Perpetual Chess Podcast

In this memorable episode of Perpetual Chess, we welcome back Tony Ballard, who spent 26 years incarcerated and credits chess with helping him change the course of his life. When we last spoke in Episode 289 (2022), Tony was still in a minimum-security facility. Now fully free, hes making the most of his second chance. Hes working full-time at the Paul Mitchell Barber School, has founded a nonprofitMasters and Mentorsto teach chess to at-risk youth, and has released a powerful memoir, Time Alone: From Isolation to Transformation. The book doesnt shy away from the trauma and darkness of his past, but ultimately its an inspiring story of growth and resilience.

In our conversation, we discussed: How chess fits into his daily routine His chess improvement philosophy The best things about life after prison Tonys advice for anyone who feels stuck or overwhelmed

Chatting with Tony is always upliftingand this conversation is no exception.

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

And you can check out their new offerings here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

02:00- Has Tony been playing any chess since getting out of prison?

Mentioned: Episode 390 with Russell Makofsky of The Gift of Chess

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2024/7/9/ep-390-russ-makofsky-how-chess-can-change-lives-from-nyc-to-africanbsp

Watch Tonys interview with Devaughn Croxton of US Chess here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c6OH3NvF6M

06:00- What is Tonys online chess routine?

Mentioned: Chess Psychology: The Will to Win

15:00- What is Tonys chess improvement philosophy?

20:00- We discuss chess notation and Tonys approach to game analysis

22:00- What are Tonys favorite non-chess books?

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Mans Search for Meaning

The 48 Laws of Power

29:00- How is chess perceived in prison? What is the chess scene like there?

Mentioned: Agadmator

34:00- Patreon mailbag question:

How can prisoners be encouraged to invest time and effort into activities like chess?

39:00- What is the mission of Tonys new non-profit, Masters and Mentors?

https://mastersandmentors.org/

You can support Masters and Mentors here:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-masters-and-mentors-youth-enrichment-strategies

45:00- How did Perpetual Chess help Tony win over his girlfriend?

46:00- How did Tony get interested in golf?

50:00- What is the best part of being free?

53:00- Is Tony ever tempted to return to his younger lifestyle?

58:00 Tonys closing advice for those who feel like they are struggling.

1:00- THanks to Tony for sharing his inspiring story!

Here is how to keep up with him

Facebook-

https://www.facebook.com/tony.ballard.900918

Instagram-

https://www.instagram.com/tonyballard1977/

Masters and Mentors-

https://mastersandmentors.org/

His Book-

https://www.amazon.com/Time-Alone-Transformation-Tony-Ballard/dp/B0F252YM48

His LiChess:

https://lichess.org/@/TonyBallard77

And Chess.com

https://www.chess.com/member/tony_1b

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/notifications





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This two-part episode of Perpetual Chess features two of the most impactful figures in American chess education: Coach Jay Stallings and Adam Weissbarth. First up, Coach Jay shares insights from his decades of experience teaching over 30,000 students,and also discusses his recent work consulting on the chess scenes in the new Hollywood blockbuster The Accountant 2. Additionally, Jay reviews some of the teaching tools he currently relies on—including a fun new one that he recently created himself.

Following Jay is Adam Weissbarth, founder of Silver Knights Chess Academy, one of the largest after-school chess programs in the country. Adam recounts the immense challenges his company faced during the pandemic, when it lost all of its revenue sources overnight. He explains how he rebuilt the organization and expanded into elite coaching with grandmasters. Together, these conversations offer a fascinating look at the state of chess instruction—from classrooms to Zoom screens to movie scenes. Timestamps of guests and topics are below. 

Check out the special offers mentioned at the beginning of the show below: 

Chessdojo-

https://www.chessdojo.club/signup

Chessmood- Free one Week Trial-

Chessmood.com/Ben

Chess.com-Free Premum One Week Trial-

http://go.chess.com/Perpetual

0:02:00- Coach Jay joins the show! We begin by discussing chess and movies, Jay recently consulted on the chess scenes for The Accountant 2.

Mentioned: 

Check out my recommended books here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/book-recommendations

Order Coach Jay’s Books for Kids here:

https://store.coachjayschessacademy.com/collections/coach-jay-starter-packs

Coach Jay’s prior interviews:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2017/9/12/episode-39-coach-jay-stallings

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2018/5/14/episode-72-coach-jay-stallings-returns

Also mentioned:

Searching for Bobby Fischer 

14:30- Why did Jay wind down his chess non-profit after the pandemic? 

16:00- Jay’s report on Supernationals, the giant scholastic tournament where he coached? 

