41-year-old IM Renier Castellanos had all but given up on earning the Grandmaster title. His life was getting busier, and after 2 potential GM norms were not ratified by FIDE, he felt like it just wasn’t meant to be. But his friends and Killer Chess Training co-workers, GM Jacob Aagaard and Kallia Kleisarchaki, convinced him to keep trying. It turn…

For the final FIDE Candidates bonus pod, award-winning Chess.com journalist, FM Mike Klein joins me from Toronto. We cover topics including the atmosphere in the playing hall, the presence of seconds and family members of the players, what to expect in rounds 13 and 14, and Mike provides his perspective on the controversy surrounding GM Alireza Fir…

As we enter the final rest day, The FIDE Candidates tournament is set up for maximum drama with a three-way tie for first place and two rounds remaining. Joining me from Toronto to discuss it is FM Dalton Perrine. We highlight the continued trend of surprising opening choices and results, as well as the increased tension in the room as the tourname…

It is always an honor to hear 9-time Dutch Champion and former “best of the west” standout, GM Jan Timman discuss elite chess. In this interview he shares his thoughts on the 2024 FIDE Candidates. Topics include: Who he favored going in Who he favors now Why the opening surprises? His thoughts on Firouzja’s disappointing performance His next book 0…

For this week’s (non-Candidates) podcast I am honored to be joined by Lou Hays. Lou Hays is a businessman, accomplished chess author, and the founder of Hays Publishing, which published many popular books beginning in the 1990s. Lou also is an accomplished amateur player, who began tournament chess in his 20s and made it up to near master level. Lo…

Heading into the penultimate rest day, I provide a quick rundown of the standings and key stories of a closely contested and entertaining FIDE Candidates. Plus I briefly share my thoughts on the drama surrounding GM Alireza Firouzja's noisy shoes. Watch this feed for part 2, which will feature an interview about the Candidates with legendary former…

We are back for with an in-depth breakdown of the first half of the FIDE Candidates. I am honored to be joined by commentator, author, Chessable author and Excellent YouTuber, GM Daniel King to discuss all that has transpired so far. What makes Nepo so good in these tournaments? Does Fabi have another gear? What has surprised Daniel the most? Tune …

We are at the halfway point of a wildly entertaining 2024 FIDE Candidates! Ian Nepomniathchi continues to lead the Open Section, while Tan Zhongyi is in front in the Women’s Candidates This is the first part of what will be 2 podcasts discussing the tournament through 7 rounds. In this solo pod, I briefly run through the standings, upcoming pairing…

For this week’s regular edition, (no FIDE Candidates talk) of Perpetual Chess, we are honored to be joined by two highly respected trainers and Chessable Authors. NM Dan Heisman is an engineer, turned author, YouTuber and trainer, who is particularly insightful regarding topics of adult chess improvement. I am a particular fan of his book, A Guide …

The 2024 FIDE Candidates tournament is off and running with some entertaining chess and plenty of surprises. (Although perhaps the identities of the leaders in the Open and Women’s sections aren’t as surprising.) I have been riveted by this tournament and am hoping to provide audio analysis and perspective from different guests on each rest day. In…

The Adult Improver Series returns this week, with a guest who has improved his chess rapidly. Jordan Groff is a 24 year old Connecticut-based chess instructor who was recommended as a guest to me by GM Eugene Perelshteyn. Jordan resumed chess in 2018 after some years away, and has gone from 1864 to more than 2260 in about the last few years. During…

The FIDE Candidates Tournament begins on April 4 in Toronto, Canada, and I could not be more excited to see who gets to challenge for the FIDE World Championship. As is tradition on Perpetual Chess, we have a few great guests joining to help discuss the action. First up is 7-time Brazilian champion & Correspondence GM, Rafael Leitão. In addition to…

This week we return with another “Chess Improvement Q & A” episode, with another top trainer. Our returning guest is 2-time Swiss National Champion, turned trainer and blogger, GM Noel Studer. Noel is always insightful on everything related to chess improvement. He answers a wide range of questions from the online chess community. Topics discussed …

This week on the podcast we delve into the topic of how to teach chess to kids who are new to the game. My guest, Carol Ann Caronia has been teaching curriculum and afterschool chess classes in Brooklyn, New York for decades. Her new book, Strategic Moves: Mind-Building Chess Exercises for Kids, shares all that she has learned from these experience…

This week we get to catch up with one of the original and most popular Perpetual Chess guests, GM Jan Gustafsson. Jan, of course, is a renowned opening theoretician, commentator and trainer, who has worked on GM Magnus Carlson’s World Championship team, and is currently the coach of the German National Team. Jan has recently released a highly antic…

GM Josh Friedel is the 2013 US Open Champion and is a state champion of 3 different states! Josh has also been teaching chess for decades, and he always presents chess in a clear and instructive fashion. Here in 2024, Josh has released his first Chessable course, Beginner Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. In addition to sharing some key advice from t…

This week’s guest is two- time Dutch Champion, eleven-time Olympian, author and former candidate for the World Championship Title, GM Paul Van der Sterren. Paul had an unusual career trajectory, in that after 15+years as a chess professional, his “breakout” year occurred at the age of 37. What happened that year (1993)? That is one of the many ques…

This week I am excited to be joined by chess YouTube star and popular Chessable author, NM Robert Ramirez. Robert has a unique story amongst master-level players, as he spent his early years in Cuba and began tournament chess at the relatively late age of 12. As one of the older kids in his chess class in Cuba, Robert felt like he had to “play catc…

Recorded on January 31, 2024 Featuring guest co-host FM Nate Solon With talk of online cheating recently dominating chess conversations, Chess.com CEO and co-founder Erik Allebest joined me (and guest co-host FM Nate Solon) to discuss the issue at length. While Erik acknowledges that chess cheating is an existential threat to the game, the research…

Our book review series, Chess Books Recaptured, is back to discuss a “non-chess” book for the first time. However, the information in this book is vital for any student of the game. Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning is an extremely insightful encapsulation of best practices for learning and retaining information. The book is written…

The Adult Improver Series is back, and we have a very entertaining guest for you. Julio Calcina is a 32-year-old, Nottingham, England-based chess and Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast. Julio has found chess to be a transformative force for him and views chess as a microcosm of life. As Julio tells it, he used to be impetuous and aggressive in both ches…

This week’s guest is Grandmaster and Chessable Author, Raven Sturt. Raven was a National High-School champion, but considers himself a late bloomer in chess because he had to work very hard to earn the Grandmaster title in his 20s. During this period, GM Sturt intensively trained his board visualization and pattern recognition skills, and he shares…

This week we are honored to be joined by the 14-year-old record-breaking prodigy, GM Abhimanyu Mishra. Abhimanyu made worldwide headlines when he became the youngest Grandmaster in history in 2021. Since breaking that record, GM Mishra has continued his rapid ascension and is now rated 2635. As the number #10 junior in the world, Abhimanyu is the o…

GM Patrick Wolff is quite accomplished on and off the chess board. In the 1990’s he was a 2 time US Chess Champion and a member of GM Viswanathan Anand's prep team. Patrick is also the author of Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss, a book that is always one of my first recommendations for newer players. In more recent years, he has worked as a hedge fu…

This week’s return guest is 2 time US Women’s Champion and award-winning author, podcaster and commentator Jennifer Shahade. Jennifer has recently released the excellent and inspiring new tactics book, Play Like a Champion. Play Like a Champion is a collection of biographical sketches of top woman players, featuring memorable tactics for a wide ran…