Perpetual Chess Podcast

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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Grandmaster Surya Ganguly is a six-time champion of India, a popular Chessable author, and a former member of Viswanathan Anand’s World Championship preparation team. He is also a co-founder and coach at ProChessTraining.com, where he works with students ranging from adult amateurs to elite grandmasters.

Surya joined me shortly after returning from the FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships, where his own results fell short of expectations. This experience led to a thoughtful and honest discussion about perspective, gratitude, and what truly constitutes a challenge in life.

We also talk about the impact of Indian government support for chess, Surya’s love of 1. E4 and (non-chess) board games, and how recent health scares in his family have helped keep chess in its proper place. I always find Surya to be wise and introspective, and it was an honor to speak with him again.

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/

0:01- Surya Ganguly joins me! He discusses the importance of understanding rather than memorizing, both in chess and in life. 

03:30- Observations and lessons learned from competing the 2025 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz

You can see Surya’s bishop ending game, as well as Magnus’ in games 33 and 34 of this Lichess study:

https://lichess.org/study/PbwMAIXZ/y7DRWHu1

14:00- What is it like to teach Pragganandhaa, Aravindh and other top GMs in ProChessTraining.com classes?

16:45- Surya’s favorite (non-chess) board games 

18:00- Why Surya never shows openings in his classes

23:00- Surya’s approach to teaching lower rated players 

26:00- The importance of Surya’s government-supported job at Indian Oil. 

32:00- How should students utilize Surya’s course if they don’t have time to consume the 36 hours of video content it offers?

Mentioned:

The idea in the Keres attack is #35 in this study (And can be found in full detail in Surya’s Chessable course!) 

https://lichess.org/study/PbwMAIXZ/rRDeHWmk

41:00- Surya’s FIDE Candidates thoughts and plans 

42:30- What was it like having an Indian movie made about Surya’s life?

Learn more about Daburu here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6eprCvDPDc

49:00- Can chess be a means of upward mobilization for underprivileged kids in India? 

51:00- What Surya learned from spending days with a fishbone stuck in his throat. 

Mentioned: Surya’s interview with Chessbase:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0PQmDTtMsI&t=1041s

Must watch interview with Surya about his daughter here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PKWPZJVMyQ

1:01:00- How working with Anand taught Surya to develop an "eternal student” mindset. 

GM Surya Sekhar Ganguly's childhood friends share with us the secrets of what makes Surya great

Photo in thumbnail- By Diptansusengupta - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89961412

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Twelve years ago, the Hammersmith Chess Club in London was down to fewer than 20 members and facing an uncertain future. Today, thanks to committed volunteers, a welcoming culture, and the broader boom in chess, it’s the largest chess club in London, and was recently named ECF Chess Club of the Year.

I’m joined by Hammersmith Club Captain Gaston Franco to discuss the club’s remarkable turnaround and what other communities can learn from it. We cover topics like financial sustainability, league play, and gender dynamics, as well as the importance of creating an inclusive, welcoming environment.

We also explore Gaston’s own chess journey, which highlights one of the game’s great strengths: its ability to provide instant community, especially when moving alone to a new country.

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/

0:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! Check out GM Ganguly’s new course here:

https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-suryas-1e4-part-1/course/353840/

2:00- Gaston Franco, the club captain of the Hammersmith Chess Club, joins me

Mentioned:

Watch Charlyze van Zyl’s tour of the Hammersmith Chess Club here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxR6mFl9d4E&t=1s

John White, club chairman

6:00 The Transformation of Hammersmith Chess Club

12:00- Common Club Activities and Structure, How they Appeal to Women and Junior Players 

17:00- League Participation and Competitive Play

20:44 Membership Fees and Financial Sustainability

29:47 Sponsorship and Community Support

31:00- How the Club Fielded a team in the FIDE World Team Championship

33:13 Role of Grandmasters in the Club

Mentioned: GM Daniel King 

34:28 League Matches and Club Activities

36:55 Chess Outreach and Community Engagement

39:10 Post-Pandemic Chess Boom

41:04 Challenges and Sustainability of Chess Clubs

43:18 Advice for Fledgling Chess Clubs

45:55 Guest Visits and Club Membership

47:24 Gaston’s Chess Journey from Buenos Aires to London 

49:29 Comparing Chess Scenes: Argentina vs. London

51:52 The Future of Chess in Argentina

52:43 Community Events and Upcoming Tournaments

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Japanese-Australian chess player, trainer, and content creator Junta Ikeda is the 2013 Japanese National Chess Champion and a runner-up in the 2020 Australian Championship. These days, with a full-time job outside of chess, Junta devotes most of his chess energy to helping others improve. He has shared countless insights on his excellent blog, Infinite Chess, which I’ve been reading religiously since its launch. There, Junta offers thoughtful advice on topics such as improving your tactics, managing the clock, and budgeting your study time. For this interview, I compiled questions based on some of his most insightful observations as we explored chess improvement from a wide range of angles. Toward the end of the conversation, we also touched on Junta’s background, chess in Japan, and even picked up a few non-chess book recommendations.

