Shows
ChessMood PodcastThe Untold Stories of Carlsen & Kramnik | GM Laurent Fressinet on ChessMood PodcastFrom reaching a 2700 rating and being among the world’s top 20 players, to helping both Vladimir Kramnik and Magnus Carlsen in World Championship matches… From classic board preparation to modern engine work — our guest is GM Laurent Fressinet.In this honest conversation with GM Avetik, he opens up about:– Working with legends like Kramnik and Carlsen– The emotional and mental challenges of elite chess– Insightful stories from the World Championship matches– Why he stopped chasing 2700 and embraced coaching– The evolution of chess: Why modern chess is all about speed2025-06-181h 02
ChessMood PodcastThe Price I Paid for Ignoring the Truth | GM Levon Aronian on ChessMood PodcastIn this raw and powerful conversation, GM Levon Aronian opens up about the truths he avoided — and the price he paid for it.From missing his chance at the World Championship to learning the hard lessons about discipline, ambition, and self-awareness, Levon shares insights few Grandmasters ever admit publicly.You’ll hear about his journey through crisis and reinvention, why real growth begins with brutal honesty, and how facing the truth — not running from it — shaped his life both on and off the chessboard.A rare and vulnerable glimpse into the mindset of one of c...2025-04-301h 09
ChessMood PodcastThe Joy Is in the Journey, Not the End | Rao Srikumar on ChessMood PodcastIn this special episode of the ChessMood Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Rao Srikumar — bestselling author, TED speaker, and former professor at some of the world’s top business schools. Known as the “FedEx guy” for delivering timeless wisdom in modern language, Dr. Rao has mentored thousands of elite entrepreneurs and thinkers. In this deep, honest, and often surprising conversation with GM Avetik, they explore: ✅ Emotional mastery in life and chess ✅ Letting go of anger and attachment ✅ The idea of destiny and control ✅ Why happiness isn't something you pursue ✅...2025-04-121h 06
ChessMood PodcastEnjoy Your Plateaus, Invest in the Process | GM Noel Studer on the ChessMood PodcastChampions, our guest today is Grandmaster Noel Studer!After retiring from professional chess, he started NextLevelChess, where he shares his experience and insights to help others improve their game.Noel’s website https://nextlevelchess.com/Over 200 articles https://nextlevelchess.com/articles/His course on how to study chess https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system-----------------------------------Get three free courses:https://chessmood.com/course/opening-principleshttps://chessmood.com/course/avetik-grigoryan-best-gameshttps://chessmood.com/course/gabuzyan-best-gamesAt ChessMood, you le...2025-03-2957 min
Chess with MustreaderThis MINDSET can help you WIN at CHESS / Podcast GM Avetik GrigoryanTry 500+ hours of chess courses for free: https://chessmood.com/mustreaderCan your outfit affect your chess rating? GM Avetik Grigoryan reveals surprising psychological tricks that helped his students gain hundreds of rating points. We explore the champion's mindset, analyze the World Championship match, and learn powerful secrets of peak performance. Plus: watch our exciting blitz game!
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Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 410- Chess improvement, Chess Business, and AI coaching with GM Avetik Grigoryan of Chessmood.comGM Avetik Grigoryan is the founder and lead trainer of the education chess website Chessmood.com. I last interviewed Avetik in 2020, and his company has seen explosive growth since then. We discussed what Avetik has learned about growing a chess start-up, but also what he has learned about the challenges adults face in trying to improve at chess. Whereas previously Avetik thought the biggest obstacle was that people set unrealistic goals, now he sees a few bigger issues. We also talked about how artificial intelligence will impact chess improvement in the future and some of the tools Chessmood is...2024-11-261h 09
ChessMood PodcastInside the European Champion’s Mind | GM Aleksandar Indjic on ChessMood PodcastChampions, our guest today is the European Champion 2024, Grandmaster Aleksandar Indjic.In this episode, we explore his approach to winning tournaments, managing setbacks, and using pressure as a tool for success. He also shares stories about his legendary coach GM Velimirovic, insights from working with Super Grandmaster Morozevich, and other fascinating experiences from his chess journey.There was a moment when he gave such brilliant advice that Avetik broke into applause. You’re going to enjoy this!-----------------------------------Get three free courses:https://chessmood.com/course/opening-principlesht...2024-11-2248 min
ChessMood PodcastBeyond Chess Success and What Really Matters GM Georg Meier on ChessMood Podcast GM Georg Meier has trained with the world’s best – Carlsen and Kasparov. The latter even predicted that GM Meier would break the 2700 elo barrier.He was living the dream of a professional chess player. But then, he left his chess ambitions behind to follow a new path. Why did he do it?In his chess career, what did he learn from his interactions with five world champions? What advice does he have for chess players?Find out in this episode as GM Georg Meier sits down with GM Avetik to shar...2024-10-081h 05
ChessMood PodcastPursue Excitement for Lasting Happiness | Soulaima Gourani on ChessMood PodcastOur guest is the inspiring Soulaima Gourani, who went from experiencing homelessness and dropping out of school to reaching a level where she would fly on private jets, receive numerous awards, including '40 under 40,' and Top 100 Women, and build successful businesses.In conversation with GM Avetik, she talks about building an excuseless mindset, the key to finding lasting happiness, goal setting, what she would do to reach her chess goal today, and much more.Check out Soulaima’s work here:Visit her website: https://soulaima.com/Follow her on Twitter: ht...2024-09-031h 27
ChessMood PodcastThink big and believe in yourself | Kevin Goh on ChessMood PodcastWhen his father was diagnosed with cancer, GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming knew he had limited time to fulfill his dream of becoming a Grandmaster. Despite being the CFO of a major startup, Kevin pushed himself and earned his GM title! At 36!Then Kevin quit his comfortable job to become the CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation, determined to make Singapore a chess country. And now, the upcoming 2024 World Championship Match between Gukesh and Ding is being held there!How does Kevin set and achieve such ambitious goals? How does he push past limitations and...2024-08-1353 min
ChessMood PodcastMentally Strong Chess Players Don’t Do This | Amy Morin on ChessMood PodcastAmy Morin, a renowned psychotherapist and the international bestselling author of “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”, joins GM Avetik as a guest on this episode of the ChessMood podcast. They talk about the list of things mentally strong chess players don’t do, how to get over painful defeats and how chess players can master mental strength.Check out Amy’s work here:Visit her website: https://amymorinlcsw.com/Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyMorinLCSWWatch her inspiring TedX talk with over 23 million views: https://youtu.be/TF...2024-03-121h 13
ChessMood PodcastTo succeed you have to love it | NM Ben Johnson on ChessMood Podcast On Today's Episode, our guest is NM Ben Johnson, host of the famous Perpetual Chess podcast.Apart from chess improvement and his book about it, we discuss:- How he built the discipline to record a new episode every week for over seven years- What he did when his motivation waned- How he overcame his fears- and many other things that you’ll find helpful for your chess journey.Navigate to a particular section of the episode:0:00 Intro02:39 How Ben st...2024-01-091h 16
ChessMood PodcastOn the Road to the Top 50 in the World | GM Bassem Amin on ChessMood PodcastOn Today's Episode the Smiley Grandmaster Bassem Amin shares:- How he became an FM at 11, IM at 16, and GM at 18- Why he decided to study medicine and why he returned to professional chess- Gratitude lessons he learned from the army- How he changed his training to reach a 2,700 rating- How he got into the top 50 in the world and what his next goal is- His No.1 advice for aspiring chess playersAnd much more…Follow Bassem Amin he...2023-12-021h 36
ChessMood PodcastDO it with passion, BE consistent, and HAVE a growth mindset | IM Eric Rosen on ChessMood Podcast On Today's Episode, one of the most loved chess streamers - IM Eric Rosen, shares:- How he overcame the plateau by working on his mindset and how he became an international master- How he learned to deal with defeats- How he fuels his journey with passion by learning new things- Why he doesn’t set long-term goals- How he finds the balance between being competitive and collaborative- And much more…Check out Eric Rosen here:https://www.yout...2023-11-251h 56
ChessMood PodcastHow to perform at your peak during a chess game | Ben Greenfield on ChessMood Podcast What can chess players learn from the world of biohacking?In this episode of the ChessMood podcast, our host and founder GM Avetik Grigoryan interviews Ben Greenfield, one of the world’s top biohackers, to share his insights. Ben’s also the author of thirteen bestselling books covering health, biohacking, fitness, and brain optimization. He has worked with many top athletes, CEOs, some of the top poker players, and has also been the president of a chess club!Connect with Ben Greenfield here:Website: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/Get the book...2023-10-1647 min
EVN DisruptAvetik Grigoryan & Masis Kumrigyan: Building Satellites in ArmeniaAvetik Grigoryan, the CEO and Co-Founder of Bazoomq Space Research Laboratory, and Masis Kumrigyan, the Technical Director of Space Programs at the Center for Scientific Innovation and Education (CSIE), join us to discuss the upcoming launch of Hayasat-1. Developed in a partnership between Bazoomq and CSIE, Hayasat-1 is a CubeSat. Grigoryan and Kumrigyan explain what CubeSats are, their uses, and the current trends in satellite technologies. We also talk about the development process of Hayasat-1 and its potential implications for the future of Armenia's space industry. Finally, we discuss the importance of popularizing science and space in Armenia and...2023-09-121h 07
ChessMood PodcastEmbracing Failure and Finding Success | James Altucher on ChessMood PodcastIn this episode of the ChessMood Podcast, our guest is James Altucher, a man who has turned his life around multiple times and achieved tremendous success in many fields! James is a serial entrepreneur, investor, bestselling author, stand-up comedian, blogger, podcaster, and also a chess master! From building a fortune by selling his first company to hitting rock-bottom and even contemplating suicide at one point to making a comeback by achieving success across various domains, his story is a testament of resilience and fearlessness! In this episode with the host GM Avetik Grigoryan, James shares his unique strategies for...2023-08-222h 02
ChessMood PodcastThe power of fearless mindset and the stories behind crossing 2,700 rating | Vladimir Akopian on ChessMood PodcastMultiple times Olympic and World Champion, elite chess Grandmaster Vladimir Akopian with 2700+ peak rating, shares the stories behind his remarkable career, including the advice he got from Botvinnik before winning his 1st World Championship, his matches with Garry Kasparov and how he was arrested on his way to chess Olympiad.2023-08-221h 31
ChessMood PodcastHow you should take care of your inner self & win the inner game | Kamal Ravikant on ChessMood PodcastIf you take care of your inner being and keep it healthy, you’ll elevate not only your chess performance, but also the quality of your life. People around you will be better. The world will be better. Today’s guest is one of the brightest, smartest, deepest and happiest persons alive. He constantly wins both games — the outer game, what the society calls success, and the inner game that we need to win but often forget about. Apart from building a few successful companies in Silicon Valley, then becoming an investor and founding a VC and many other impres...2023-08-221h 43
ChessMood PodcastHow you can perform at your peak like top athletes do | Todd Herman on ChessMood PodcastHow to stop underperforming and play at your peak? Peak performance coach Todd Herman, who has worked with hundreds of Olympians and Elite Athletes like Kobe Bryant, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Nadal, shares how we, chess players, can enhance our performance by creating alter egos and with other techniques.2023-08-221h 36
Perpetual Chess PodcastBonus Pod- Tied with just one classical game to go! GM Alex Lenderman helps break down the Blunders and the Bouncebacks of this Fascinating FIDE World Championship0:00- Check out some of my favorite Chessable courses here:https://go.chessable.com/perpetual-chess-podcast/Check out what’s new from Chessable here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/01:30- Ben goes over some programming notes and does a quick rundown of recent games05:30- GM Alex Lenderman joins the pod! We begin by discussing how to recover from difficult losses, a recurring theme in this match. Mentioned: Video of Ding and Rapport walking to the hotel elevator:https://www.youtube.com/watc...2023-04-281h 16
The James Altucher ShowMastering the Mindset: Unlocking Peak Performance | Avetik GrigoryanTo be the best in the world at something requires a lot of skill, some talent, and a lot of hard work. In this episode, James sits down with Grand Master Avetik Grigoryan, the founder of ChessMood.com, to explore the importance of mindset in achieving peak performance at work. Avetik shares his experience as a professional chess player and coach, poker player, and entrepreneur, highlighting the role that mindset plays in achieving success on and off the board.As the founder of ChessMood.com, Avetik is committed to helping others master their mindset and unlock their full potential. [Side no...2023-02-152h 08Perpetual Chess PodcastBook Recap #20- Discussing GM Viktor Korchnoi's Chess Is My Life with John FernandezWe are back for another edition of Chess Books Recaptured. This month we take a brief break from discussing books that are focused on chess improvement and discuss the eventful, insightful, autobiography, Chess is My Life, by legendary GM Viktor Korchnoi. Korchnoi, of course, was a 4 time Soviet champion, who eventually emigrated to Switzerland, and twice challenged GM Anatoly Karpov for the World Championship. My guest co-host this month is John Fernandez. In addition to being an old friend of mine, John is a member of the US Chess Executive Board, a USCF expert, and was an e...2021-10-291h 54Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 249- Dr. Mark GlickmanOur guest this week is one of the world’s leading experts on chess ratings. Mark Glickman is a senior lecturer on Statistics at Harvard University, from which he completed a Ph.D. in statistics. Mark has been researching and sharing ideas about ratings for decades, and has been the chairman of the US Chess Ratings committee since 1992. He is the inventor of the Glicko and Glicko2 rating systems, versions of which are used on liChess and Chess.com. He is also a USCF Master, and has written and co-written