Perpetual Chess Linkfest #127, June 20, 2025
Fully Engage
Hi again. Here is the latest and greatest from the chess internet. Have a good weekend!- Ben
Chess Improvement
Why do we keep making dumb moves? Dr. Nick Vasquez investigates. “Research shows that “When human error happens, the activation level of the brain is lower.” (Chess in Small Doses)
GM Jose Gonzalez shares some good advice. “No matter who your trainer is, the responsibility for your improvement ultimately lies with you. The best results come when you take ownership of your training, work hard, and fully engage with the learning process.” (Chessable Blog)
Sam Asaka writes about what he calls “practical calculation” i.e. calculation that isn’t spawned from a tactics trainer and doesn’t necessarily yield a tidy solution. This is an underrated component of chess skill that GM Wojciech Moranda and FM Nate Solon have also highlighted in my interviews with them. (Road to Infinity)
Continuing on a recent post by Dr. Nick Vasquez, NM Matt Gross shares some reflections on how to go about analyzing your games. “Identifying an issue can be relatively quick. Fixing an issue usually isn’t quick at all.” (MoveLibary)
Chess News
Chess.com reported their May cheating closures and there were 0 cheaters in May! Just kidding, 11 titled players had their accounts closed, and 113K+ accounts were closed for fair play overall. (Chess.com News)
LiChess has ended its boycott of the St. Louis Chess Club (LiChess Blog)
Can choosing a new chess opening solve all of your problems? Skeptics say no, but SeriousChessNews begs to differ. “A few months ago I went to the bookstore for a new book on the Dragon – a nice lady helped me find it, we got chatting and one thing led to another. We’re living together now. .. Then at work, I showed my boss one trap that he used to beat his 6-year old nephew. He immediately gave me a promotion.” (Serious Chess News)
Popular YouTuber IM John Bartholomew has been playing in Lichess’ famed “4545” league and recapping his preparation and games for his YouTube channel (Lichess Blog)
Chess Podcasts/Videos
This week I interviewed Samuel Sonning a computer scientist who founded a chess startup called NoctieAI. Samuel is an avid chess player himself and discussed how he improved his visualization skills, why he thinks immediate feedback is important, his company, and the future of chess and AI. (Perpetual Chess Podcast)
OK, I have to admit that I haven’t gotten to this one yet, but GM Jacob Aagaard and IM Kostya Kavutskiy talking chess improvement is sure to be good. (ChessDojo YouTube)
Improve Your Chess and Support this Newsletter!
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Chessdojo- Great chess community for dedicated improvers, use- the code “Ben40” at checkout for a discount on your first month of membership.
https://www.chessdojo.club/signup
Chessmood- Chessmood features a chess video library with opening, middlegame, endgame videos. Plus game analysis and opening explorer tools.
Chessmood Free one Week Trial-
Chess.com-
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