Perpetual Chess Improvement: Practical Chess Advice from World-Class Players and Dedicated Amateurs (New in Chess)

Very instructive, thought-provoking, captivating and at times funny, I enjoyed reading it a lot! For the listeners of Ben's podcast (which I do listen to occasionally) the matter of this book will be familiar, nonetheless here you get it in a distilled, condensed and well-structured form. I appreciate the fact that this book can be read without needing a chessboard as the diagrams are few and they are there just to illustrate some points made by the author - plus, they are easy to follow (no crazy variations) - so yes, you can actually read it in bed. The book is not going to help your chess directly, but there is a lot of food for thought and advices about how to approach your chess study, even if it's just for fun. Quoting Ben from this book (and he is only half-joking :)), this actually might be the first chess book I've read from start to finish, and in just a few eventings. Highly recommended!

Enjoyable book to read. If you’re familiar with the podcast and enjoy it, you’ll definitely like the book. It covers Ben’s four pillars to chess improvement, discusses different views on specific chess topics, and some helpful advice and practical ways to look at studying.Don’t think of it as your typical chess book to study and do tons of puzzle with, but more of your enjoyment or bedtime reading book.No need to have heard the podcast before of course, but you’ll probably start listening to it by the time you finish the book!

Ben Johnson (the host of the Perpetual Chess Podcast)'s book will not make you better at chess. Rather, it perfectly describes exactly what it takes to improve, and admits several times that a lot of hard work and effortful practice are required if you want to get over a plateau.The main portion of the book is about (1) the four pillars of chess improvement that basically every player and trainer agrees upon, and (2) many other questions on chess improvement that not everyone agrees upon. The four pillars are:P laying serious gamesA nalyzing these gamesC ommunity in which to discuss your chess withT actics and calculation workInterestingly enough, those are essentially the same tenets that guide the ChessDojo training program (of which I am a member). Playing and analyzing serious games is the main tenet. And the learning/mentoring/sparring with your plusses/minuses/equals are exactly the community. And of course, every cohort in the program has tactics work you have to go through.I like how balanced Ben's advice is. He strikes a good balance presenting both sides of the arguments across the wide spectrum of touchy subjects (Blitz: crucial or a waste? Openings: crucial or a waste? Endgame studies: crucial or a waste?). Then he provides his opinions on the matters after synthesizing the advice from literally hundreds of chess players.Ben does a good job integrating story telling with practical advice. He admits that his primary audience is any adult between 1000 and 2000 (or someone higher rated who's a trainer), and so he always keeps the advice grounded throughout. He also strikes a balance in showcasing stories of people with massive successes and discussing how hard it is to achieve that success - more often players spin their wheels trying to overcome a plateau.If you're a fan of the podcast, you'll instantly be a fan of this book. But even if you've never heard of the podcast at all, I think this book is a quick, enjoyable read, that will help you focus your chess improvement plan on exactly what it needs to include or exclude.

Clear, concise, inspiring. The writing style is pithy and straight forward. The insights are useful to the chess improver of any level. The tone is egalitarian and honest. Like the podcast, this book is deceptive in the ease with which the audience can engage, but achieving such ease as a writer or podcaster takes a masterful craftsperson like the author, Ben Johnson. We are lucky to have him as our medium between the many worlds within the chess community.

As an avid listener of Ben Johnson's Perpetual Chess Podcast, I eagerly anticipated the release of his book. Initially, I expected a compilation of various quotes, loosely tied around a central theme, which would have been fine. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Ben's writing prowess rivals his podcast hosting skills. He masterfully weaves the quotes into a cohesive narrative, resulting in one of the most remarkable books on chess improvement that I can recall. The games and positions selected, although not the primary focus, are both entertaining and instructive, making this book a must-read for chess enthusiasts.

A wonderful book about how to improve at chess. It's based on hundreds of interviews with top players and adult improvers, so the advice is REALLY GOOD. It's also well written and a pleasure to read. I recommend it to all chess parents who are wondering how to effectively help their child improve.

I've been listening to Ben's podcast for years and this book is an excellent summary of the collective wisdom of Ben and his guests. It's well written and easy to read. It has enough game fragments and positions to make his points but it's mostly great discussions about improving at chess. Overall, excellent!

As someone that is looking to improve, I thought this book had a ton of helpful and practical advice. The way its structured was great as well as the sections that I can go back and review from so many great sources and old podcasts. I really thought this is amongst the best chess books I've read in terms of something I can keep going back to while looking at ways to improve.

O autor é um youtuber de sucesso, onde toda semana é transmitida uma entrevista com enxadristas variados, desde super Grandes Mestres até adultos amadores em busca de ascensão. De tempos em tempos há o quadro "resenha de livros" e outro "focado em adultos em busca de melhoria no jogo."Conduzindo tantas entrevistas o autor acumula vasto cabedal de informações úteis para nós enxadristas. Essas informações estão disponíveis no livro, de forma simples e didática, ou seja diretamente ao ponto.Onde estudar? O que estudar? Literatura disponível. Recursos on line etc etc.O Autor é um Mestre Nacional norte americano, cujo rating FIDE deve estar por volta de 2.100.Vale a pena a leitura. Vai economizar tempo e dinheiros do leitor a procura de fontes de instrução.

The book is very well written and in my opinion is perfect for chess addicts who want to improve but need a book to take a break from stretching their brains trying to solve tactics etc. This is the kind of book you read in your bed when you feel you are not improving as much as you would like, to get some inspiration on how to study in a better way. There are some positions from games of guest you have might have heard on the podcast, which makes them more interesting to solves in my opinion. It’s a nice book that can be read quite fast but that you might go back to a few chapters later to find recommendations on how to start endgame studies or how to analyze your games for example.

The book is entertaining, a lot of excerpts from the podcast interviews, I enjoyed it

So this book was one of the few books I devoured cover to cover.Reading was not only entertaining but it was like a journey through the jungle of chess improvement where you can get lost easily without heaving a coach at your hand guiding you.However I as a adult chess improver myself, with very little time to spend on chess everyday would say, that reading this book is the second best thing you can do besides taking lessons from a coach.I had so many question about improving like what to learn, how to learn and what to focus on and I would say this book was eye opening.As a benefit on top of that I feel even more encouraged training hard because I know now, because you can read it black on white, that I‘m not alone with my struggles.5/5 stars without a doubt in my humble opinion.

With many explanations and Opinions from Amateur to pro, all to get better in chess,