Perpetual Chess Podcast

Bruce Pandolfini is an American chess legend who has written many popular books, consulted on The Queen's Gambit and numerous other films and television projects featuring chess, and worked with countless future masters, including GM Fabiano Caruana and IM Josh Waitzkin.

Bruce rejoined me to reflect on what he has learned from an incredibly varied career in chess, from helping cover the 1972 Fischer-Spassky World Championship for PBS to nearly fifty years as one of America's most influential chess teachers.

In our conversation, Bruce discusses the nature of chess talent, what separates students who improve from those who don't, how technology has changed the way chess is taught, and shares memorable stories from his decades as a teacher, author, and film consultant.

00:00 Introduction and Bruce's background

00:23 Bruce's career highlights and teaching philosophy

06:06 Traits of successful chess players

09:10 Adults vs. kids in chess learning

Mentioned:

Dream Moves by GM Miron Sher

19:28 Talent and hard work in chess

Mentioned: Reveal Your Chess Style by GM Andy Soltis ,

Deadline Grandmaster

24:00- Working on the movies Searching For Bobby Fischer, and Fresh

31:58 The health and future of chess

40:15 Chess legends and historical stories

45:00- Patreon mailbag question: Would Bruce consider revising and updating any of his books?

48:28 Bruce's involvement in media and films

56:16 Reflections on chess evolution and technology

Mentioned: Thinking Sideways, Dark Squares, Bobby Fischer’s Chess Queen, Rebel Queen,

The Seventh Seal, From Russia with Love, Casablanca

01:03:14 Advice for chess enthusiasts and closing thoughts

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17-year-old IM-elect Rose Atwell is one of the brightest young stars in American chess. She recently earned her International Master title, tied for first at the National High School Championship, and qualified for the U.S. Women's Olympiad team for the first time. Rose has also built a loyal following on social media by candidly chronicling her tournament experiences. She shares instructive positions and the lessons she learns from both her successes and setbacks.

In our conversation we discuss:


Her approach to reviewing games and systematically addressing weaknesses


How she uses digital flashcards and "mixed tactics" to accelerate improvement


Why she believes homeschooling has benefited both her chess and her education


The chess advice she would give to her younger self 

Rose is an impressive player and a great ambassador for the game. I appreciate her taking the time to join me during a very busy tournament schedule.

00:00 Introduction to Rose Atwell

03:23 Lessons Learned From a Disappointing Recent Tournament

06:24 Reviewing Games and Learning from Mistakes

09:29 Training Routines and Adjustments

12:33 Coaching Dynamics and Study Habits

Mentioned: 

Rose Atwell interview with GM Mauricio Flores Rios

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w-JQbZUIRs

“Class in Session” with WGM Sabina Foisor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6YiEvust3k

15:24 Digital Tools and Flashcards for Improvement

18:23 Balancing Study and Physical Health

21:23 Family Background and Support

24:31 Competitive Mindset and Gender Dynamics in Chess

Mentioned: Judit Polgar book trilogy 

https://forwardchess.com/product/judit-polgar-how-i-beat-fischers-record

31:32 Upcoming Tournaments and Travel Plans

33:58 Meeting Chess Heroes and Inspirations

36:00 Balancing Chess and Education

39:01 The Future of College and Chess

39:52 Attributing Success and Overcoming Challenges

42:04 Social Media and Sharing Chess Experiences

43:57 Advice to Younger Self and Emotional Resilience

46:05 The Importance of Identity Beyond Chess

49:02 Reading and Maintaining Focus

51:22 Chess Training and Future Goals

57:00 Thanks to Rose for joining me! Here is how to keep up with her:

X:

https://x.com/atwell_rose?lang=en

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/roseatwellchess/?hl=en

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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

As a scholastic player, James Black Jr. was an All-American who won numerous national titles and trophies, both as an individual competitor and as part of the famed IS 318 chess program in Brooklyn, New York, as featured in the documentary Brooklyn Castle. Alongside FM Joshua Colas and IM Justus Williams, James became one of the youngest African-American National Masters in U.S. history.

After stepping away from competitive chess for several years, James has recently returned to the game, both as a player and as a coach and mentor. In a full-circle moment, he is now teaching at the same school where he first made his name while also building his own organization, KnightShift.

James joins me to discuss:

• Why he came back to competitive chess, and his goals for the future • The "four pillars" he emphasizes when teaching young players • How chess training has changed since his rise in the early 2010s, and what he needs to do to catch up

Plus, we discuss a unique chess book recommendation, his memories of Webster University, and his reaction to the news that its chess program is coming to an end.

This was a fun conversation, and I am excited to see James's comeback unfold.

00:00 Intro+ What brought James back to chess after an OTB hiatus

Mentioned: Brooklyn Castle

https://www.rescuedmedia.com/brooklyn-castle

GM Alex Lenderman, GM-elect Liam Putnam

Background info we mentioned:

https://grokipedia.com/page/james_black_jr

10:59 Teaching and Learning: Evolving Chess Education

Watch James vs. Magnus in 2012 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfbpC3dQWw

17:16 Opening Strategies: Adapting to Modern Chess

23:25 Inspiration from Legends: Shaping a Chess Career

29:28 Beyond the Board: Life Lessons Through Chess

34:36 Reflections on Growth: Embracing the Journey

36:12 Impact of Mentorship in Chess

38:48 Teaching Chess to Young Minds

43:00- Favorite chess book! 

Mentioned: WNYC video featuring James as a kid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOVyiR5jUU

Knight Moves by Charles Alexander-

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126711532470?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item&srsltid=AfmBOopTKnSuidd7Eg5M3-xYtoYzP97-jcvhVtZSPv1S1T25hE9dzgcXGsU

48:58 Experiences at Webster University

Webster terminates chess program:

https://www.chess.com/news/view/spice-chess-program-terminated

53:49 Advice for Aspiring Chess Players

Thanks to James for sharing his story!

You can email him at 

JamesBlackChess at gmail dot com

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/knightshiftofficial_/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices