Perpetual Chess Podcast

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/

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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/

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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! 

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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/

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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 

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