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Perpetual Chess Podcast

Ben Johnson
Chess
Chess Improvement
Chessable
FIDE Candidates Tournament
Magnus Carlsen
World Championship
Chess Education
FIDE
Hikaru Nakamura
Chess Training
World Chess Championship
Gukesh
Youtube
Fabiano Caruana
Bobby Fischer
Ding Liren
FIDE Candidates
Chess Books
FIDE World Cup
Chess.com

Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world's best players, trainers and accomplished amateurs about their careers, current projects, best practices and the latest in chess news. Learn more at PerpetualChessPod.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes573Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
SportsLeisureHobbies

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Perpetual Chess Podcast

Latest Episodes

Paulo SantAnna is living the dream of many adult chess improvers. The retired software engineer has spent the past several years devoting serious time and energy to improving his game, and the results have been impressive. When Paulo rekindled his in... more

GM Ivan Sokolov is a former top-15 player who won major tournaments across multiple decades and became national champion of both Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. In classical chess, he scored memorable wins against Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand.

In rec... more

IM Greg Shahade has long been well known in the chess world as a three-time national scholastic champion and the founder of the Pro Chess League and the US Chess School. Recently, however, he reached a much broader audience with an impressive run on ... more

When I read on GM Eugene Perelshteyn’s blog that his amateur friend had signed up to compete against players like Hikaru Nakamura and Hans Niemann in the Naroditsky Memorial, I knew I had to hear this story.

That friend is NM Mike Mahoney. Mike is a... more

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Ivan Sokolov
Chess Grandmaster and elite trainer
Independent chess professional
Episode: EP 482- GM Ivan Sokolov on Talent, Training and Modern Chess
Greg Shahade
International Chess Master, Jeopardy contestant
Self-directed learning; chess community figure
Episode: EP 481- IM Greg Shahade: Inside His Incredible Jeopardy Run
Mike Mahoney
NM, competitive chess player and subject of the episode
Episode: EP 480- GM Eugene Perelshteyn & NM Mike Mahoney: Chess Rocky-Taking on Nakamura & Niemann at the Naroditsky Memorial
Vlad Ghita
Romania-based arbiter, trainer, and chess researcher; author of The Rating Revolution
Independent researcher/author
Episode: EP 476-Vlad Ghita: Is the Rating System Still Broken? A Data-Driven Investigation
Gaurav Datta
Former student of Jeremy Silman, local California chess figure
Independent
Episode: Book Recap #38- Silman’s Chess Odyssey + Stories from a Former Student with Gaurav Datta
Jan Gustafsson
Grandmaster, opening theoretician, chess broadcaster
Former Magnus Carlsen prep team member; Chessable author
Episode: EP 476- GM Jan Gustafsson previews the 2026 FIDE Candidates
Matt Biancuzzo
Chess improvement educator and internet content creator
Byredofantome / Chess content creator
Episode: EP 475- Matt Biancuzzo (Byredofantome) on Keeping Chess Fun, Ignoring Rating, and Making Viral Chess Videos
Han Schut
NM Han Schut, retired corporate executive turned chess trainer and prolific author
Chess trainer and author
Episode: EP 474- NM Han Schut on GM Jan Timman’s Legacy, Chess Improvement, & Using LLM’s to Create Helpful Chess Tools
Aman Hambleton
One of Canada's top chess players and co-founder of the Chessbrahs channel
Chessbrahs
Episode: EP 473- GM Aman Hambleton on SCC London, The London System & The Future of Chess

Host

Ben Johnson
Host of Perpetual Chess Podcast

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 1.8k ratings
  • Love listening to your adult improvers

    Always interesting, I look forward to your new podcast every week. Makes my daily commute a joy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MatrixTransform
    Australiaa month ago
  • Enjoyable

    Enjoyable

    Pity about all the adverts for betting .

    No problem with adverts just the content

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    veganman1961
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Great

    Qualifies for quality background noise from my experience

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    I’m just a cool guy
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • “Just like in my book…”

    Can the host talk to one guest without pushing his own book? Great guests, good content, and I want to listen more, but constant self promotion just cheapens the whole production until it’s just too off putting.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Quercus marilandica
    United States9 months ago
  • Great Podcast

    I love all the guests on your show. I am quickly falling in love with chess myself and love to listen to this podcast while doing my daily routine! Great personalities and would like to see GothamChess back on the pod soon.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Skull Island 1276
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A few critiques mention perceived self-promotion or pacing issues and some calls for more neutrality on socio-political topics.
Many appreciate the depth and breadth of topics, from opening theory to chess culture and books.
Listeners consistently praise guest quality and the host's interviewing skill.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#35
United States/Leisure/Hobbies
Apple Podcasts
#199
United States/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#14
Canada/Leisure/Hobbies
Apple Podcasts
#41
United Kingdom/Leisure/Hobbies
Apple Podcasts
#139
Canada/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#147
United Kingdom/Leisure

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

EP 482- GM Ivan Sokolov on Talent, Training and Modern Chess
Q: How has Sokolov's view of training evolved since coaching the Uzbek team in 2022?
He emphasizes that the trainer's role is to guide, save time with curated material, and nurture motivation, but the final success rests with the players' own effort and ambition; technology has changed preparation, but core understanding and decision-making remain crucial.
EP 478 – GM Ben Finegold on the Candidates, the Hans–Magnus Netflix Documentary, and TakeTakeTake’s Bold Business Move
Q: How do you think the documentary portrays the issue of cheating in chess compared to poker or other games?
Cheating in chess is complicated because online cheating is more detectable than in real-life games, and people exploit different environments; the documentary suggests a spectrum rather than a simple yes/no verdict, highlighting the different skill sets involved in online vs. over-the-board cheating.
EP 478 – GM Ben Finegold on the Candidates, the Hans–Magnus Netflix Documentary, and TakeTakeTake’s Bold Business Move
Q: What are your initial impressions after watching the Chessmates documentary?
I wasn't deciding it was entirely good or bad; I was looking for information and learned interesting details, like Hans' online streams and his behavior, which helped form my view though I still see the narrative as one-sided in places.
EP 476-Vlad Ghita: Is the Rating System Still Broken? A Data-Driven Investigation
Q: What are the main distortions Vlad identifies in the FIDE rating system?
Vlad highlights deflation in many federations, regional mobility issues, age-related rating changes, and the mismatch between activity and true strength, plus auxiliary factors like the ratio of juniors to older players and travel frequency.
EP 475- Matt Biancuzzo (Byredofantome) on Keeping Chess Fun, Ignoring Rating, and Making Viral Chess Videos
Q: How long does a typical video take you to make, given the impressions and variety in your content?
Videos can be very quick to produce, sometimes just a few seconds for five-second clips, or up to a minute for longer pieces; the key is low editing time and high concept, with a focus on being innovative rather than cinematic.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Perpetual Chess Podcast

What is Perpetual Chess Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A long-running, deep-dive interview show focused on chess culture, improvement, and the people shaping the game—from top grandmasters and coaches to authors and community organizers. Episodes commonly explore tournament life, opening ideas, and improvement strategies, often weaving in book recommendations, historic anecdotes, and thoughts on the role of technology (AI tools, databases, and online platforms) in learning and competition. Noteworthy is the balance between high-level chess insight and accessible, relatable storytelling, plus frequent reflections on community-building and grassroots chess development. Listeners can expect thoughtful guests, practical takeaways for players at all levels, and a steady stream of perspectives from e... more

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How many listeners does Perpetual Chess Podcast get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Perpetual Chess Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Perpetual Chess Podcast:

1. C-Squared Podcast
2. Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast
3. Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement
4. New In Chess Podcast
5. The Chess Angle

How many episodes of Perpetual Chess Podcast are there?

Perpetual Chess Podcast launched 9 years ago and published 573 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Perpetual Chess Podcast?

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What guests have appeared on Perpetual Chess Podcast?

Recent guests on Perpetual Chess Podcast include:

1. Ivan Sokolov
2. Greg Shahade
3. Mike Mahoney
4. Vlad Ghita
5. Gaurav Datta
6. Jan Gustafsson
7. Matt Biancuzzo
8. Han Schut

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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