 

Check out Chessiverse and take out of their end of year sale here:

http://chessiverse.com/

Check out IM John Bartholomew’s Comprehensive Scandinavian Course here: 

https://chessiverse.com/courses/scandi

Find out more about Chessdojo’s classes here:

https://www.chessdojo.club/blog/live-classes

Use Code NY26 to get a free month of the tier program

Use Code Ben to save 10% off anything 

0:04- Junta joins me! Does Junta’s fellow Canberra, Australia resident, IM Andras Toth exist in real life?

0:06- How does Junta respond to FM Nate Solon’s inflammatory tweet about chess books?

https://x.com/natesolon/status/1988955760965963898?s=20

0:11- Junta’s coaching and content creation background 

0:12- What are the most common mistakes Junta sees amateurs make? 

0:19- What did Junta learn from the book How to Become a Deadly Chess Tactician?

22:00- Junta shares some advice from his lifelong battles with time trouble 

What I needed to cure my time trouble:

https://juntaikeda.substack.com/p/how-i-escaped-time-trouble-hell

In search of lost time: 20 Time Trouble Tips

https://juntaikeda.substack.com/p/1-in-search-of-lost-time-20-time

EP 383 with Dan Bock

24:00- How to learn to face your fears

Mentioned: The Uncool by Cameron Crowe

39:00- The Impact of Talent in Chess

Mentioned: GM Moulthan Ly, GM Max Illingworth 

47:00- How did “the worst openings player in Australia” learn to tolerate them?

Mentioned: GM David Smerdon’s The Complete Chess Swindler 

51:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! Checkout their holiday sale here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/

52:00- What type of challenging exercises does Junta recommend in order to improve calculation?

Mentioned: IM Kostya Kavutskiy’s Endgame Studies 101, IM Tatev Abrahamyan’s Endgame Studies: Solve to Evolve, Domination by Kasparyan, Studies for Practical Players 

Sign up for Chessable Pro here:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

1:01:00- Junta’s recommended chess books and resources

Mentioned: Lichess, The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games , My Great Predecessors  

My 10 Memorable Chess Books

https://juntaikeda.substack.com/p/my-10-memorable-chess-books

1:02:00- Is chess growing in Japan despite Shogi’s popularity?

1:08:00-  Balancing Chess and Content Creation

1:10:00- Why Junta wishes he had committed more to chess than university 

1:13:00- Will Junta pursue the GM title?

Mentioned: Dojo Talks with IM-elect Gauri Shankar 

1:15:00- Non chess book recs!

Mentioned: Murakami, Infinite Jest, The Book of Disquiet, Finite & Infinite Games 

1:19:00- Thanks to Junta for sharing his advice and perspective! 

Here is how to keep up with his work:

Infinite Chess Blog:

https://juntaikeda.substack.com/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@juntaikeda

Website:

https://juntaikeda.com/

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What can Bobby Fischer still teach us about chess improvement? In this episode, renowned trainer, author, and historian IM John Donaldson returns to discuss Fischer’s writing, advice, and training methods, as featured in his new book Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer. We explore Fischer’s views on openings, what he said about his own IQ, and what modern players can realistically take from his approach. I was particularly interested to hear John break down how Fischer went from roughly 2100 strength to an elite player in less than two years. After our Fischer deep dive, John shares his memories of a young Daniel Naroditsky and discusses the outlook for the next  U.S. Olympiad team, which he has captained 15 times.

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

And you can check out their new offerings here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ 

Check out special offers from Chessdojo, Chessmood and more here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/partners

Sign up for my free chess newsletter here:

 https://benjohnson.substack.com/

0:02- Why was Bobby Fischer writing a chess column for Boys Life magazine? 0:07- Are world class talents like Fischer good people to give chess improvement advice? 

0:14- Bobby Fischer’s 4 Chess Improvement Tips 

0:17- Why was Fischer confident about his match vs. Spassky despite a losing record? 

0:20- How did Fischer respond when he was asked about reportedly having a genius-level IQ? 

0:24- The impact of Fischer growing up in New York City

0:43- Patreon mailbag question- Why, after all these years, is there still such a cult-like obsession with Fischer? 

1:02:00- John’s memories of GM Daniel Naroditsky, who John knew since Danya’s childhood, 

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Lev Psakhis 

1:13:00- Status of the US Olympiad team

1:19:00- Will John pursue the GM title at age 67?

Thanks, as always, to IM John Donaldson for joining me! Here is where to get Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Mind-Bobby-Fischer-Annotations/dp/1890085286/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QKKXI2SDOLYS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._2M3HsSJt-U7Bdai-uPvhA.AJtX-b-nDihPzKRJb_BUo7jCkpq_R2sPMhsked9R8GU&dib_tag=se&keywords=inside+the+mind+of+bobby+fischer&qid=1765826270&s=books&sprefix=inside+the+mind+of+bobby+fischer%2Cstripbooks%2C55&sr=1-1

Chess4Less: 

https://chess4less.com/products/pre-order-inside-the-mind-of-bobby-fischer-john-donaldson

Also available in Europe:

https://gazellebookservices.co.uk/products/9781890085285?_pos=1&_sid=e49e3c6fa&_ss=r

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).
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