/5/26 | ![]() EP 481- IM Greg Shahade: Inside His Incredible Jeopardy Run✨ | adult learningtrivia+4 | Greg Shahade | Pro Chess LeagueUS Chess School+3 | — | Jeopardy!Greg Shahade+5 | — | 1h 20m 56s | |
| 4/28/26 | ![]() EP 480- GM Eugene Perelshteyn & NM Mike Mahoney: Chess Rocky-Taking on Nakamura & Niemann at the Naroditsky Memorial✨ | chessblitz tournaments+3 | Eugene PerelshteynMike Mahoney | Naroditsky MemorialPerpetual Chess | CharlotteBoston | chessblitz+6 | — | 52m 35s | |
| 4/20/26 | ![]() EP 479 – GM Rafael Leitão on Sindarov’s Historic Candidates Win, His Training Methods & What Comes Next✨ | FIDE Candidates TournamentTraining Methods+3 | GM Rafael Leitão | Chess.comNetflix+1 | — | FIDE CandidatesSindarov+3 | — | 1h 01m 45s | |
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| 4/14/26 | ![]() EP 478 – GM Ben Finegold on the Candidates, the Hans–Magnus Netflix Documentary, and TakeTakeTake’s Bold Business Move✨ | FIDE CandidatesNetflix documentary+4 | Ben Finegold | Chess.comTakeTakeTake+3 | — | FIDE CandidatesBen Finegold+6 | — | 54m 48s | |
| 4/7/26 | ![]() EP 477- Jennifer Shahade on Cheating, AI, and Thinking Like a Chess Player✨ | cheating in chessdecision-making+4 | Jennifer Shahade | US ChessNetflix+1 | — | chessAI+5 | — | 59m 52s | |
| 4/6/26 | ![]() Bonus Pod: Sindarov’s Historic Start + Inside the FIDE Candidates with Mike Klein✨ | FIDE Candidates TournamentJavokhir Sindarov+3 | Mike Klein | Chess.com | CyprusMadrid+1 | FIDE CandidatesJavokhir Sindarov+3 | — | 34m 21s | |
| 3/31/26 | ![]() EP 476-Vlad Ghita: Is the Rating System Still Broken? A Data-Driven Investigation✨ | rating systemchess improvement+4 | Vlad Ghita | FIDENoseKno+1 | — | rating systemFIDE+6 | Chessable | 1h 02m 27s | |
| 3/24/26 | ![]() Book Recap #38- Silman’s Chess Odyssey + Stories from a Former Student with Gaurav Datta✨ | chessmemoir+3 | Gaurav Datta | Silman’s Chess Odyssey | — | chessJeremy Silman+5 | Chessable.com | 1h 21m 46s | |
| 3/17/26 | ![]() EP 476- GM Jan Gustafsson previews the 2026 FIDE Candidates✨ | FIDE Candidates Tournamentchess analysis+4 | GM Jan Gustafsson | ChessableChessiverse | — | FIDE Candidateschess+6 | Chess in the Schools | 1h 16m 19s | |
| 3/10/26 | ![]() EP 475- Matt Biancuzzo (Byredofantome) on Keeping Chess Fun, Ignoring Rating, and Making Viral Chess Videos✨ | chess improvementsocial media+3 | Matt Biancuzzo | Perpetual Chess Podcast | New York City | chessimprovement+3 | ChessablePerpetual30 | 1h 25m 47s | |
| 3/3/26 | ![]() EP 474- NM Han Schut on GM Jan Timman’s Legacy, Chess Improvement, & Using LLM’s to Create Helpful Chess Tools✨ | chess improvementJan Timman's legacy+3 | Han Schut | ClaudeLichess+2 | — | chessJan Timman+7 | Chessable | 1h 14m 39s | |
| 2/24/26 | ![]() EP 473- GM Aman Hambleton on SCC London, The London System & The Future of Chess✨ | Speed Chess ChampionshipLondon System+4 | GM Aman Hambleton | Aman Hambleton’s London SystemChess.com+4 | — | Aman HambletonSpeed Chess Championship+6 | — | 1h 05m 22s | |
| 2/17/26 | ![]() EP 472- Author Katie Kormanik on How Chess Helped Shape Her Life, and Why She Left it Behind | What role does chess play in our lives? That’s a recurring question on Perpetual Chess, and one that author Katie Kormanik explores in her new, personal memoir, Adventures of a Chess Girl. A former top scholastic player, Katie looks back at the competitive years of her early 20s and reflects on how chess became a refuge during a stressful and uncertain time. The game allowed her to travel widely and immerse herself in an eclectic social circle of strong players from around the world. Although Katie ultimately stepped away from competition, she still loves chess, and now fondly revisits those formative memories. We also discuss her experience self-publishing the book, as well as our thoughts on the new Queen of Chess documentary on Netflix. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Check out GM Simon Williams' new course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-stonewall-dutch/course/378958/ 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:49 Exploring the Memoir: Adventures of a Chess Girl Mentioned: All the Wrong Moves by Sasha Chapin 03:28 Chess as a Refuge and a place to build identity 08:14 The Role of Peer Influence in Chess 12:00- Does Katie have a love-hate relationship with chess? 16:09 Romantic Relationships and Chess Improvement 19:00- Gender dynamics in the chess world 22:05 Advice for Young Women in Chess 23:15 Introducing Chess to Children 25:59 The Journey of Self-Publishing a Book You can find Katie’s self-publishing checklist within this article: https://booksbywomen.org/the-case-for-self-publishing-and-why-its-easier-now-than-ever-before/ 34:13 Reflections on Life Lessons and Risks 39:47 Our thoughts on the new Netflix Queen of Chess documentary 43:32 Parenting Styles and Nurturing Passions 45:00- Thanks so much to Katie for joining me! You can find out more about her and her book at: https://www.chessgirlbook.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 50m 23s | ||||||
| 2/10/26 | ![]() EP 471- Dr. Kevin Scull on Adult-Only Tournaments, Plateaus and Progress | Is it possible to continue to get better at chess once you hit your 50s? The Adult Improver Series returns, and that’s one of the central questions I explore with today’s guest, long-time friend of the pod and fellow chess podcaster Dr. Kevin Scull. Kevin is the host of the popular Chess Journeys podcast, where he interviews adult chess improvers on a weekly basis. In our conversation, he shares insights drawn from hundreds of interviews, as well as from his own dedicated pursuit of tournament chess. We discuss: How Kevin managed to reach a new all-time rating high of over 1800 USCF in his early 50s The social and competitive benefits of adult-only tournaments Whether struggling to remember your games afterward means you’re hopeless at chess As you’d expect, Kevin also shares a wealth of chess resource recommendations and practical improvement tips, and reflects on nearly five years of producing Chess Journeys. Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series Website: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=ab7ba68225fb43dc 0:00- Thanks to Chessable, check out Kevin’s course here: https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/ 0:01- Kevin joins the pod. How did he achieve a new rating high of 1800+ USCF in his early 50s? 0:08- Why Kevin particularly enjoys adult and senior-only tournaments 18:00- Kevin’s recent chess improvement realizations Mentioned: Karpov’s Strategic Wins by IM Tibor Karolyi 23:00- The benefits of having a coach Mentioned: NM Gopal Menon https://lichess.org/streamer/vitamixbrand 28:00- More chess improvement secrets! Mentioned: 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know The Carlsbad Pawn Structure Revisited Chess Structures 32:00- Is Kevin hopeless at chess because he can’t remember his games? Post- Am I bad at chess or our brains really that different? https://drscull.substack.com/p/am-i-bad-at-chess-or-are-brains-really Playing a Chess Tournament without Calculating https://substack.com/@drscull/p-185151203 43:00- What is new with the Chess Journeys Podcast and Kevin’s Streaming? Check at Chess Inception at Chesspuzzle.net https://chesspuzzle.net/Inception 47:00- Patterns that Kevin sees in successful improvers 50:00- What has Kevin learned from watching his daughter pursue chess? 53:00- Kevin’s review of IM Danny Rensch’s Dark Squares 54:00- How to recalibrate expectations as you get older 56:00- The value of studying random positions Thanks to Kevin for joining me! Blog/substack here: https://substack.com/@drscull/posts Chess Journeys Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kNbZLQE6JvbAyfOlv7ZNY?si=4b82e81608c24743&nd=1&dlsi=1afd66a98e904dc7 Chessable course: https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 04m 54s | ||||||
| 2/3/26 | ![]() EP 470- GM Yasser Seirawan on Fischer, Najdorf, Silman & How he Became a GM-Level Storyteller | In the 9 years of Perpetual Chess’ existence, GM Yasser Seirawan is the most requested guest by listeners. It took some time to make it happen, but today the renowned commentator, author, and 4-time US Champion delivers. We chat about: Yasser is renowned as a storyteller- what does he think the origins are of this skill? Stories about Bobby Fischer, Bent Larsen, GM Miguel Najdorf, and many others. The role that IM Jeremy Silman played in helping Yasser craft his popular Winning Chess Series. Current exhibits at the World Chess Hall of Fame (including “Seirawan Chess”) and exciting renovations at the St. Louis Chess Club This episode features plenty of laughter and a number of entertaining stories that I hadn’t heard Yasser tell before. 0:00- Here is the link to join the Perpetual Chess Discord: https://discord.gg/aVWPk6P3 0:00- Thanks to our sponsors, Chessiverse.com. Be sure to check out the Bots and courses, and use the code “Perpetual30” to receive a 30% discount on courses and premium offerings. 0:00- And you can check out Yasser’s Chessable courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/Yasser_Seirawan/ 0:02- Yasser joins me! He begins by discussing his storytelling roots, and some of the best raconteur GMs- Bent Larsen and Miguel Najdorf. 29:00- Yasser on his love for books and how he managed to write his Play Winning Chess series in such an accessible style. 47:00- Where do the point values for the pieces come from? Mentioned: NFL player John Urschel, GM Fabiano Caruana 48- ADD BOARD GRAPHICS LATER IF YOU UP FOR IT 56:00- Yasser’s friendship with IM Jeremy Silman, and his favorite authors Mentioned: Mikhail Tal, Larry Christiansen, John Nunn, Fred Reinfeld 1:12:00- Yasser describes the renovations at the St. Louis Chess Club and the displays at the World Chess Hall of Fame, including one on chess variants. https://worldchesshof.org/exhibits-programs/current-exhibitions/ Play “S Chess” or Seirawan Chess here: https://www.chess.com/variants/seirawan-chess 1:23:00- Playing blitz hustlers in NYC Mentioned: Vincent Livermore, FM Asa Hoffman 1:35:00- The St. Louis Chess Club’s community outreach and work with first responders Watch Anita Aronian singing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUEsLaf3R9w World Chess Hall of Fame Music Performances: https://www.youtube.com/worldchesshof 1:41:00- One last Botvinnik story! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 56m 41s | ||||||
| 1/27/26 | ![]() EP 469- Author Brad Stulberg on What ‘Excellence’ Means for Amateur Chess Players | Best-selling author Brad Stulberg has devoted a large part of his professional life to studying what it means to be excellent. He has interviewed peak performers in fields ranging from athletics and music to, of course, chess. His new book, The Way of Excellence distills all he learned. In our conversation, Brad shares tons of helpful advice for anyone looking to improve at something. We tackle topics such as: – What “pursuing excellence” means for an amateur chess player hoping to get a little bit better – Why Brad admires chess, and what he learned from interviewing GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave for his new book, – Brad’s advice for striking a balance between digital and analog life and learning As a long-time fan of Brad’s writing and podcast, I was honored to speak with him about improving at chess and other domains. 0:00- Be sure to check out the bots and courses at Chessiverse.com. Use the code “Perpetual30” to receive a 30% discount on courses and premium offerings. 2:00- Brad joins the show. What is “arrival fallacy” and is it the same thing as what hikers call "summit fever?” 08:00- Why did Brad want to include chess in a book about excellence? 12:00- How would Brad define excellence for someone engaged in a hobby, such as a chess player who just wants to go up in rating class? 15:00- Brad’s advice for people working hard on chess who are not seeing any rating gains Mentioned: The Myth of Sisyphus by Camus Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com, you can sign up for Chessable Pro here: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Check out their new courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 22:00- What did Brad learn from an exchange with Kasparov about the value of early-life specialization? Mentioned: Kasparov’s reply here: https://x.com/Kasparov63/status/2002428459688341793 25:00- Brad’s experiences as a chess player and parent 28:00- Digital vs. Analog life and the biophilia hypothesis 37:00- The value of consistency over intensity 40:00- What Brad learned from interviewing 70+ elite performers across domains 45:00- Brad’s parting advice Thanks to Brad for joining me, here is how to keep up with him: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradstulberg/ Substack: https://bradstulberg.substack.com/ Webpage: https://www.bradstulberg.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 53m 10s | ||||||
| 1/20/26 | ![]() EP 468- FM Carsten Hansen on Tactics Plateaus & The Best Recent Chess Books | Prolific author and book reviewer FM Carsten Hansen returns to Perpetual Chess to talk chess improvement, chess publishing, and to provide a rundown of standout recent chess books. We start with a listener question about plateauing in tactics training. How do we know if we’re just hitting a speed bump, or if we’ve reached our ceiling? From there, we dive deep into chess books, sharing recommendations with both a biographical and improvement focus. Lastly, we discuss Chess Openings for Dummies and Carsten’s many other book projects. I still don’t know how Carsten puts out so much chess material, but it’s always fun to hear about it. EP 468- FM Carsten Hansen on Tactics Plateaus & The Best Recent Chess Books Prolific author and book reviewer FM Carsten Hansen returns to Perpetual Chess to talk chess improvement, chess publishing, and to provide a rundown of standout recent chess books. We start with a listener question about plateauing in tactics training. How do we know if we’re just hitting a speed bump, or if we’ve reached our ceiling? From there, we dive deep into chess books, sharing recommendations with both a biographical and improvement focus. Lastly, we discuss Chess Openings for Dummies and Carsten’s many other book projects. I still don’t know how Carsten puts out so much chess material, but it’s always fun to hear about it. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com, you can sign up for Chessable Pro here: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Check out their new courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 2:00 – Welcome Prior FM Carsten Hansen interviews: Episodes 84, 206, Book Recap #30 4:00 –Carsten joins: Patreon mailbag question: tactics plateaus and adult improvement Mentioned: The Chess Wizardy of Wotowa Invisible Chess moves Forcing Chess Moves 12:00 – Carsten’s own chess goals and IM aspirations 19:00 – Carsten’s favorite chess books of the past few years Mentioned: Tiger’s Chaos Theory The Stories, Games and Intrigue of Capablanca and Alekhine Gideon Stahlberg: An Epoch in Swedish Chess Korchnoi Year by Year Hubner Year by Year Alexander Alekhine: The Russian Sphinx IM Cyrus Lakdawala: Becoming an IM Converting an Extra Pawn in Chess Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual: 6th Edition Endgame study books by GM Jan Timman and IM Yochanan Afek 29:00 – Carsten discusses his newest project with FM James Eade, Chess Openings for Dummies Download the Chess for Dummies bonus content here: https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Chess+Openings+For+Dummies%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781394345014#downloadstab-section 41:00- Carsten’s other projects: Mentioned: Mazukevich’s Madness Carsten’s Newly Edited Capablanca books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=carsten+hansen+capablanca&crid=E42JM4JTS3CX&sprefix=carsten+hansen+capablanc%2Caps%2C114&ref=nb_sb_noss Coming soon: The Canal and Prins Gambits Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer 53:00 – Closing thoughts and wrap-up Thanks to Carsten for rejoining me! Here is how to keep up with him: Website: https://www.winningquicklyatchess.com/ Email- carstenchess at gmail dot com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 55m 16s | ||||||
| 1/13/26 | ![]() EP 467- GM Surya Ganguly on Gratitude, Overcoming Bad Tournaments & Life Lessons from Vishy Anand | Grandmaster Surya Ganguly is a six-time champion of India, a popular Chessable author, and a former member of Viswanathan Anand’s World Championship preparation team. He is also a co-founder and coach at ProChessTraining.com, where he works with students ranging from adult amateurs to elite grandmasters. Surya joined me shortly after returning from the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships, where his own results fell short of expectations. This experience led to a thoughtful and honest discussion about perspective, gratitude, and what truly constitutes a challenge in life. We also talk about the impact of Indian government support for chess, Surya’s love of 1. E4 and (non-chess) board games, and how recent health scares in his family have helped keep chess in its proper place. I always find Surya to be wise and introspective, and it was an honor to speak with him again. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com, you can sign up for Chessable Pro here: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro Check out their new courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 0:01- Surya Ganguly joins me! He discusses the importance of understanding rather than memorizing, both in chess and in life. 03:30- Observations and lessons learned from competing the 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz You can see Surya’s bishop ending game, as well as Magnus’ in games 33 and 34 of this Lichess study: https://lichess.org/study/PbwMAIXZ/y7DRWHu1 14:00- What is it like to teach Pragganandhaa, Aravindh and other top GMs in ProChessTraining.com classes? 16:45- Surya’s favorite (non-chess) board games 18:00- Why Surya never shows openings in his classes 23:00- Surya’s approach to teaching lower rated players 26:00- The importance of Surya’s government-supported job at Indian Oil. 32:00- How should students utilize Surya’s course if they don’t have time to consume the 36 hours of video content it offers? Mentioned: The idea in the Keres attack is #35 in this study (And can be found in full detail in Surya’s Chessable course!) https://lichess.org/study/PbwMAIXZ/rRDeHWmk 41:00- Surya’s FIDE Candidates thoughts and plans 42:30- What was it like having an Indian movie made about Surya’s life? Learn more about Daburu here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6eprCvDPDc 49:00- Can chess be a means of upward mobilization for underprivileged kids in India? 51:00- What Surya learned from spending days with a fishbone stuck in his throat. Mentioned: Surya’s interview with Chessbase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0PQmDTtMsI&t=1041s Must watch interview with Surya about his daughter here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PKWPZJVMyQ 1:01:00- How working with Anand taught Surya to develop an "eternal student” mindset. GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly's childhood friends share with us the secrets of what makes Surya great Photo in thumbnail- By Diptansusengupta - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89961412 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices | 1h 12m 54s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
50 placements across 42 markets.
Chart Positions
50 placements across 42 markets.























