Perpetual Chess Podcast

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

Jan Gustafsson, grandmaster and opening theoretician who has worked with Magnus Carlsen, previews the 2026 Candidates field. He breaks down contenders like Praggnanandhaa, Sindarov, Caruana and Nakamura. They discuss stamina, preparation, time controls, the Women’s Candidates, and who offers the best value picks. Jan also touches on his latest projects and on-site commentary plans.

Matt Biancuzzo, a NYC-based player and creator known as ByredoPhantom, rose from under 1400 to ~1800 USCF while building a lively chess social life. He talks about how clubs and pub chess made improvement fun. He also explains his quick, satirical short videos, using impressions, trends, and low-effort editing to make content go viral.

Han Schut, National Master and Chessable author known for the Steps Method and chess tech, reflects on GM Jan Timman’s legacy. He recounts using Claude to rebuild searchable puzzle and opening tools, discusses creating AI-assisted chess study aids, and shares practical tips on managing fatigue, mindset, and effective puzzle practice.

Aman Hambleton, Canadian grandmaster and co-founder of the Chessbrahs, chats about his London commentary gig and his new Chessable London System course. He recounts the Speed Chess Championship atmosphere, debates rapid versus classical formats, defends the London System against critics, and jokes about streaming life, blitz ratings, chessboxing and Magnus’s mustache.

Katie Kormanik, author and former competitive chess player who wrote Adventures of a Chess Girl, reflects on how chess shaped her identity and served as refuge during her formative years. She recounts tournament life, friendships with top players, and the coming-of-age arc of her memoir. She also talks about self-publishing the book and reactions to the Queen of Chess documentary.

Dr. Kevin Scull, chess improver, teacher and podcaster who reached a new 1800+ USCF in his 50s, shares stories from tournament play and years of interviewing adult improvers. He discusses adult-only tournaments and why they boost camaraderie. He talks training habits, coaching, tactical pattern practice, memory for postmortems, and balancing chess with family life.

Yasser Seirawan, four-time U.S. Champion and celebrated storyteller, reflects on becoming a master raconteur and his love of books. He shares vivid tales of Fischer, Najdorf, and Larsen. He explains how Jeremy Silman shaped his Winning Chess series. He also discusses St. Louis Chess Club renovations, World Chess Hall of Fame exhibits, and the creation of Seirawan Chess.

Brad Stulberg, best-selling author and co-host of Excellence Actually, explores what pursuing excellence looks like for amateurs. He discusses arrival fallacy versus summit fever. Conversation touches on chess as a microcosm of performance, balancing digital and analog learning, handling plateaus, and lessons from interviews with top players like Maxime and Kasparov.

FIDE Master Carsten Hansen, a prolific chess author and book reviewer, delves into tactics training and chess improvement. He addresses the common challenge of plateauing in tactical skills and provides insights on effective training strategies. Carsten also shares his top recent chess book recommendations, including intriguing biographies and improvement guides. Additionally, he discusses his collaboration on 'Chess Openings for Dummies', revealing his extensive writing process and upcoming projects, making for an enlightening conversation for chess enthusiasts.