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Perpetual Chess Improvement: Practical Chess Advice from World-Class Players and Dedicated Amateurs
In a world awash in educational chess content, knowing how to study the game most effectively can be challenging. As the Perpetual Chess Podcast host, USCF Master Ben Johnson has spent hundreds of hours talking chess with many of the world’s top players and most accomplished trainers. In the popular Adult Improver Series, he has spoken with dozens of passionate amateurs who have elevated their games significantly while pursuing chess as a hobby. Guests like former World Champion Viswanathan Anand and YouTube Stars IM Levy Rozman and GM Hikaru Nakamura have shared insights and told memorable stories. And Ben has learned just as much from the many dedicated amateurs who applied their considerable professional (non-chess) experience to their chess learning. In Perpetual Chess Improvement, Ben looks for common ground and shared principles in all chess advice given on the podcast. Chess players do not always agree on the best improvement methods, so he even adjudicates a few disagreements! The book will show you the •How to approach and study different aspects of the game, including openings, endgames, tactics, tournament games, and speed chess. •How to find a chess coach and a like-minded chess community. •How to properly utilize all the powerful chess study tools available. •Instructive chess positions illustrate the topics discussed. The guests shared a wealth of beautiful stories, and chess study advice on the Perpetual Chess Podcast. This book compiles the highlights and will help you make a holistic plan for your chess studies.
- GenresChessNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2023
41 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 14, 2024
Unfortunately, this book shares all the vices of the podcast that it's based on:
- Lack of insight. Mostly he repeats tried and tested advice that everyone gives. To write an over 400 page book and fail to present me with a single new idea is... quite an accomplishment.
- Constant whining. This is something that always irks me when I see an interesting name and once again try to tune in to Johnson's podcast. The dude can't write a paragraph without mentioning how us poor adults are oh so tired and slow and have no time yadda yadda. It really is pitiful.
- Poor research. When discussing deliberate practice, he only refers to the original paper. Like wtf? Ericsson developed his idea for over 20 years, it's dumb to base your summary on the paper published when it was barely in its infancy.
Huge disappointment and a waste of money :(
Could be a good read for the <1500 crowd who want to read about chess without trying to learn anything I guess.
- Lack of insight. Mostly he repeats tried and tested advice that everyone gives. To write an over 400 page book and fail to present me with a single new idea is... quite an accomplishment.
- Constant whining. This is something that always irks me when I see an interesting name and once again try to tune in to Johnson's podcast. The dude can't write a paragraph without mentioning how us poor adults are oh so tired and slow and have no time yadda yadda. It really is pitiful.
- Poor research. When discussing deliberate practice, he only refers to the original paper. Like wtf? Ericsson developed his idea for over 20 years, it's dumb to base your summary on the paper published when it was barely in its infancy.
Huge disappointment and a waste of money :(
Could be a good read for the <1500 crowd who want to read about chess without trying to learn anything I guess.
December 11, 2023
This may be my first Goodreads review, or at least the first in a number of years, and that is testament to how much I loved this book and want to recommend it. Ben’s writing style is just what you would expect from listening to the Perpetual Chess Podcast, very down-to-earth, thoughtful, and funny, too. He makes it clear that he is very much on the chess improvement path with the rest of us, and understands the struggles of every level of player. He could have just phoned this book in by summarizing the many wonderful interviews he has done, but instead he analyzes what he has heard and organizes it into themes. He treats each succinctly but to a level of detail that is satisfying to the reader. I already love chess and am dedicated to my journey, but this book exponentially increased those feelings.
May 2, 2025
The advice in this book is awesome! Besides offering invaluable strategies for chess improvement, it also covers a wide range of interesting chess topics (e.g., the knowledge-skill gap; calculation vs. visualization; players who became titled as adults, sometimes as late as 70-years-old). It is also heavily influenced by Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, which is cool.