several papers on ratings. In our co...2021-10-261h 30Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 248- GM Noel StuderGM Noel Studer is a top Swiss player and a winner of many Swiss national titles. He has a popular and insightful blog called Next Level Chess, where Noel shares great chess improvement advice, book recommendations, and relates anecdotes from his experiences as a chess professional. Noel recently surprised his readers by announcing that at the age of 24 he is retiring from professional chess. In our conversation, Noel shares the reasons for his decision, and dispenses all kinds of awesome chess improvement advice. It was both helpful and enjoyable to hear all of Noel’s recommendations and stories. Please re...2021-10-191h 43Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 247- Michael Franco (Adult Improver Series)Michael Ross Franco is a 28 year old Applied Mathematics Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley who is also an accomplished chess improver. As Michael tells us, his interest in chess was sparked when he was looking for an engaging hobby while fighting leukemia in 2013. He started following the 2013 Carlsen-Anand World Championship match, and his interest has blossomed from there. Michael’s chess rating has also blossomed, as he has slowly climbed from beginner level to a 2300 peak Lichess Rapid Rating in the subsequent 8 years. In our interview, Michael details the books, experiences and le...2021-10-121h 16Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 246- CM Tryfon Gavriel (aka KingsCrusher)Programming Note- this podcast is also being published in video format on Tryfon’s YouTube channel-link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw1o0opNJ-sTryfon Gavriel, better known as “KingsCrusher” was one of the trailblazers of “Chess YouTube” and still uploads regularly to his following of over 110,000 subscribers. Tryfon launched his channel on a whim in 2007, and spent years as one of the most popular chess channels in the world. It was fun to hear Tryfon take us through those early days of online chess content, which feel like so long ago. As we discuss...2021-10-051h 29Perpetual Chess PodcastBook Recap #19- Discussing Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals with Jessi ShakarianChess Books Recaptured is back for another monthly book review/recap. This month I am joined by UX designer and recently-minted chess enthusiast, Jessi Shakarian to discuss the 1921 classic, Chess Fundamentals by former World Champion, Jose Raoul Capablanca. Jessi provides the perspective of someone new to chess who was looking to learn some basics from one of the all time greats of the game. I try to give some historical perspective on the book, as well as to detail why this did not turn out to be my favorite book, despite its being written by one of my favorite...2021-10-011h 16Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 245- GM Maxime Vachier-LagraveGM Maxime Vachier Lagrave is a 3 time champion of France, 2 time Sinquefield Cup winner, and perennial top 10 player in the world. Maxime joined me from his home in Paris while on a brief break from a hectic tournament schedule. In addition to some events in St. Louis, Maxime recently played in FIDE World Cup in Russia, and won the Zagreb Grand Chess Tour event in July. Maxime was very candid in our conversation as he discussed his recent successes, his 2nd place finish in the 2020-2021 Candidates Tournament, his thoughts on the World Championship match, and...2021-09-281h 31Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 244- GM Andrew Tang21 year old GM Andrew Tang (aka “PenguinGM”) is a former National High School champion chess player, popular Twitch streamer and Princeton University student. He is best known as one of the strongest “bullet chess” players in the world. Andrew is quite possibly the fastest moving Grandmaster in the world and has had many epic online battles with other elite bullet players like GM Magnus Carlsen, GM Daniel Naroditsky, and GM Alireza Firouzja. In our conversation, Andrew shares some great stories from his bullet battles, and talks about the origins of his chess skills. Other highlights of the interview include the lesso...2021-09-211h 16Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 243- GM Anna MuzychukGM Anna Muzychuk is the winner of 3 FIDE World Championship events, and is consistently amongst the highest-rated woman players in the world. In 2012, Anna made history when she became the 4th Woman in history to cross the 2600 FIDE rating. After a lull during the Covid-quarantine, Anna has been actively competing again, and she made a deep run in the FIDE World Cup. Anna came in 4th place in this prestigious event, which earned her a coveted spot in the 2022 Women’s Candidates Tournament. The winner of that Candidates Tournament will challenge GM Ju Wenjun for the Women's World Championship ti...2021-09-141h 34Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 242- GM Surya GangulyGM Surya Ganguly is one of the top players in India, and was the India national champion for 6 consecutive years starting in 2003! He has won countless medals in National team events, and was the Asian champion in 2009. GM Ganguly also works actively as a trainer, and most notably, worked on the preparation team of of GM Viswanthan Anand for the 2008, 2010 and 2012 World Championship Matches. Given this unique experience, I couldn’t wait to hear GM Ganguly’s insightful reflections on the upcoming World Championship match. GM Ganguly is also an active trainer for us non-World Champions, and in fact, has...2021-09-071h 20Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 241- FM Peter Giannatos (Adult Improver Series)This week on Perpetual Chess, we have two interviews in one for you! Return guest, FM Peter Giannatos, who many know as the founder and head of the award-winning Charlotte Chess Center and Scholastic Academy, is also an extremely accomplished adult improver, and in the first half of this interview, Peter shares many inspirational words and his best chess improvement advice. As we discuss, in the past decade, Peter has made the difficult climb from 2100 to 2390 USCF! Peter has also improved his blitz game, but, as Peter explains, he does not think that requires the same skill set as pl...2021-08-312h 09Perpetual Chess PodcastBook Recap #18- Discussing Aron Nimzowitsch's My System with IM Christof Sielecki (aka ChessExplained)This month on Chess Books Recaptured I am joined by renowned Chessable author, IM Christof Sielecki, to discuss what may be the best known chess book of all time. Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System. There was a time when My System seemed to be universally recommended as an indispensable manual for newer chess players, but in recent years, with so many excellent learning resources, it has often been criticized as well. Christof and I try to contextualize the good and the bad of My System. We discuss everything in the book from Nimzo’s famous quotes to his “dad jokes”...2021-08-201h 16Perpetual Chess PodcastEP 239- GM Jan MarkosOur guest today is the three-time champion of Slovakia, the highest rated player in his country and an award-winning author! Jan Markos’ 2018 book Under the Surface has been recommended on this show many times and was the winner of the ECF book of the year this year. He is out with another offering, The Secret Ingredient. Jan's new book is co-authored by GM David Navara and is also Quality Chess books. Both of Jan’s works are fantastic books which display an accessible writing style and a breadth of knowledge that extends far beyond the chess board. In our conve...2021-08-171h 25
Perpetual Chess PodcastEP.215 - Dr. Vishnu Sreekumar (Adult Improver Series)We are back with another Adult Improver Edition of Perpetual Chess. My guest, Vishnu Sreekumar, is a 35 year-old cognitive scientist and dad, who has been dedicating many hours to studying and playing chess since he rediscovered his love for the game in 2018. There have been plenty of obstacles along the way, but Vishnu has had great success, as his USCF rating has risen from 1675 to 1954 in the 1.5 years preceding the onset of Covid’s changes to all of our lives. During this period he has continued to work on his chess, although unfortunately work responsibilities and a pending move back to his...2021-02-231h 27
Perpetual Chess PodcastBook Recap #11 : Talking Winning Chess Strategies with Neal BruceThis month on “Chess Books Recaptured” we discuss a book that is especially vital for club players, Winning Chess Strategies, by the beloved former top player, turned author and announcer, GM Yasser Seirawan. As the title might suggest, this is a book that focuses on the subtler, non tactical aspects of chess that are not always intuitive for adult improvers. I am joined again by popular guest co-host Neal Bruce. Neal has read many chess books focused on positional chess, and feels that this is the best one. In our recap, we discuss a few of the key concepts, and some...2020-10-241h 14
Perpetual Chess PodcastEP.192 - GM Avetik GrigoryanAvetik Grigoryan is an Armenian grandmaster and chess trainer, who is also the founder and lead instructor of Chessmood.com. Chessmood is a subscription based educational chess site that offers a large library of instructive videos, covering all phases of a chess game. Avetik has a team of grandmasters working with him on the site, who also answer member questions, stream shows, and write articles. In our conversation, Avetik shares his vision for chessmood, gives some improvement tips and book recommendations, and tells some great stories of a few key moments in his life that changed his perspective about life a...2020-09-011h 29
Perpetual Chess PodcastEP.184 - GM Kevin Goh (Adult Improver Series)GM Kevin Goh Wei Ming is the seven- time champion of Singapore, and is a renowned opening theoretician who wrote Chess Developments, Sicilian 6. Bg5 Najdorf, and has published many articles for ChessPublishing.com.
This year, Kevin earned the GM title at the relatively late age of 36 while working full time as the CFO of an oncology company! As Kevin tells us, earning the title was the culmination of a 10 year quest, which involved many setbacks, much travel and time off from work and an indispensable support network of friends, family and a few GM mentors. Kevin’s inspiring story is full...2020-07-071h 31