Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast

https://feed.podbean.com/ChessDojoTalks/feed.xml

The official podcast of ChessDojo (IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, & GM Jesse Kraai). Most episodes are streamed live to twitch.tv/chessdojo. Interested in improving your chess? Welcome to the Dojo! A structured plan to hold yourself accountable to and a group to do it with. - https://chessdojo.club Follow ChessDojo here: Website: https://chessdojo.club Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojolive Discord: https://discord.gg/GhKsJtjpFw Twitter: https://twitter.com/chess_dojo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chess_dojo/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojo Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com/

Episodes

4 days ago

EP 181 | Queen of Chess

4 days ago

In this episode of Dojo Talks, the Sensei review the Netflix documentary 'Queen of Chess' and discuss Judit Polgar’s rise to the top of the chess world. They break down what the film gets right, what it leaves out about the Polgar training experiment, and what her legacy means for future generations of players.

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Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com
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00:05 Intro to the documentary
04:30 Family movie night reactions
08:50 Chess stories on Netflix
13:30 Underdog appeal in chess
19:40 What the film leaves out
27:00 Polgar’s rise explained
36:30 Polgar vs Kasparov debate
1:00:20 Lessons from the film

Friday Feb 20, 2026

EP 180 | Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer ft. IM John Donaldson

Friday Feb 20, 2026

John Donaldson joins Dojo Talks to discuss his new book "Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer", a collection of Fischer’s lesser-known writings and annotations. The conversation explores why Fischer’s games are still highly instructive for modern players, how his practical decision-making shows up in systems like the King’s Indian Attack, and what his approach reveals about classic chess ideas like overprotection and restraint. They also dive into Fischer’s obsession with analytical accuracy, the origins of “the Rat” opening, and the importance of regularly playing tournament games if you actually want your study to translate into better results over the board.

Pick up a copy here: https://amzn.to/3Op81Aw

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

00:05 New Fischer book and why Donaldson studies him
03:02 What’s inside the book
06:51 Why Fischer games still teach well
10:29 A key pawn move in the Kings Indian Attack
15:32 Fischer using classic chess ideas
24:02 Fischer arguing analysis and loving accuracy
39:20 What “the Rat” opening means
47:54 How many games to play each year and when Fischer became GM level

Friday Jan 23, 2026

EP 179 | Modern Chess Training Methods

Friday Jan 23, 2026

In this episode, Jesse and Kostya are joined again by TheChessNerd where they rank various digital-era training tools—from Puzzle Rush to AI bots—to determine which modern methods actually improve your game versus those that are just "mid." They debate the merits of fast-paced online play and new technologies, weighing their convenience against the "demons" of distraction and cheating.

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

04:10 Puzzle Rush
08:00 Blitz
13:31 Online Play
20:44 E-boards
24:35 Blindfold Training
29:05 Playing Against Bots

Monday Jan 12, 2026

EP 178 | The Top-10 Greatest Chess Tournaments Ever

Monday Jan 12, 2026

In this episode of Dojo Talks, we rank and debate the 10 greatest chess tournaments of all time — from historic classics like London 1851, Hastings 1895, and St. Petersburg 1914 to legendary modern events featuring Kasparov, Fischer, Tal, Topalov, and more.

Joined by ChessNerd, the Dojo team breaks down:
Kasparov’s breakout at the Soviet Championship 1981
The birth of international chess tournaments at London 1851
Pillsbury’s stunning win at Hastings 1895
The controversial 1948 World Championship tournament
Steinitz and the rise of positional chess in Vienna 1873
Topalov’s dominant run at San Luis 2005
Fischer’s emergence at the Portorož Interzonal
Tal’s shocking victory in the 1959 Candidates Tournament

From early romantic-era events to brutal Soviet-era candidates and modern super tournaments, we debate what truly makes a tournament great: strength of field, historical impact, legendary games, and cultural significance.

