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Perpetual Chess Podcast

Perpetual Chess Podcast

By: Ben Johnson
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Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world's best players, trainers and accomplished amateurs about their careers, current projects, best practices and the latest in chess news. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com2023 Perpetual Chess LLC
Episodes
  • EP 484: Jordan Himelfarb on Interregnum and the Drama of the 2024 Candidates Cycle

    EP 484: Jordan Himelfarb on Interregnum and the Drama of the 2024 Candidates Cycle
    May 26 2026
    Jordan Himelfarb is an award-winning editor for the Toronto Star and an avid games player who became fascinated by elite chess during the pandemic. That fascination eventually led to his excellent new book, Interregnum : Inside the Grueling and Glamourous Battle to Become the Next King of Chess, a detailed and highly readable chronicle of the 2024 FIDE Candidates cycle. Jordan traveled to events including the World Cup, Grand Swiss, Candidates Tournament and World Championship match, gathering revealing first-hand reflections from many of the game’s top players along the way. We discuss: Why the Candidates cycle makes for such compelling sports drama The emotional and physical toll of professional chess Which players and personal stories resonated with him most Ding Liren, Fabiano Caruana, Gukesh and the shifting generational landscape in chess The controversies, chaos and unforgettable moments of the 2024 cycle I recommend Jordan’s book to anyone looking for “bedtime chess reading”, and this was a really fun conversation. 00:00 Project Origins, Jordan’s Chess and Games Background 03:48 The Structure and Narrative of the Book 07:01 Experiences at Major Chess Events 09:54 Challenges and Insights in Reporting 12:46 The Physical and Mental Toll of Chess 15:58 Gender Dynamics in Chess 19:00- Patreon mailbag question: Which Candidates’ story resonated with Jordan the most? 22:16 The Weight of the Crown: Mental Health in Chess 23:40 Compelling Stories of Chess Players 25:30 The Agony and Ecstasy of Chess 30:07 The Relentless Grind of Chess Tournaments 31:09 Drama and Controversy in the Chess World 36:20 Expectations and Surprises in the Candidates Cycle 38:13 The Future of Young Chess Players 39:54 Personal Reflections on Chess 40:00- Thanks to Jordan for joining me, here is where to get the book: https://www.amazon.com/Interregnum-Inside-Grueling-Glamorous-Battle/dp/1639369910 Audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Interregnum-Inside-Grueling-Glamorous-Battle/dp/B0GCPR89VZ/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • EP 483- Paulo SantAnna: What Happens When a Retired Adult Treats Chess Like a Full-Time Job?

    EP 483- Paulo SantAnna: What Happens When a Retired Adult Treats Chess Like a Full-Time Job?
    May 19 2026
    Paulo SantAnna is living the dream of many adult chess improvers. The retired software engineer has spent the past several years devoting serious time and energy to improving his game, and the results have been impressive. When Paulo rekindled his interest in tournament chess, his FIDE rating had fallen to a recent low of 1850. Through years of hard study, travel, disciplined training, and resilience, he recently reached a new high over 2100 FIDE in his mid-50s! We discuss: The moment Paulo decided to get serious about improvement The mistakes he made early in his comeback How he structures his training Study recommendations and practical advice for adult improvers Physical fitness, tournament selection, and maintaining motivation I found Paulo’s story inspiring, and it offers hope for the rest of us, if we only could get rid of these pesky jobs. 0:00 Intro More on the Adult Improver series here: https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover Thanks to those who keep the show running! Patreon Check out Chessiverse.com (discount code- ‘Perpetual30’) 4:00 Paulo’s chess comeback story begins Check out Paulo’s FIDE history here: https://ratings.fide.com/profile/2027402 6:00 Why his rating rebounded after moving to Europe 8:00 Retirement, Spain trips, and dedicating serious time to chess 11:00 Studying 35 hours a week 13:00 The dangers of doing too much More about the Chessdojo here (use code “Ben” at checkout to save 10%) : https://www.chessdojo.club/signup 17:00 Calculation training and daily routines 20:00 Openings, Chessable streaks, and training structure 23:00 Online blitz, model games, and coaching 25:00 How much he studies versus other adult improvers 27:00 Avoiding burnout and keeping motivation 29:00 Brazilian chess streamers and coaches Paulo has worked with: GM Rafael Leitao, GM Andres Rodriguez,GM Diego Flores, GM Lenderman, GM Izoria, GM Eugene Perelshteyn,GM Raven Sturt, IM Jorge Bobadilla 31:00 Working with top trainers like Eugene Perelshteyn and Axel Bachmann 33:00 Blindfold training with GM Roven Vogel 36:00 What mattered most for improvement 38:00 Hiding online repertoires and preparation 40:00 Sparring games and training partners 41:00 His breakthrough tournaments 42:00 Tournament prep philosophy 46:00 Fitness, stamina, and nutrition for chess 49:00 Chess scenes in New York and California 52:00 Senior tournaments and future plans 54:00 Favorite chess books and resources Mentioned: Postional Play by GM Jacob Aagaard, Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky 57:00 Advice for busy adult improvers 58:00 Rating goals and pursuit of FM 1:00:00 Why adults struggle to improve 1:03:00 Final thoughts 1:04:00- Thanks to Paulo for sharing his story! You can reach him at: psantann at gmail.dot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • EP 482- GM Ivan Sokolov on Talent, Training and Modern Chess

    EP 482- GM Ivan Sokolov on Talent, Training and Modern Chess
    May 12 2026
    GM Ivan Sokolov is a former top-15 player who won major tournaments across multiple decades and became national champion of both Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. In classical chess, he scored memorable wins against Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand. In recent years, Ivan has become equally respected as a trainer and author. Most notably, he worked with the gold medal-winning Uzbek team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad, including GMs Javokhir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Given Sindarov’s recent success, Ivan reflects on how his game has evolved and why it was clear to him that Sindarov was both supremely talented and, at the time, somewhat unprofessional in his approach. Ivan recently released a new Chessable course, Self-Improvement for Advanced Players. We discuss chess improvement for professionals and amateurs alike, the proper role of a trainer in a player’s development, preparation in the Kasparov era versus today, and memories from his legendary career. This includes reflections on his close friendship with the late GM Jan Timman. It is always an honor to hear GM Sokolov’s stories and perspectives. 00:00 Introduction to Ivan Sokolov Prior interview with GM Ivan Sokolov: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm2slrqqW7s&t=209s 02:21 Insights on the Uzbek National Team Interview with Chessbase India https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnN00uNrBEQ&t=588s 09:10 Assessing Grandmaster Sinderov's Potential 12:57 The Importance of Chess History 15:56 The Role of a Trainer 19:28 Experiences Against Chess Legends 22:09 Preparing for Kasparov vs. Modern Players 28:18 The Future of Chess: Classical vs. Chess 960 32:10 Insights from Ivan’s course. 36:22 Memories of the 2012 World Open and other tournaments in the US Mentioned: Sokolov vs. Shirov 1999 https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1010044 40:05 Talent vs. Hard Work in Chess 42:06 Remembering Grandmaster Yantum 46:40 Current Projects and Future Plans 50:00- Thanks to GM Sokolov for joining me! Here is how to keep up with him: X: https://x.com/GMSokolovIvan Chessable Courses: https://www.chessable.com/author/IvanSokolov/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    54 mins
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All stars
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If you like chess, then this is the best podcast.
The adult improver series is perfect for people like me, who started playing in their 40s, while all the other discussions with GMs, etc. are interesting.

Great host and great guests

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