Perpetual Chess Podcast

It has been over two years since FIDE implemented major changes to its rating system aimed at combating rating deflation. But are those changes actually working? My guest, Vlad Ghita, joins me to dig into the data. Vlad is a Romanian arbiter, instructor, and chess enthusiast with a master’s degree in physics. In his new e-book, The Rating Revolution, he takes a rigorous, data-driven look at how the global rating system is functioning—and where it may still be falling short. We discuss: What Vlad calls the “participation paradox” Which countries may be the most underrated How age impacts rating expectations Why some players feel stuck despite improving Is the US rating system functioning more effectively than FIDE? As discussed in the episode, many of these issues stem from structural imbalances in the rating pool—something Vlad illustrates through extensive analysis of nearly one million games . In our conversation (and in his book), Vlad not only identifies problems but also proposes thoughtful solutions. As a dedicated coach and adult improver himself, he also shares practical advice for chess improvement. ; 0:00- Intro Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Check out their FIDE Candidates Sale here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/ Sign up for Chessable Pro here: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro 0:02- Vlad’s joins the show, we being by diving into his chess  background Mentioned: Michael Franco/NoseKnowsAll’s free Lichess materials- https://lichess.org/study/by/NoseKnowsAll 0:10- How Vlad’s curiosity about ratings was piqued around the pandemic, what he learned about ratings 0:11- What is the cause of FIDE rating deflation? Mentioned: Jeff Sonas, Dr. Mark Glickman 0:16-What is “the participation paradox?”  0:21- Is the US rating system working better than FIDE’s? 29:00- Should FIDE institute adjustable rating floors?  31:00- What solutions does Vlad propose to improve the rating system?  42:00- Chess improvement lessons from Vlad’s playing and training experience  Mentioned: Chess Structures, How to Study Chess on Your Own, Chessbook 50:00- The pros and cons of working full time in chess 52:00- Thanks to Vlad for coming on the pod and writing an insightful book. Vlad has offered a discount to Perpetual Chess Listeners if you use the code “perpetual” at checkout. https://vladchess.com/rating-revolution If you are interested in getting coaching from Vlad, you can reach him via his website: https://vladchess.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Perpetual Chess book discussion series Chess Books Recaptured returns with a personal, funny, and heartfelt episode. Gaurav Datta, a longtime student and close friend of IM Jeremy Silman, joins me to discuss Silman’s Chess Odyssey: Cracked Grandmaster Tales, Legendary Players, & Instructions and Musings. This memoir and collection of writing was Silman’s final work, and it beautifully captures his deep and enduring love for chess. As Gaurav shares, he was an ordinary club player who repeatedly emailed Silman until Jeremy reluctantly agreed to take him on as a student in the late 1990s. What began as lessons soon turned into a decades-long friendship. Jeremy did not care much about Gaurav’s rating, but he appreciated his sense of humor and his ability to tell interesting stories. Throughout the conversation, Gaurav interweaves touching and often hilarious personal memories with insights from the book, offering a glimpse  into Silman’s life and teaching philosophy.  I greatly enjoyed reading Silman’s Chess Odyssey, and hearing Gaurav’s stories added a whole new dimension to understanding one of chess’s most beloved teachers. 0:00 Intro + overview of Silman’s Chess Odyssey Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com. Check out IM Jeremy SIlman’s vast catalog of courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/Jeremy_Silman/5:48 Guest intro: Gaurav Datta (long-time student & friend of Jeremy Silman) 7:00 How Gaurav discovered Silman, early struggles, and first meeting12:30 What lessons with Silman were really like (stories, life, chess) 18:20 Chess as art: Silman’s core philosophy22:40 Training methods: studying master games & subtle ideas Mentioned: IM Erik Kislik, NM Steve Brandwein 28:00 Gambling struggles, life setbacks, and returning to chess 33:00 Silman’s personality: stories, Japan, boxing & unique interests 38:40 Final years, illness, and completing his last book Mentioned: Autobiography of a Goat  51:30 Key lessons: play for beauty, not rating + lasting impact 1:15:00- Thanks so much to Gaurav for sharing his amazing stories! Here is how you can reach him: Email- gdatta at gmail.com Chess.com-  https://www.chess.com/member/olddirtypatzer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament is almost here, and GM Jan Gustafsson joins the podcast to break down the entire field. As a leading opening theoretician who has worked on GM Magnus Carlsen’s World Championship team, Jan brings unique insight into this high-stakes event. Jan will be on site in Cyprus providing commentary alongside his longtime friend GM Peter Svidler. In this episode we go player by player discussing the contenders’ chances, from rising stars like Praggnanandhaa and Javokhir Sindarov to established veterans like Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura. Jan shares insights on preparation, momentum, and who is most likely to win the Candidates and earn the right to challenge for the World Championship. We also discuss the Women’s Candidates Tournament, pop culture, and Jan’s latest projects. Episode Recorded on March 11, 2016 0:00 Intro – Candidates preview with GM Jan Gustafsson You can buy tickets to the Chess in the Schools Poker/Chess Fundraiser here: https://secure.givelively.org/event/chess-in-the-schools-inc/chess-in-the-schools-3rd-annual-charity-poker-tournament Check out Jan’s Chessable courses here: Be sure to check out Chessiverse.com, and use code “Perpetual30” for a discount on premium features and IM John Bartholomew’s course.  5:16 Jan Gustafsson joins the show 6:36 Patreon mailbag question: Strategy for the Candidates tournament 12:55 Matthias Bluebaum preview Mentioned: Kalshi FIDE Candidate’s Odds: https://kalshi.com/markets/kxchesscandidates/chess-candidates-champion/kxchesscandidates-26 17:18 Andrey Esipenko preview 22:39 Praggnanandhaa preview 26:35 Javokhir Sindarov preview 31:20 Anish Giri preview 33:52 Wei Yi preview 39:00 Fabiano Caruana preview 44:42 Hikaru Nakamura preview 49:57 Predictions for the winner 52:40 Women’s Candidates preview 57:00- Patreon mailbag question: What would Jan like to keep as is in the chess world, and what would he like to see changed? 1:00:05 Closing thoughts, tv shows, nonsense.  Mentioned: Jeselnik book club: https://anthonyjeselnik.com/the-jeselnik-book-club 1:06:00- Thanks to Jan for joining! Be sure to tune in to the FIDE YouTube channel for his Candidates coverage, sub to Janistan TV on Twitch, and check out his Chessable courses here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s guest on the Adult Improver Series is Matt Biancuzzo. Matt is a 31-year-old New York City consultant who is very active in both the local chess scene and on social media. He has taken full advantage of New York’s many chess opportunities, regularly attending chess gatherings and pub nights while also competing in tournaments locally. Over the past few years he has improved from below 1400 USCF to a peak of over 1800! Matt has worked with multiple coaches, grinded tactics, and consumed countless chess videos, but he credits the majority of his improvement to building a social network that made chess fun for him. Speaking of fun, Matt has also built a large online following thanks to his hilarious short-form videos. Posting as “byredofantome” on Instagram and “fantomechess” on TikTok, Matt creates impressions and humorous shorts that lightly satirize chess culture. In the second half of our interview, we shift our focus from chess improvement to the story behind Matt’s videos. If you enjoy this episode, be sure to check out the bonus video breaking down some of Matt’s best clips here. Join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community here: Ben Johnson | creating Perpetual Chess Podcast | Patreon Join the Perpetual Chess Discord here:  https://discord.gg/gUPSsHMK Check out Chessable’s Women’s Day sale here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/all/offer/f/ Check out Chessiverse.com, use code “Perpetual30” to save 30% on premium offerings.  00:00 Introduction to Chess Improvement and Content Creation 04:45- Matt Biancuzzo joins the show! We begin by discussing how he got into chess in college.  