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

00:05 – Ranking format and guest intro
01:25 – Kasparov breakout at Soviet Championship 1981
04:13 – London 1851 and early tournament history
07:16 – Hastings 1895 and Pillsbury’s rise
10:10 – World Championship tournament 1948 debate
12:26 – Steinitz and positional chess in Vienna 1873
15:41 – Topalov’s run at San Luis 2005
18:10 – Fischer emerges at Portorož Interzonal
23:29 – Candidates 1959 and Tal’s ascent

Wednesday Dec 17, 2025

EP 177 | GM Yusupov on Women in Chess

Wednesday Dec 17, 2025

GM Artur Yusupov joins the podcast to discuss his work with the Women in Chess Foundation.

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

Saturday Dec 06, 2025

EP 176 | Gauri's Path to IM

Saturday Dec 06, 2025

This episode follows IM Gauri Shankar’s long, stop-and-start path to finally earning the IM title—balancing full-time teaching and content creation, struggling with USCF–FIDE rating disparities and nerves, reflecting on modern chess improvement and work–life balance, and discussing with Jesse and Kostya what it would really take to push on toward GM.

Check out the game between Gauri and Jesse mentioned in the episode here: https://www.chessdojo.club/games/2300-2400/2024.09.26_01343cb4-e508-44fe-8b82-9046cc189d79

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Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo

Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

00:00 – Live classes announcement
00:28 – Gauri’s early chess story
02:50 – Growing up in Chicago chess scene
04:50 – First norms and long break from chess
09:30 – Rating struggles and USCF–FIDE disparity
13:20 – Life as coach, streamer, creator
18:40 – Identity as player vs teacher
40:00 – Crossing 2400 and emotional breakthrough

Monday Dec 01, 2025

EP 175 | 2025 FIDE World Cup

Monday Dec 01, 2025

The episode recaps the 2025 World Cup and argues that the knockout + rapid-tiebreak format is too random for awarding three Candidates spots, even though Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Esipenko were deserving stories in different ways. The sensei preview how this unpredictability shapes the upcoming Candidates, discuss favorites (Fabi, Prag, Naka), and explain why Dojo still prefers a more merit-based qualification system.

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

00:00 Dojo in Charlotte and live classes
03:30 World Cup recap and qualifiers
07:30 Rapid tiebreaks and fatigue
12:30 Why the World Cup feels random
19:00 Final four paths and upsets
28:00 Sindarov and Wei Yi trajectories
41:00 Candidates preview and favorites

Tuesday Nov 11, 2025

EP 174 | Dark Squares: How Chess Saved Danny Rensch's Life

Tuesday Nov 11, 2025

The sensei discuss Danny Rensch’s memoir, Dark Squares, exploring how a traumatizing cult upbringing and early chess success shaped his life, career, and the wider evolution of the chess world.

Check out Dark Squares and pick up a copy here: https://amzn.to/4pyW2yt

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

00:03 – Book overview
03:22 – Ear injury & setbacks
12:24 – Shelby School & cult
24:55 – Trance & hierarchy
36:34 – Separation & trauma
55:34 – Chess world’s shift
1:13:24 – Media angle & Hans

Monday Nov 03, 2025

EP 173 | The State of US Chess 2025

Monday Nov 03, 2025

A wide-ranging recap finds US chess robust—shaped by Caruana’s four-peat and sharp prep, Woodward’s surge and Mishra’s uneven form, a stronger women’s field led by Carissa Yip’s GM push, players coping with the Naroditsky tragedy, India vs. USA depth debates, and the St. Louis Chess Club’s expansion cementing a national hub.

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Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo

Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

00:55 Impact of Naroditsky news on players
03:57 Caruana’s sustained edge and title streak
10:21 Mishra’s stall after breakthrough
11:30 Woodward’s rise and dynamic style
20:02 Caruana’s fresh opening ideas and defense
25:05 U.S. depth with seven 2700s and India comparison
31:06 Carissa Yip’s GM trajectory and tougher women’s field
48:00 St. Louis Chess Club reopening and U.S. chess hubs

Monday Oct 27, 2025

EP 172 | Justice for Daniel Naroditsky

Monday Oct 27, 2025

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Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.