Perpetual Chess Podcast

As a three-time Chess Olympian representing Chile, GM Mauricio Flores Rios, renowned author of Chess Structures, has fond memories of this timeless, biennial tournament. But these days, he is more interested in the instructive quality of the games than in the races for medals.

In our conversation, Mauricio discusses some of the most instructive Olympiad games that he reviewed on his YouTube channel before we pivot to a broader conversation about the Olympiad, chess improvement, the challenges of interviewing chess prodigies, and the evolution of his chess startup, ChessMind AI.

Before we say goodbye, Mauricio shares some improvement advice based on his interactions with countless amateur chess players. It’s always fun chatting with Mauricio!

0:00 IntroThanks to our sponsors, Claude.ai/chessCheck out Claude-coded Chris Wainscott’s chess site: guessthemove.net3:30 Mauricio joins and reflects on playing in three Chess OlympiadsCheck out Mauricio’s confusing Olimpbase page here:https://www.olimpbase.org/players/l9dxlxdl.html9:00 How Mauricio finds the most instructive Olympiad games12:30 Favorite games and lessons from the eventCheck out Mauricio’s bullet win over GM Vincent Keymer here:https://lichess.org/sVl59MdM?pov=ChessMindAIThe most interesting game:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3SxghzYRB0&list=PLfOXGLq2wea8&index=13Mauricio’s annotations of Abdusattorov-Caruana:https://chessmind.ai/events/chess-olympiad-2026/game-of-the-day/round-9/Mauricio’s Erdogmus-Oro annotations:https://chessmind.ai/events/chess-olympiad-2026/game-of-the-day/round-10/16:00 What stands out about today’s chess prodigies?18:00 What Mauricio has learned from interviewing top young players22:30 Patreon mailbag question: How does Mauricio differentiate his YouTube channelin a crowded field? 

25:30 The evolution of ChessMind AI and what users want most32:30 The challenges of building a chess startup in the AI era47:30 Mauricio’s chess improvement advice and YouTube plans

Thanks to Mauricio for joining me! Here is how to keep up with him:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCafpDJknMf7fr1Wlw6jAEMQChessMind AI: https://chessmind.ai Email: mauricio.a.flores.math at gmail.com

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The Adult Improver series returns to spotlight another guest who has benefited from chess and improved significantly at the game. Chess was recommended to Leah Brown as a healthier outlet for a mind that, in Leah’s words, tends to “torture itself.” Leah began playing tournaments less than two years ago and already has a peak rating of over 1600 USCF. In our conversation, Leah shares the training approach that has helped propel these gains, including:

Leah also highlights the importance of finding a friendly chess community in Massachusetts and shares the story of beating a GM in a simul. Tune in to hear the rest of this inspiring story.

0:00- Intro

Links Mentioned: 

Perpetual Chess Patreon

Spotify Adult Improver Playlist

Website

Form to be considered as an adult improver guest

1:45 Meet Leah Brown

2:39 How chess became a healthy outlet

Mentioned: BIllerica Chess Club

https://billericachess.42web.io/?i=3

FM Sandro Safar

https://lichess.org/coach/Sandro970

The Real Paul Morphy by FM Charles Hertan

5:08 Finding a welcoming OTB chess community

7:11 Getting serious about improvement

10:28 Jeremy Silman and learning through chess books

15:28 What fueled Leah’s rapid rating gains?

20:42 Lessons learned the hard way and switching to 1. e4

31:38 Rating goals and the ambition to earn a title

35:34 Advice for adult improvers

37:09 The role chess plays in Leah’s life

40:31 Beating a GM in a six-hour simul game 

Mentioned: GM Nadia Kosintseva

45:25 Closing Advice for Navigating the Chess Community

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Jan Henric Buettner is a German entrepreneur, co-founder of Freestyle Chess alongside Magnus Carlsen, and a candidate for FIDE President. In his business career he has worked in technology, venture capital and hospitality. 

In our interview, we discuss:

We also touch on lessons Jan has learned from his varied business career, the potential threats posed by AI, and why he believes chess is a great game to introduce to the next generation.

🕒 Timestamps

0:00 Intro and Episode 500 housekeeping

This podcast is brought to you in part by Claude AI. You can try it out via the link below:

 claude.ai/chess3:53 Jan Henric Buettner joins the show4:40 Early logistical problems at the Chess Olympiad9:00 Jan’s business background and what drew him to chess13:40 Building Freestyle Chess and attracting sponsors16:34 Is Freestyle Chess accessible to traditional chess fans?20:25 Jan’s own chess experience22:01 FIDE elections, corruption allegations, and Jan’s chances24:06 Jan’s platform and plans for making FIDE financially independent28:55 Women in chess, cheating, and rating reform34:00 Chess.com’s dominance and the possibility of new competitors35:30 Turning chess players into chess spectators38:00 Why Jan believes the FIDE brand is undervalued39:47 Wadim Rosenstein, Timur Turlov, and the possibility of a split vote40:41 What Jan would do if he loses the election42:09 Could FIDE postpone the election?43:53 Jan’s concerns about AI, venture capital, and the future49:42 Why chess offers an antidote to technology overload

Thanks to Jan for joining me! You can learn more about his campaign here:

https://janhenricbuettner.com/

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IM Thomas Willemze is a popular author, Chessable creator, and trainer who has worked with the Dutch National Youth Team, among countless other students. A data analyst by day, Thomas brings an analytical approach to thinking about the core components of chess improvement.

In our conversation, we draw on Thomas's experiences as both a player and coach to tease out practical lessons for improving players. We discuss everything from game review and opening preparation to how to improve your focus while studying and playing. Thomas also shares some book recommendations, reflects on learning chess from the creators of the Steps Method while they were still developing it, and recounts what happened when, at age 40, he gave himself a year to seriously pursue his GM ambitions.

Timestamps of topics discussed can be found below.

Free perpetual Chess Discord:

https://discord.gg/UpRTQfjQB

Free Newsletter:

https://benjohnson.substack.com/

00:00 Introduction to the Interview with Thomas Willems

Thanks to our sponsors, Claude AI, check them out at:

Claude.AI/chess

02:01 Introduction to IM Thomas Willemze

04:07 The Intersection of Data Science and Chess

07:09 Thomas’ Training and Coaching Philosophy

09:55 The Chess Steps Method and Early Chess Education

mentioned : Rob Brunia and IM Cor van Wijgerden

15:36 Addressing Weaknesses and Improving Skills

Mentioned: Fundamental Chess Endings, Dvoretsky’s books, GM Yury Averbakh’s books

18:08 Common Pitfalls for Adult Players

20:51 Patreon mailbag question:

How can we improve our focus when playing games and studying? 

23:55 Defensive Awareness and Identifying Threats

27:00 Patreon mailbag question: Does Thomas see parallels between chess and football/soccer strategy?

28:48 The Balance of Attack and Defense in Chess

30:28 Effective Study Strategies for Ambitious Players

32:07 Reviewing Games: Learning from Mistakes

33:34 The Competitive Landscape of Modern Chess

38:26 Preparing for Upcoming Tournaments

40:05 Choosing an Opening Repertoire

42:01 Current Projects and Future Endeavors

44:08 Chess Content Recommendations and Personal Interests

Mentioned: 100 Endgames You Must Know 

50:00- Thanks to IM Willemze for joining me. You can reach him via his Chessable author’s page:

https://www.chessable.com/author/Willemze/

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IM David Vigorito is a three-time state champion, renowned opening theoretician and trainer, and the author of many highly regarded books and Chessable courses. His latest course, 1. e4: The Gold Standard, offers an ambitious, principled repertoire against all of Black’s major responses.

In our conversation, we discuss:

David also shares a funny story about the unexpected chain of events that followed our first interview in 2019, explains some of the ambitious choices in his new 1. e4 repertoire, and shares his strong opinions on Chess960 and some recent trends in professional chess.

It’s always fun to catch up with David, and there is lots of practical chess advice in this one.

0:00 Intro

Thanks to our sponsor Claude.ai

Check them out at Claude.ai/chess

2:30 David’s new 1. e4 course and how engine-era opening research has changed

6:55 Why David recommends ambitious, principled opening lines

15:15 How much opening theory do amateur players actually need?

20:40 Adult improvement: what helped David make huge rating gains

26:00 The New England chess scene and David’s tournament schedule

31:55 A funny story stemming from David’s first Perpetual Chess interview

38:20 Improving by working on your weaknesses

44:00 Following professional chess and David’s dislike of alternative scoring formats

45:40 Why David has no interest in Chess960

Vigorito-Aagaard 2025

https://www.chesshere.com/master-games/1822045?fen=r1bqk2r%2Fpppp1ppp%2F2n2n2%2F1B2p3%2F1b2P3%2F2N2N2%2FPPPP1PPP%2FR1BQK2R+w+KQkq+-+6+5

50:30 What’s next for David

https://www.chessable.com/author/dvigorito/ 

52:00- Thanks to David for joining me! Be sure to check out his courses on Chessable:

https://www.chessable.com/author/dvigorito/

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

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

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GM Valentin Dragnev is a two-time Austrian national champion and former chess Olympian who has had memorable OTB encounters with GM Magnus Carlsen, Vasyl Ivanchuk, and many other top players. After achieving so much over the board, he has increasingly focused his attention on chess training and a community-focused website he co-founded, Chessivity.com. We discuss:

This was a very insightful conversation with lots of good stories and practical chess advice.

0:00- Ready to have an AI that can tackle real work? Try Claude Cowork today — Claude.ai/CHESS. 

03:05 GM Dragnev’s rise up the ranks

Mentioned:

The Art of Planning in Chess by GM Neal McDonald

https://www.amazon.com/Art-Planning-Chess-Move/dp/071349025X

12:14 Transitioning to Chess as a Career

15:31 Advice for Parents and Young Players

18:29 Coaching Adults vs. Kids

21:52 The Importance of Thought Process in Chess

26:53 The Birth of Chessivity

30:32 Integrating Chessivity with User Accounts

Follow Ben here:

https://chessivity.com/profile/bennyficial1

31:05 Future Features and User Feedback

33:11 Valentin's Chess Career Highlights

35:05 Playing Against Magnus Carlsen

Check out the Sicilian game here:

https://lichess.org/broadcast/european-team-championship-open/round-2/kLFgyBxS/QCqXtaGu

38:39 Training and Preparation Strategies

42:10 Working with Top Players

44:46 Balancing Coaching and Competitive Play

47:07 Misconceptions in Chess Improvement

52:22 Valentin tells the story of cycling from Austria to Budapest before competing in the Olympiad

56:03 Thanks to Valentin for joining!

Find him on Chessivity:

https://chessivity.com/profile/valentin

Lichess coaches:

https://lichess.org/coach/DrAgnevstein

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The Adult Improver Series returns to welcome back an accomplished guest. Kyle Boddy is the founder of Driveline Baseball, an influential company that provides training and performance guidance for professional and aspiring baseball players. Despite the demands of running a company and raising a family, Kyle values chess as a hobby and makes plenty of time for it.

When I first interviewed Kyle in 2022, he was rated below 1000 USCF, but was working diligently and had a long-term hope of reaching USCF 2000. Four years later, he has stuck with it and made considerable progress, recently reaching a new peak of nearly 1550 USCF.

In this follow-up, we discuss:

It is inspiring to see Kyle’s continued dedication to chess, and I look forward to following his continued progress in the coming years.

0:00- Intro

Join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community:

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

Join the free discord:

 https://discord.gg/hN3CJsbGn

More on the Adult Improver Series:

Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=8fda103624514126

Website:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover

Check out our sponsor,  Claude Co-work at Claude.ai/chess

04:22 Kyle Boddy joins

06:05 What keeps Kyle playing and improving?

07:36 Switching to 1.e4 and open games

Mentioned: Anand-Nunn 1990

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1018185

08:43 Why Kyle still loves studying openings

10:45 How Kyle actually studies openings

12:12 Studying games blindfolded

16:00 How Kyle uses AI for chess

18:19 Engines, Maia Chess and practical preparation

20:34 Kyle’s tournament routine

24:19 How he trains tactics

26:48 Building a new opening repertoire

29:42 Daily chess habits

30:49 The importance of a chess community

34:17 Tournament chess in Seattle and beyond

35:20 Aging and adult chess improvement

37:45 Kyle’s path toward 1800-2000

40:11 Improving at endgames

42:50 Understanding vs. memorizing openings

44:35 The Joey Votto chess bet

45:33 Chess’s popularity among pro athletes

47:05 How much Kyle studies chess

Can Adults Improve at Chess by NM Todd Bryant

https://www.chess.com/article/view/can-adults-improve-at-chess

50:22 Blogging, AI and hiding your prep

52:53 Baseball vs. chess improvement

55:46 Will Kyle still be playing at 50? 

56:00- Thanks to Kyle for joining and sharing his inspiring progress- follow his blog here:

https://www.kyleboddy.com/blog/

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With the recent news of his passing, this week we look at the remarkable and wide-ranging chess legacy of FM Bill Goichberg. Among many other distinctions, Bill was the founder of the Continental Chess Association and the creator of the U.S. National Scholastic Championships, and he left an indelible mark on the U.S. chess scene.

My guest is chess journalist FM Jon Jacobs, who is working on an independent biography of Bill. Jon grew up in New York and got to know Bill personally as a top young scholastic player, with a young Bill Goichberg directing some of his formative tournaments in Brooklyn. Decades later, Bill sat down for 15 hours’ worth of interviews with Jon, which Jon has been crafting into a book.

In our interview, we discuss Bill’s business legacy, chess accomplishments, family life, and much more. Bill changed the course of American chess, and I am grateful to Jon for joining me and fleshing out his life story.

00:00 - Intro and remembering FM Bill Goichberg

0:02- Maurice Ashley tweet regarding Goichberg-

https://x.com/MauriceAshley?lang=en06:13 - Jon’s first memories of Bill08:14 - How Bill got started organizing tournaments14:16 - Growing chess in the pre-Fischer era18:21 - Bill’s proudest contributions to US chess22:54 - Continental Chess and its competitors24:39 - How big a business did CCA become?29:50 - Bill’s wife Brenda and their life together35:35 - Bill’s beginnings as a chess player39:48 - How strong was Bill as a player?44:07 - Did Bill ever work outside of chess?

Mentioned: CCA and Domainvision.com

https://www.chesstour.com/aboutcca.htm47:38 - The Continental Chess business model51:54 - Why Jon is writing Bill’s biography57:01 - Where to follow Jon’s work

1:00:00- Thanks to Jon for coming on, you can follow his Facebook page here- 

https://www.facebook.com/p/A-Pawn-Made-Flesh-61568668591626/

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

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

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GM Jacob Aagaard is an award-winning author, a renowned trainer who has worked with GMs Sam Shankland, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and many others, and the co-founder of Quality Chess. Despite all of his accomplishments and the many demands on his time, Jacob retains his passion for chess books and chess improvement. He returns to the podcast to discuss:

Jacob also teases an exciting new project with GM Garry Kasparov and shares his thoughts on the Olympiad, the FIDE election, and the health of the chess publishing business, among many other topics.

There is always so much to learn from Jacob, and I greatly appreciate his generosity with his time.

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Chessiverse.com. Be sure to check out their many features, and use code “Perpetual30” to receive a 30% discount on premium offerings and IM John Bartholomew’s Scandinavian Course. 

00:00 Introduction 

0:02- GM Jacob Aagaard joins

0:08- The Upcoming  Chess books Jacob is most excited about

Naroditsky Memorial Box Set Quality Chess

Chess Metamorphoss by GM Nikita Vitiugov

Grandmaster Training Camp with GM Sam Shankland

Unlock Your Chess Creativity by IM Richard Palliser 

Winning Chess Tactics by GM Yasser Seirawan

The Evans Gambit by IM Andrew Martin

17:00 Jacob’s Writing Workflow and Challenges

21:30 The Role of AI in Chess Writing

30:00 Patreon mailbag question: How does Jacob’s new book compare to his Excelling at Chess Series? 

33:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Jacob recommend one improve at calculation?

41:00 Patreon mailbag question: What is Jacob’s advice for how to categorize the mistakes you make when reviewing and trying to learn from your games?

43:33 Categorizing Mistakes in Chess

45:00 Recommended Chess Books for Improvement

Mentioned:

Attack with Mikhail Tal

Alekhine’s Best Games

Books by GM Larry Christiansen

Life and Games of Mikhail Tal

48:00 Working with GM Garry Kasparov on an updated The Great Predecessors Series 

57:00  Patreon mailbag question: How is the chess publishing business doing? Does Jacob have any plans of streamlining the digital availability of the New in Chess Magazine archive? 

01:10:00 Patreon mailbag question: Jacob’s thoughts on the Chess Olympiad, the FIDE election and Gukesh-Sindarov

1:16:00- Patreon mailbag question: What is Jacob’s motivation for continuing to compete occasionally 

01:17:00- What Jacob learns from being an adult improver at guitar 

Mentioned: Jake Workman is Jacob’s guitar teacher 

01:24:00-

Thanks to Jacob for joining the show again! Here is how to keep up his work:

Killer Chess Training

https://killerchesstraining.com/

Books

https://www.newinchess.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?authors=Jacob+Aagaard+Madsen&q=%2A

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

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

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GM Vasif Durarbayli is a former World Youth Champion and two-time champion of his native Azerbaijan. Now based in St. Louis after graduating from Webster University, Vasif has turned much of his attention to ChessEver, an app designed to make following live chess easier.

In our conversation we discuss:

•• Why he believes every serious chess player needs a coach, and how not hiring one nearly derailed his own career.

• Vasif's outstanding performance at the Naroditsky Memorial blitz, including a near-upset of Hikaru Nakamura.

• An unforgettable over-the-board encounter with legendary GM Viktor Korchnoi.

• How chess broadcasting can be improved, and his ambitious long-term vision for ChessEver.

This was a really enjoyable conversation, and I recommend ChessEver to anyone who enjoys following top-level tournaments.

00:00 - Intro

01:16 - Insights from a top 10 finish at the Naroditsky Memorial blitz tournament

Check out Vasif’s Naroditsky Memorial games here:

The Nakamura game is game 13, 35. Rxa7! Was mate in 12. 

https://lichess.org/study/UoNAiYdm/TehrviPk

03:52 - Playing Korchnoi

05:02 - Playing style: aggressive opening choices and psychological play

06:45 - The influence of legendary players and their aura on Vasif

09:16 - Off-the-board aspects of chess improvement and coaching advice

12:37 - Strategies for handling lost positions and psychological tactics

15:08 - The significance of coaching and Vasif’s past mistakes in self-improvement

Vasif’s thoughts on Gukesh’s slump here:

https://x.com/durarbayli/status/2079565216413556923

24:52 - The power of strategic preparation stories from chess books

Mentioned: The Random Book that Made me a Grandmaster

https://durarbayli.com/a-random-book-made-me-a-grandmaster/

The Method in Chess by Josif Dorfman

https://www.amazon.com/Method-Chess-Iossif-Dorfman/dp/2957289024

30:00- Why we should not emulate Sindarov’s study approach

Mentioned: Fooled by Randomness

39:06 - The journey from competitive chess to creating Chess Ever

44:50 - The vision for Chess Ever: following games, broadcasting, and innovation

53:41 - Monetization plans and future features of Chess Ever

58:51 - How Chess Ever differs from other streaming and follow platforms

61:47 - The future of chess broadcasting, AI commentary, and competition

63:48 - Final thoughts and encouraging feedback from listenersResources:

Connect with Vasif Durabayi:

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