13:29 The Role of Community in Chess Improvement Mentioned: GM Robert Hungaski, IM Denys Shmelov, Alex Pickett,  IM Jan van der Mortaal, Jonathan Williams, Pobo Efikoro 18:03 Coaching and Learning Strategies 23:04 The Impact of Online Chess and Content Creation Mentioned: MaddiePlaysChess, GambitMan 25:00- Getting a chess coach Mentioned: IM Sam Khanin, IM VIktor Matviishen 28:00 Personal Growth Through Chess 33:14 Final Thoughts on Chess and Community 40:16 The language and habits of chess players  48:55 Content Creation in Chess Mentioned: Matt’s article about Where to Play Chess in NYC https://www.chess.com/blog/byredofantome/where-to-play-chess-in-nyc-and-how-to-gauge-a-good-club POV When you are Prepping for the 2002 World Under 12 Championship: https://www.instagram.com/byredofantome/reel/DT6A_OHDqTi/ What I learned Playing 130 Chess Tournaments in 2 Years https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ-fgbeDmHY/ POV You are Spassky in 1971 https://www.instagram.com/p/DTOntmlDlEM/ 49:54 The Art of Subversive Commentary 52:06 Impressions and Mannerisms in Chess Matt’s Yasser/magnus video is here: https://www.tiktok.com/@byredofantome/video/7240979768525573418?_r=1&_t=ZP-94OfoAItpk7 53:50 Translating Chess for the Average Person 55:15 Inspiration from Online Trends Mentioned: POV Chess Players Training at the Gym https://www.instagram.com/p/DRqJ2x_jvKs/ 01:03:19 Monetization and Content Creation Challenges 01:05:26 Entrepreneurial Ventures in Chess 01:09:05 Colliding Worlds: Chess and Consulting 01:12:26 The Nature of Content Creation and Recognition Matt’s linktree is here: https://linktr.ee/byredofantome?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnKZHTvXc3y6vDxPUApYvPDxbUFpbNtVLXr58nVATFdTyrdu7mR6xgzob8An4_aem_SjGs6svkY3aTt1lbEPnWOg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week’s returning guest is NM Han Schut. Han is a former corporate executive turned Chessable author and trainer, known for his expertise in the Chess Steps Method and chess technology. Han joins me to reflect on the legacy of his fellow Dutchman, GM Jan Timman, who recently passed away. He shares personal anecdotes and discusses Timman’s impact as a world-class competitor, prolific author, and cultural icon in the Netherlands. We also explore a fascinating recent project: Han built a custom chess database with the help of the LLM Claude, which handled all of the coding. He explains how players can use LLMs effectively for chess study and recommends other powerful digital tools. Finally, Han offers evergreen advice on rest, mindset, and accurately assessing your own chess performance. As always, I came away inspired by Han’s wide-ranging knowledge and practical approach to chess. Thanks to our sponsors, Chessable.com! Check out Han Schut's courses here: ⁠https://www.chessable.com/author/HanSchut/⁠ 00:00 Remembering Grandmaster Jan Timman Mentioned: Read Peter Doggers’ obituary here: https://www.chess.com/news/view/jan-timman-obituary Timman-Ribli 1978- https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1142478 12:03 Exploring LLMs in Chess Coding Check out Han’s video about coding with Claude here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSj69yLmwMg&t=3s Download the Lichess Puzzle Database Here: https://database.lichess.org/#puzzles Link to download Han and Claude’s creation within this article: https://lichess.org/@/HanSchut/blog/the-lichess-opening-puzzles-with-games-makes-them-searchable-from-any-position/BUHE9eQ3 Matt Shumer article “Something Big is Happening”- https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/2021256989876109403 21:45 Creating Chess Tools with AI 27:56 The Rise of AI and Its Implications 34: 00 Han’s Chess Study Tool Recommendations: Mentioned:  Forward Chess https://forwardchess.com/ Chessvision AI https://chessvision.ai/ 36:55 Patreon mailbag question: What is Han’s advice for how to approach chess puzzles?  Mentioned:  CT Art Puzzles- (Chessking App) https://chesskingtraining.com/ct-art/ Chessbase Puzzles https://tactics.chessbase.com/nl/Solve 45:40 Mindset and Mental Strength in Chess Mentioned: Think Like a Super GM by Michael Adams How to Chess Podcast with Han Schut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPN60QMA2oA 53:12 Managing Anxiety and Performance Pressure 58:46 Patreon mailbag question: What does Han think of Chessalyz AI and other AI Chess Tutors?  Mentioned:  Chessalyz AI: https://chessalyz.ai/ FM Dalton Perrine’s blog: https://chesschatter.substack.com/ Novachess AI https://www.chessagine.com/ 1:05:00- Thanks to Han for joining me! Here is how to keep up with him: YouTube (including Saturday morning streams):  https://www.youtube.com/c/hanschut Lichess coaches: https://lichess.org/coach/HanSchut Chessable courses:  https://www.chessable.com/author/HanSchut/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices