This podcast put me on to a lot of chess books and the culture. Nothing is perfect but the topics discussed are good enough to keep me listening despite the host, possibly not pacing himself when he speaks, gulping and voice cracking. It drives me insane.

Really enjoy this. Great source for insights into the game, the top players, tournament and the whole chess scene.

Good guest selections, good questions, and a quick way to catch up on chess world gossip!

Great podcast with actionable advice and insights for chess.

I want to preface my review by saying this is probably the best chess podcast on earth. The variety of guests and topics is not lacking. The only issue I have with the podcast is the lack of professionalism when it comes to adding bias dialogue on politics and socioeconomic issues. This type of platform should be neutral ground. You have to keep in mind the wide spectrum of differing beliefs and political affiliations. I’ve heard Ben criticize Trump multiple times. Although I’m not a supporter of Trump, I think its extremely unprofessional for Ben to bring up such topics.

The interviewer is thoroughly knowledgeable and conscientious, and he creates a friendly atmosphere while still adding information when necessary in order to present a balanced treatment of a particular issue. It is clear that the guests, often luminaries in the fields of chess playing and training, respect him. Great show

Very informative podcast, very well presented. Eclectic mix of guests, from grandmasters to enthusiastic amateurs. Host Ben Johnson is not only a strong chess player himself but also well spoken and always well prepared for his interviews. I learned a lot about chess from just listening to this podcast.

it’s a really good podcast it’s super interesting seeing chess players better than me share thoughts about different chess related stuff

I love this Podcast. Ben Johnson is an excellent interviewer - he is skillful at connecting with his guests and sharing insights that are engaging and informed. I am a novice and chess has been a mystery to me for most of my life. This podcast invites us all in and shares with us the depth, history, culture, art and beauty, of chess. I always look forward to the book reviews and recommendations and Ben is mindful to tell us which books are better for beginners - I have in the past bought chess books that made me lost in a myriad of alternative variations and explanations that made no sense to me. I am happy for the guidance -

This is my favorite chess podcast. From learning about chess books, to discussing strategies for improvement, to interviews with great chess players, perpetual chess has it all.

Late 2022, I went back to the beginning and this show is riddle with encouraging gems for any level of chess player. As an adult improver, this show is a beacon of positivity that progress is not only possible, but inevitable. Overall, thank you, Ben Johnson, for pursuing your vision and adding so much to our global, sub-culture.

The host is a sensitive child, not a man. The only thing he is good for is making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for 8 year olds.

Calm, in depth, balanced. Broadens a chess fan’s interest far beyond the board. Good stuff!

Very entertaining podcast. Please no more “like” Greg “like“ Shedahy, because “like” he “like” drives the listener”like” crazy.

A mature commentary that I appreciate, especially when compared to other options such as Hikaru’s YouTube channel

I’ve been listening to Perpetual Chess since it first appeared, when it was the basically the only option. Now, thanks to the Queen’s Gambit boom(let), there are many other chess podcasts to fill your ears…but none better. than this, the OG, that only continues to improve and expand with something for everyone from chess fan to chess zealot and from unrated-and-uninterested-in-being-rated to grandmaster.

Overall an excellent podcast with interesting guests.

All special interest podcasts should aspire to cover their subjects in a way that Perpetual Chess covers chess and chess related subjects. This podcast has nearly everything one could ask for in a podcast about chess. Guests include luminaries such as former world champions, famous grandmasters, coaches, writers, YouTube/Twitch superstars, rising talents, as well as regular adults trying to improve their game. Subjects include major tournaments, book reviews, lives of famous chess personalities, chess history, and tips on how to improve at any level. The host, guest, content, and pacing are great. If you have even a passing interest in chess or want to improve your game, I strongly recommend you check out this podcast.

Particularly if you are an adult trying to improve at chess, Benny’s podcast is the best podcast for both learning how to level up your chess as well as learning chess history.

This is the perfect Chess podcast. It has people who are fairly well known in the Chess community, people who aren’t fairly well known but have a lot of good things to say, adult improvers, authors, everything! Such an easy listen and I can’t recommend any higher.

Love the all the great interviews with the top level GM’s, the adult improver series, and the book reviews. Ben does an amazing job with getting a well rounded selection of people to interview. Very incite full into the chess world and love all the book recommendations.

Grab the episodes as they are released to enjoy. Go back through the archives. You won’t be disappointed in the incredible content. Top level chess players to adult improvers. Always engaging and enjoyable episodes.

This is by far the best chess podcast there is and a must listen for all chess enthusiasts. Regardless of you level, beginner to GM, I think there is something for everyone.

Ben has done the chess community a great service by creating this podcast. He interviews top grandmasters, humble adult improvers at the amateur level, and regularly reviews chess book. I especially appreciate the improvement angle he takes with all of his guests, some of whom are elite super GMs and even former world champions(!!), on how us mere mortals can improve.

I started playing chess just over a year ago and listened to every episode in 10 months. Perpetual chess is both informative and entertaining. I’ve learned a lot of chess history as well as picking up tips and ideas I can work in in my own game. I even wound up hiring one of the adult improver guests as my first ever coach. Can’t recommend it enough. Would give more than 5 stars if I could!!!

Overall a good podcast. Good guests from a wide range of chess levels. I really enjoy the old timers who tell first hand stories of chess in decades past. My only gripe is that the host sometimes seems uninterested or detached from his conversation. For example he can seem only concerned with what he is going to say next and not really even listening to his interviewee. Gives off inorganic vibes. It seems insignificant, but it’s glaring when it happens.

I look forward to this podcast every week. So much chess knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. Guests, topics, reoccurring themes and new situations. Basically all things chess. Ben is a gifted host who has gotten much better throughout the series. This is the first review I’ve ever wrote and I felt compelled to. I’d also say the website along with the podcast is perhaps the most organized and informative as I’ve ever seen, and that’s the God’s honest truth.

My game has improved so much by listening to this entertaining and insightful podcast. Thanks for all your hard work Ben!

Don’t let the topic dissuade you! This isn’t 2 savants playing verbal chess in his/head over audio - it’s highly engaging, interesting and fun conversations with Grand Masters and amateurs alike covering chess, what they love about the game, how they started playing and how each approaches a match. Stunned how enjoyable this is to listen to thanks to, perhaps, the only host who could make chess a joy through an audio medium. Check out the Joe Posnanski episode about playing Priest Holmes! Fascinating!

Of all the pods out there, this is really the only great chess podcast. From the Adult Improver episodes to the book reviews, I love all of it. Nowadays, it’s the podcast I’m looking most forward to at the start of each week. Do yourself a favor and tune in ♟

Have to admit I was skeptical that a podcast about chess could be fun. I was worried it would be all endless chess lines that are impossible to keep straight while jogging and driving. Instead the guests and host do an excellent job keeping the subject fun and have great sympathy for all of us for whom chess will be a hobby

I love this podcast. I love that Ben challenges guests and expresses his views as well, it makes for interesting conversations. After all, chess is not about one side only, and his unique style genuinely opens up guests and makes the conversations feel real. I feel like I’m getting a glimpse into the world of chess. You can appreciate his genuine obsession.

My only feedback is that I feel like Ben is too set in his beliefs when interviewing people. I’m only rated 1300 but you don’t have to know chess to know it feels weird when Ben sort of pushes his guest to agree with one of his beliefs instead of allowing the guest to expound on their beliefs fully. It’s almost like he has his set beliefs about chess improvement and he is seeking validation for his personal process when the road to chess improvement is more individualized than that. Not that he is wrong about improvement, though, as he is an expert. His opinions are incredibly valid. I think he should do solo podcasts where he speaks his beliefs and leave the interviews for the guests’ ideas. I think a good interviewer allows the guest to speak their whole, unabridged mind and Ben could do a better job being a more unbiased platform for people to speak their chess beliefs on. I love this podcast though and Ben really does the best job at getting amazing guests and providing extremely high quality content!

Great!

Excellent show! Instructive and entertaining for players of all levels.

If you love Chess then you’ll love this podcast. A wealth of knowledge can be yours by listening to the outstanding interviews.

GM guests

Incredibly entertaining, just began listening and on episode two I knew I was a fan.

The Perpetual Chess Podcast is packed full of interesting and informative interviews with many of the biggest names in chess and chess education, but also chess historians, adult improvers, streamers, and anyone with a great chess-related story to tell. That Ben Johnson has kept this show going at such high quality for years, as a sideline, is a testament to his commitment.

I am just getting back into chess after a long absence and this podcast is really helping. While some of the topics are over my head, they help give me an idea of where to concentrate. The other episodes, such as the book discussions and adult improver talks, are perfect for where I am now. Good stuff and great interviews! Keep up the fine programming Ben. Thanks.

Been going back and listening to all. Love the monthly book reviews too.

Terrific podcast! Featuring stories from some of the top players and personalities in the game.

I have recently picked up chess again after a long break, and I was looking for something to listen to that might help me improve. While there is great bits of advice in the show, I’m astonished at how entertaining it is too. Great work!

I learn so much from this podcast, and also it is so enjoyable. I never miss an episode, and have listened to all podcast episodes of Perpetual Chess. I even found my teacher, Dan Heisman, because of his interview with Ben. Great job, Ben!

If you are new to the chess world and are looking for a podcast to further immerse yourself, you’ve found it! Ben does a great job making accessible all of the chess personalities, and the Adult Improver and book review episodes are fantastic resources for guiding your chess improvement.

Ben has got a unique style and it’s great. I love chess so I listen to Perpetual Chess for a variety of reasons, but, perhaps the most important of those reasons has been the role it has played in my own chess development, both culturally and practically. I have gleaned so much knowledge from the guests and from the ever probing questions posed by Ben, that I must say it is now inextricably linked to my love of chess and has a definite place in that, most personal, history.

I started playing chess a year and a half ago at 32 years old. Shortly after that I found this podcast. I’ve now listened to the entire archive of shows. Many of them multiple times. My favorite episodes are the adult improver episodes and the interviews with chess coaches. My goal is to eventually get good enough at chess to be on an adult improver episode. I started doing chess steps with my 4 and 6 year old after hearing about it on this podcast. So much that I know about chess has come from Perpetual Chess. Keep it up Ben!

I’ve been listening to Perpetual Chess for years and enjoy the many interviews with fascinating personalities of the chess wold. There’s something for any chess lover!

I discovered this podcast only about a month ago and I’m totally hooked! I recently came back to chess after a 40+ year absence and have been enthralled by the interviews of chess luminaries, the Adult Improver series, and book reviews. I started with the most recent podcast and am working my way back, listening to 1-2 a day (they’re in the neighborhood of 90 minutes each) while I work.

I recently returned to a consistent study and playing of chess after about a dozen years’ break from the game. I’m not a podcast junkie, but I can’t imagine giving up this one now that I’ve found it. I don’t listen to lots of chess material (very little YouTube for example) but this podcast is really a gem. The “Adult Improver” series is greatly insightful, and the Books Recaptured series is worth every second, especially if you don’t have the discussed book. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone looking to reorient themselves into the 2021 world of chess, or who is there already and somehow hasn’t heard this one before!