Some useful takeaways: 1) the most important thing for amateur improvement is tactics training; 2) prefer puzzles from books over those available online, and shoot for puzzle collections where you get about 70% correct, when spending about 5-10 minutes on each; 3) play regular tournament games and analyze them afterwards; 4) remember that speed chess is like weightlifting, as it can be harmful if done wrong (e.g., if an online addiction uses up your chess study time); 5) play through classic games, guessing at the moves for one side; 6) remember to always ask yourself about your opponent's plan, per their last move, and to look for loose pieces, especially on the 4th and 5th ranks; 7) only spend a minority of your time on learning openings (unless you are highly rated already).
Some useful takeaways: 1) the most important thing for amateur improvement is tactics training; 2) prefer puzzles from books over those available online, and shoot for puzzle collections where you get about 70% correct, when spending about 5-10 minutes on each; 3) play regular tournament games and analyze them afterwards; 4) remember that speed chess is like weightlifting, as it can be harmful if done wrong (e.g., if an online addiction uses up your chess study time); 5) play through classic games, guessing at the moves for one side; 6) remember to always ask yourself about your opponent's plan, per their last move, and to look for loose pieces, especially on the 4th and 5th ranks; 7) only spend a minority of your time on learning openings (unless you are highly rated already).
April 9, 2024
A great and motivational analysis of what makes you get better at chess, summarising and contrasting all sorts of different aspects, opinions and controversial subjects.
Perpetual Chess is a bit of a different chess book: more than teaching you chess, it teaches you what teaches. I'm not a big podcast-listener, but USCF Master Ben Johnson apparently has this podcast called Perpetual Chess on which he interviews all type of chess players from grandmasters to adult newbies. After having spoken with hundreds of people over the years, he now summarises everything he's gathered information wise on what people do to get better.
This covered such a great range of aspects and uncovers both common ground as well as controversies. I loved the approach of this: every chapter is dedicated to a specific aspect of chess and then Johnson illuminates it by quoting what different people said about it, what they are in unison on and what they disagreed about. At first he covers what he refers to as the four pillars of chess improvement, which are the four things that everyone seems to agree on: nothing helps you with getting better than actually playing tournament games, analysing those games, working on your calculation and pattern recognition skills and working with coaches, chess friends and mentors. All of these things might feel obvious, but reading this part of the book actually really motivated me as an adult learner myself!
Johnson asks questions most chess players have found themselves confronted with at some point. There's a whole part dedicated to chess' most burning questions: must you really know endgames? Do amateurs overemphasise opening study? How much time should you invest in sharpening your tactical vision? I liked how Johnson opposed various (and sometimes directly contradicting) opinions on these matters, allowing you to come to your own conclusions while prepping you with different lines of arguments that are all delivered in a clear and entertaining manner.
I think this is great for adult improvers. Others might have a joyful time with this as well, but particularly people who started playing chess in their adult years while still being keen on improving and investing in chess will learn a lot from this. I enjoyed the specific tips and recommendations and have implemented a couple of things I learned here into my own practice!
Perpetual Chess is a bit of a different chess book: more than teaching you chess, it teaches you what teaches. I'm not a big podcast-listener, but USCF Master Ben Johnson apparently has this podcast called Perpetual Chess on which he interviews all type of chess players from grandmasters to adult newbies. After having spoken with hundreds of people over the years, he now summarises everything he's gathered information wise on what people do to get better.
This covered such a great range of aspects and uncovers both common ground as well as controversies. I loved the approach of this: every chapter is dedicated to a specific aspect of chess and then Johnson illuminates it by quoting what different people said about it, what they are in unison on and what they disagreed about. At first he covers what he refers to as the four pillars of chess improvement, which are the four things that everyone seems to agree on: nothing helps you with getting better than actually playing tournament games, analysing those games, working on your calculation and pattern recognition skills and working with coaches, chess friends and mentors. All of these things might feel obvious, but reading this part of the book actually really motivated me as an adult learner myself!
Johnson asks questions most chess players have found themselves confronted with at some point. There's a whole part dedicated to chess' most burning questions: must you really know endgames? Do amateurs overemphasise opening study? How much time should you invest in sharpening your tactical vision? I liked how Johnson opposed various (and sometimes directly contradicting) opinions on these matters, allowing you to come to your own conclusions while prepping you with different lines of arguments that are all delivered in a clear and entertaining manner.
I think this is great for adult improvers. Others might have a joyful time with this as well, but particularly people who started playing chess in their adult years while still being keen on improving and investing in chess will learn a lot from this. I enjoyed the specific tips and recommendations and have implemented a couple of things I learned here into my own practice!
February 3, 2024
Una guía concisa y muy necesaria para recién iniciados con útiles consejos y recursos para mejorar, que te recuerda que lo más importante es pasarlo bien.
Muy motivante, con puzles atractivos y anécdotas que lo hacen superameno.
Muy motivante, con puzles atractivos y anécdotas que lo hacen superameno.
June 2, 2024
“Perpetual Chess Improvement” von Ben Johnson richtet sich vor allem an erwachsene Schachspieler, die ihre Fähigkeiten verbessern möchten, ohne selbst Großmeister zu sein. Johnson, bekannt als Gastgeber des Perpetual Chess Podcast, kombiniert in diesem Buch wertvolle Einsichten und Ratschläge von Schachmeistern und engagierten Amateuren.
Konsensbereiche:
1. Ernsthafte Partien spielen und analysieren: Wichtig für das Lernen aus eigenen Spielen.
2. Regelmäßiges Taktiktraining: Unerlässlich zur Verbesserung der taktischen Fähigkeiten.
3. Schachgemeinschaft finden: Austausch mit anderen Spielern ist entscheidend.
Unterschiedliche Auffassungen:
1. Visualisierung von Schachstellungen: Verschiedene Methoden werden diskutiert.
2. Studium von Eröffnungen: Unterschiedliche Philosophien und Ansätze.
3. Blitzschach spielen: Kontroverse über den Nutzen von Blitzpartien.
Johnson betont, dass es viele Wege zur Verbesserung gibt und jeder Spieler den Ansatz finden sollte, der zu ihm passt. Seine Leidenschaft für Schach und sein Verständnis der Herausforderungen machen “Perpetual Chess Improvement” zu einer wertvollen Ressource für alle, die ihre Schachfähigkeiten langfristig steigern möchten.
Konsensbereiche:
1. Ernsthafte Partien spielen und analysieren: Wichtig für das Lernen aus eigenen Spielen.
2. Regelmäßiges Taktiktraining: Unerlässlich zur Verbesserung der taktischen Fähigkeiten.
3. Schachgemeinschaft finden: Austausch mit anderen Spielern ist entscheidend.
Unterschiedliche Auffassungen:
1. Visualisierung von Schachstellungen: Verschiedene Methoden werden diskutiert.
2. Studium von Eröffnungen: Unterschiedliche Philosophien und Ansätze.
3. Blitzschach spielen: Kontroverse über den Nutzen von Blitzpartien.
Johnson betont, dass es viele Wege zur Verbesserung gibt und jeder Spieler den Ansatz finden sollte, der zu ihm passt. Seine Leidenschaft für Schach und sein Verständnis der Herausforderungen machen “Perpetual Chess Improvement” zu einer wertvollen Ressource für alle, die ihre Schachfähigkeiten langfristig steigern möchten.
December 27, 2023
Imagine having the opportunity to talk to hundreds and hundreds of the world top GMs, the best chess trainers, writers, coaches, chess psychologists, adult improvers, YouTubers and so on and so forth. Then, putting all of that into one very accessible book. Well, that is this book and more!
Having been interviewed by Ben myself, I was eager to read his opinion on adult improvement as I'd been a long-time listener of the podcast. I always thought - what does he think having listened and questioned so many people? Well, this book gave me that opportunity.
It's extremely well written, considered and very relevant for chess improvers of all ages.
I have put over ten years heavy study into adult chess improvement and I though I knew most things, but this book made me think again. It's not the opinion of one man but a weighted consideration of all the best chess advice in the world. Every chess player should own it.
Having been interviewed by Ben myself, I was eager to read his opinion on adult improvement as I'd been a long-time listener of the podcast. I always thought - what does he think having listened and questioned so many people? Well, this book gave me that opportunity.
It's extremely well written, considered and very relevant for chess improvers of all ages.
I have put over ten years heavy study into adult chess improvement and I though I knew most things, but this book made me think again. It's not the opinion of one man but a weighted consideration of all the best chess advice in the world. Every chess player should own it.
December 22, 2023
A great book to help with improving your performance
Most Chess books focus on the one detail of the game. This book focuses on the overall game, giving advice from quite a few excellent players including many Grand Masters. For an adult learner, this advice is worth its weight in gold. This is a book mainly for adults to improve their Chess who have limited resources.
The book will instruct you in what to do to succeed but it will not tell you the low level Chess details that you get from other books. Consider this Meta-Chess strategy. Do not expect this book to provide analysis or even whether to study, for example, the Caro Kann Advance Variation, or any other specific Chess subject. But it will give advise on how to evaluate you Chess learning and where you should go to improve your performance.
Most Chess books focus on the one detail of the game. This book focuses on the overall game, giving advice from quite a few excellent players including many Grand Masters. For an adult learner, this advice is worth its weight in gold. This is a book mainly for adults to improve their Chess who have limited resources.
The book will instruct you in what to do to succeed but it will not tell you the low level Chess details that you get from other books. Consider this Meta-Chess strategy. Do not expect this book to provide analysis or even whether to study, for example, the Caro Kann Advance Variation, or any other specific Chess subject. But it will give advise on how to evaluate you Chess learning and where you should go to improve your performance.
March 22, 2024
A great companion for an “adult improver”
I’ve been a fan of Ben Johnson’s Perpetual Chess podcast since its early days and have benefitted from listening and re-listening to many interviews. Closest to heart certainly were the many episodes with “adult improvers”, a term Ben coined for adults struggling with chess improvement in the various conditions of family life, full-time jobs and a quickly changing chess landscape.
This book is the distilled wisdom from those interviews and from Ben talking to GMs and chess coaches. It’s both practical and realistic, with its many advices and compassionate thoughts about a struggling adult. You’ll find a great chess friend in Ben and also in his guests through this book (and the ongoing podcast) and improvement will surely become easier.
I’ve been a fan of Ben Johnson’s Perpetual Chess podcast since its early days and have benefitted from listening and re-listening to many interviews. Closest to heart certainly were the many episodes with “adult improvers”, a term Ben coined for adults struggling with chess improvement in the various conditions of family life, full-time jobs and a quickly changing chess landscape.
This book is the distilled wisdom from those interviews and from Ben talking to GMs and chess coaches. It’s both practical and realistic, with its many advices and compassionate thoughts about a struggling adult. You’ll find a great chess friend in Ben and also in his guests through this book (and the ongoing podcast) and improvement will surely become easier.
September 9, 2024
A great book for adult chess improvers
Reading this book will not increase your ELO rating, but it will expand your understanding of the uses of the many tools available to the adult improver. For me, the most valuable aspect of the book is it’s emphasis on understanding your motivation for playing chess and using that knowledge to inform your improvement plans. The book is organized and written in a very accessible style. It’s not meant to be studied, like a typical chess book, but to be enjoyed.
Reading this book will not increase your ELO rating, but it will expand your understanding of the uses of the many tools available to the adult improver. For me, the most valuable aspect of the book is it’s emphasis on understanding your motivation for playing chess and using that knowledge to inform your improvement plans. The book is organized and written in a very accessible style. It’s not meant to be studied, like a typical chess book, but to be enjoyed.
January 11, 2025
Really excellent book on how to improve at chess. A must read for any serious life-long learner of the game. Ben Johnson has been the leading podcaster in the chess world for over a decade and has distilled down all the information of the hundreds of interviews and conversations he's had on chess improvement with the best players and coaches. He shares what's widely agreed upon as well as some areas of debate.
Some ideas from the book:
The four main pillars of chess improvement which are widely upon:
1. Playing long form games (of consequence)
2. Analysis of those games
3. Tactics training
4. Community
Johnson emphasizes that dedicated focus is essential to improvement. If you're half-assing your puzzles you're not going to meaningfully improve.
