The Chess Cognition Podcast

In this podcast episode, I talked to FM Dalton Perrine, an accomplished chess player, Chessable author, and coach from the United States. Dalton has five Chessable courses, with a sixth on the way. A former student of GM Sam Shankland, Dalton reflects on the process of creating high-quality instructional content. GM Shankland collaborates with Dalton on his courses by providing video coverage.

Beyond chess courses, Dalton provides insights into his current pursuit of the Woodpecker Method to sharpen tactical skills and shares anecdotal evidence of its potential benefits, including a recent 200-point blitz rating surge.

In this fascinating discussion, we delve deep into the cognitive science behind chess blunders with Professor Benjamin Balas from North Dakota State University. As an expert in visual cognition, Ben sheds light on how our visual system, with all its strengths and limitations, plays a crucial role in our chess performance.

We discuss how visual crowding and peripheral vision contribute to common mistakes, especially for newer players. Ben also explains practical strategies for enhancing blunder-checking skills and shares insights on his ongoing research, offering invaluable tips that all players can apply.

Together, we explore how checklist processes and deliberate board scanning can help mitigate these blind spots, making blunders less likely and visual processing more effective.

From practical advice on blunder-check processes to a discussion of the psychological and visual nuances that define expert play, this conversation is packed with insights that every chess player will find enlightening.

In this episode, I’m excited to host Dan Bock, also known as Bold Move by Dan on X. Dan’s journey is truly inspiring—he achieved a 400-point rating increase as an adult improver, documenting every step of his path to success in his popular blog, Chess Improvement Lab. In our conversation, we dig deep into his unique approach to learning, his use of flashcards for improving his game, and how structured thinking, deliberate practice, and checklist routines shaped his path to improvement.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of hosting National Master Robert Ramirez, a renowned Chessable author, YouTuber, and educator. We delve into various chess topics, starting with Robert’s unique journey in the chess world, from his humble beginnings to becoming a well-respected coach. We also discussed the advantages of system openings, such as the King’s Indian/Pirc Defense and the Reverse Stonewall. Robert shares his insights on why system openings can be particularly useful not only for busy adult learners but also for kids, cutting down on preparation time and allowing more focus on chess fundamentals.

In this episode, I talked to Nick Vasquez, a medical doctor, adult chess improver, and author of the insightful blog Chess in Small Doses.

Nick has been featured on the Perpetual Chess Podcast and brings a unique perspective to chess learning through cognitive science. We'll be diving deep into topics such as working memory, visualization, and how these concepts can help adult chess players unlock their potential.

Along the way, Nick overcame plateaus by embracing visualization exercises that significantly boosted his performance. In our discussion, he explains how targeted visualization training can be a game-changer, especially for adult players who often struggle with seeing ahead on the board, and why this approach is key to building stronger chess habits.

Whether you're an adult chess improver or a coach, this episode offers valuable insights into the science of learning and practical strategies for breaking through barriers in your chess journey.

In this exciting episode, I sit down with Solveig Friberg, also known as Rookie Redhead, a rising chess star from Norway who started playing chess in 2022 and has already made impressive strides, reaching a FIDE rating of 1570!

But Solveig is more than just a chess enthusiast—she's a professional educator. She shares her unique insights into education and psychology, blending them with her chess journey.

Whether you're an adult improver, a chess learner, or a coach, this conversation will offer valuable lessons about learning chess, overcoming barriers, and enhancing your educational approach.

We also discuss the social side of chess learning, group dynamics, and how these pedagogical principles can boost anyone’s chess progress, especially for adult learners navigating rating anxiety and psychological barriers.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of Chessable with an expert guest, Benner, a Danish chess player with above 2000 ELO rating otb and Chessable superuser with over 1700 study streak days and five published courses.

Benner moved from 700 to 2200 ELO (online) in only 5 years by extensively studying Chessable courses! Benner shares valuable insights on how to navigate Chessable, discussing the MoveTrainer technology, spaced repetition, and how to best use Chessable for both openings and general chess improvement.

He also gave good tips on studying strategy courses and which Chessable study settings are best suited for those courses. He showed us all the good tools on Chessable that maximize learning and make learning intentional.

In this episode, I'm joined by the legendary chess coach Andras Toth for a deep dive into improving your chess thinking process. We discuss the key questions you should ask during a game to sharpen your decision-making. Andras and I cover essential topics like identifying threats, calculation techniques, and positional decisions.

These questions encourage us to explore different strategies, recognize patterns, and develop a deeper understanding of the game while aiding practical decision-making. Depending on your weaknesses and playing style, some questions may be more relevant for you than others.

03:15 What would they play if I did not make a move right now?

In this episode, we explore the age-old debate: Is Blitz chess good for improvement? Joining me is FIDE Master Nate Solon, a chess coach and Chessable author, to discuss Blitz chess's benefits and potential drawbacks.

We discuss how Blitz can be a powerful tool for developing chess intuition, sharpening opening repertoire, and quickly identifying recurring mistakes through high-volume play. Nate highlights the advantages of quick feedback loops and how Blitz can be an integral part of a balanced training regimen.

However, we also delve into the opposing viewpoint: the risks of Blitz creating bad habits, especially for beginners. We discuss the importance of deliberate practice, focusing on slower, more thoughtful games to solidify essential chess processes like deep calculation, positional understanding, and endgame technique.