25:00- Jay discusses his new chess educational kit for kids, “Triple Check”

Get it here:

https://store.coachjayschessacademy.com/collections/triple-check-the-chess-puzzle-game-that-needs-no-wifi

37:00- Jay shares a few new teaching tools he has been using.

Mentioned: Lichess studies, Chess.com Arena tournaments 

40:00- Thanks to Coach Jay for joining, you can reach him via his website:

https://store.coachjayschessacademy.com/

44:00- NM Adam Weissbarth joins the podcast! What was the biggest challenge his organization has faced? 

Adam’s prior Perpetual Chess Interview:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2018/4/9/silver-knights-chess-founder-adam-weissbarth

58:00- What has Adam learned from working with GM coaches like GM Johan Hellsten and GM Lazaro Bruzon?

Mentioned: Mastering Chess Strategy

1:02::00- Why has Silver Knights expanded its offering to stronger scholastic players? 

1:06:00- Did Adam meet people from the US Chess Federation at the Nationals? 

1:10:00- What resources does Silver Knights use for intermediate students? 

1:14:00- Adam’s advice for growing a chess teaching business

Thanks to Adam for joining, you can reach the Silver Knights academy via the following page:

https://chessacademy.com/pages/contact-us



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EP 436- Adult Improver Torkil Jara Bårdsgjerde on How Workplace Trash Talk Sparked a Lifelong Passion for Chess 

In this inspiring and relatable installment of the Adult Improver Series, we meet  Torkil Jara Bårdsgjerde, a 39-year-old father of two, from Norway who discovered competitive chess after a bit of playful banter with a workplace rival. That exchange sparked a fascination with the game—and when the pandemic hit shortly after, Torkil suddenly had the time to dive in. Five years later, he's a regular tournament competitor and recently completed an impressive FIDE rating jump from 1400 to 1800 in just one year. In our conversation, Torkil shares his favorite resources and offers thoughtful advice on how to make the most of limited chess time. He also reflects on how chess has influenced his off-the-board habits—from health and mindfulness to goal-setting—and why he hopes his chess journey is still just beginning.

Spotify Adult Improver Playlist

You can volunteer or suggest an adult improver guest here:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adult

Links to special offers and new courses:

Chessdojo use- the code “Ben40” at checkout. 

https://www.chessdojo.club/signup

Chessmood Free one Week Trial-

Chessmood.com/Ben

Check out FM Nate Solon’s new Chessable course here: 

0:00- Torkil’s unique chess origin story

12:00- What resources helped Torkil early in his pursuit of chess improvement?

Mentioned: Hanging Pawns, Gotham Chess, Daniel Naroditsky, Anna Cramling, Anna-Maja Kazarian, Chessable Starter Pack

27:00- When did Torkil transition to tournament chess? What were the biggest adjustments?

40:00- What led to Torkil’s big rating jump?

49:00- Patreon mailbag question- “Where might the limit be for Torkil’s potential improvement?”

Mentioned: Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, Sherevsky’s Endgame Strategy 

59:00- More recommendations from Torkil ADD IMAGES

Mentioned: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Move First Think Later, Chess Principles Reloaded, The Art of Attack in Chess 

1:02:00- Torkil’s final reflections and advice 

1:05:00- Thanks to Torkil for sharing his story! Here is his new, non-secret Lichess account where you can message him:

https://lichess.org/@/TorkilJaraBard

If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess



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IM Alex Ostrovskiy is a former Scholastic National Champion, New York State Champion, and accomplished coach who has earned one GM norm, and reached a peak USCF rating of 2560. In addition to his coaching work, Alex is a regular commentator on GM Hikaru Nakamura's Twitch channel, and a tournament organizer who runs frequent invitational tournaments in New York City (where he has lived since the age of 5.) Alex and I discussed the following: 

Alex’s three main tenets of chess improvement- tactics, opening prep, and playing consistently 



Lessons from a couple recent tournaments, and why Alex has scaled back his GM-title ambitions



The origins of Alex’s longtime friendship with Gotham Chess, and whether he is surprised by Levy's success. 



This was a fun conversation with a lot of good advice. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. 

00:00- ChessDojo special offer! If you try out Chessdojo 4.0 you can get a 40% discount by using the code “Ben40” at checkout. 

https://www.chessdojo.club/signup

0:01- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

And you can check out their new offerings here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

02:00-  Alex joins the show! 

Mentioned: Alex’s Interview with Dylan Quercia- 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIK2jjnpwcM&list=PLXZjuvMCiLW0Ae7nNr5dvJk80neTe4Jvz&index=1&t=1975s&pp=iAQB

Also mentioned: GM Arjun Kalyan, Elizabeth Spiegel, Brooklyn Castle 

0:08- Alex’s students are known for deep opening prep- what is his approach as a coach?

Mentioned: NM Matan Prilleltensky 

13:00- How important are openings below the 2000 level? 

16:00- Alex’s report on two recent tournaments in Spain. 

Mentioned: GM Andy Woodward 

21:00- How do the logistics work of going to youth championships to coach students? 

22:00- What is the origin of the Norm invitational tournaments that Alex helps run in NYC? 

Mentioned: Keith Espinosa 

More info at: https://nycchessnorms.com/

24:00- Will Alex be able to convince the famous Chess YouTuber FM Donny Ariel to play in a norm invitational?

Mentioned: EP 421 with FM Donny Ariel and GM Jan Gustasaffson

Donny Ariel: The Road to Chess Grandmaster:

https://www.youtube.com/@DonnyArielChess

30:00- Alex is longtime friends with IM Levy Rozman- what is his first memory of him? 

36:00- What was it like to do training sessions with Kasparov as a kid? 

37:00- Who were Alex’s main rivals as one of the top US players for his age? 

Mentioned: GM Darwin Yang, GM Daniel Naroditsky

40:30 -Did Alex study chess a lot as a kid or primarily learn by playing? 

45:00- Has Alex worked with adult students? 

48:00- Alex’s training advice 

54:00- How did Alex get started commentating on Hikaru’s channel? 

56:00- Alex’s closing advice 

Thanks to Alex for joining me, you can reach him via his website. 

https://www.alexchess.com/



If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon,(and unlock benefits like ad-free listening and joining Zoom hangouts), you can do so here:

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GM Mauricio Flores Rios' first book, Chess Structures, is a modern classic which is seemingly recommended on a weekly basis on Perpetual Chess. After nine years of work, Mauricio has recently released its follow-up, Chess Imbalances: A GM Guide. Like Chess Structures, it is a highly instructive book with a beautiful selection of games and useful guidelines to aid one's chess decision-making. We discussed the following: 

His opinion on the value of the bishop pair, as well as bishop vs. knight 



The surprising reason that his book often featured the games of Magnus Carlsen



When to switch from “objective mode” to “survival mode” in a game 



We also discussed freestyle chess, and the impact of machine learning on chess. Mauricio is a statistician by trade, who recently launched a chess instruction site called ChessMind A.I., so he was particularly insightful on this topic. There is always lots to learn from chatting with (and reading) GM Rios, and this conversation was quite informative. Timestamps of topics discussed are below.



Prior interview with Mauricio- Episode 109:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/1/15/episode-109-gm-mauricio-flores

Here is the video companion to this interview, be sure to sub to the Perpetual Chess YouTube Channel!

https://youtu.be/rmjcbwv7BtQ



0:00- You can sign up for a free one-week membership to Chessmood using this link:

Chessmood.com/Ben

Check out the YouTube video with Mauricio showing me games from Chess Imbalances here:

4:30- Mauricio joins the show! We dive right into discussing the vision behind GM Flores Rios’ much anticipated book, Chess Imbalances.  

Mentioned : 

Free preview of the book from Quality Chess here:

https://qualitychess.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Chess-Imbalances-070x-Excerpt.pdf

13:00- Mauricio explains the guideline  “Quantity is more important than quality.” 

16:00- Why did Mauricio select a lot of games from Magnus Carlsen? 

17:00- Will Chess Imbalances be on Chessable? 

21:00- What made the bishop vs. knight chapter especially challenging to write? 

25:00- Mauricio’s advice for evaluating trading bishop’s vs. knights 

28:00- Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

And you can check out their new offerings here:

https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

31:00- What does it mean to switch from “from objective mode to survival mode” in a game?

Mentioned: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Learn from the Legends 

40:00- What is Maurice’s next chess project? 

Mentioned: Chessmind AI 

44:00- How close are we to having an A.I. model that can clearly explain chess games?

45:00- Are humans near the peak of how good they can be at chess? What about engines?

48:00- Does Mauricio like Chess960?

Mentioned: GM Kenneth Rogoff interview with NM Tyler Cowen:

https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/kenneth-rogoff/

52:00- Will Mauricio’s kid(s) play chess? 

Thanks to Mauricio for joining me! You can reach him via email at:

Mauricio.a.flores.math at gmail dot com

Here is the link for Chess Imbalances: A GM Guide, including a free sample:

https://www.newinchess.com/chess-imbalances



If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess



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