I've found that lesson to be true in my own life in chess and beyond. For example I recently tried one of those services which summarizes personal growth books for you so they're faster to consume. But I found the ideas didn't sink in nearly as much as I soon forgot the lessons. I've found there's no substitute for reading the actual book from the actual expert, who took time to make the book as impactful as possible, and giving my dedicated focus to it.
Johnson's book also put me on to IM Kostya Kavutskiy's endgame study course on Chessable which is INCREDIBLE. The best $20 I've ever spent on chess. It's a must if you're 1400-1800 range in my opinion. So cool, fun and useful.
Some ideas from the book:
The four main pillars of chess improvement which are widely upon:
1. Playing long form games (of consequence)
2. Analysis of those games
3. Tactics training
4. Community
Johnson emphasizes that dedicated focus is essential to improvement. If you're half-assing your puzzles you're not going to meaningfully improve.
I've found that lesson to be true in my own life in chess and beyond. For example I recently tried one of those services which summarizes personal growth books for you so they're faster to consume. But I found the ideas didn't sink in nearly as much as I soon forgot the lessons. I've found there's no substitute for reading the actual book from the actual expert, who took time to make the book as impactful as possible, and giving my dedicated focus to it.
Johnson's book also put me on to IM Kostya Kavutskiy's endgame study course on Chessable which is INCREDIBLE. The best $20 I've ever spent on chess. It's a must if you're 1400-1800 range in my opinion. So cool, fun and useful.
September 18, 2024
A general book on chess improvement. I coach grade school chess players, so I realize that I am not the target audience. I enjoyed the portions on the amount of training material that is available online and the explanation of the free material compared to the material available for purchase.
Many of the ideas were very similar to what I experienced in business improvement sessions that I experienced frequently in my work life. It would be valuable for chess players that need additional motivation to improve.
Many of the ideas were very similar to what I experienced in business improvement sessions that I experienced frequently in my work life. It would be valuable for chess players that need additional motivation to improve.
September 10, 2025
It's a fun read for all chess lovers. It doesn't hold any secret recipe for improvement (as it doesn't really exist), but there are tidbits of valuable information in the whole book. Even when I consider myself someone with decades of experience in this game, I still learned new perspectives on some aspects of the game. The compilation of quotes and references that Ben provides has been accurate for the structure he proposed for all the content in his book, definitely enjoyable and easy to read.
November 28, 2023
Great summary of Perpetual Chess Podcast
I have been listening to Perpetual Chess Podcast for a few months and this book is a great summary of the most important information from the podcast. Excellent read on what many players, both professionals and amateurs, consider to be critical for chess improvement.
I have been listening to Perpetual Chess Podcast for a few months and this book is a great summary of the most important information from the podcast. Excellent read on what many players, both professionals and amateurs, consider to be critical for chess improvement.
December 17, 2024
I really like Ben's podcast, and I think maybe if you don't like podcasts at all there is something to learn from this book - but honestly; the format of his podcast doesn't really translate particularly well to the format of a book and most of the time I just found myself wishing I was listening to the masters/players and episodes cited rather than reading the book itself.
November 26, 2023
Amazing book; I greatly enjoyed it. The writing style is fantastic: simple and direct prose. I highly recommend it to any chess player!
My favorite quote from the book:
"For all the beauty of a well-conceived combination and the thrill of victory a game can provide, a sense of community is the best gift that chess can bestow."
My favorite quote from the book:
"For all the beauty of a well-conceived combination and the thrill of victory a game can provide, a sense of community is the best gift that chess can bestow."
January 23, 2024
WOW. I think this is the most important chess book on the market right now for chess players. There is really nothing like this out there and it is filled with vital information for adult improvers. I truly feel like this book will become a classic. Well done Ben!
July 17, 2024
My #1 chess podcast turned into one of my favourite chess books. Great studying tips from the world's best chess players and trainers, with plenty of insights on all aspects of the game, written in a light-hearted manner.
February 5, 2025
The chapters are hit and miss, and there's a lot of filler.
April 28, 2025
could have been a lot better
more of an unorganized collection of advice
which could have been much more carefully done
more of an unorganized collection of advice
which could have been much more carefully done
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews