Chess has seen a resurgence in this day and age, due mostly to the Internet, and specifically live streaming. The World Champion, Magnus Carlsen frequently streams on Chess24.com, giving premium users a chance to play him. Most people get absolutely crushed, but it’s fun to watch nonetheless. Some lucky few will actually give Magnus a run for his money.
Then there’s Twitch, another live streaming platform, which has made Grandmasters (GMs) like Eric Hansen and Hikaru Nakamura into pop stars, with loyal fans tuning in to watch them play chess at the highest level.
As an avid (though quite poor) chess player myself, it’s great to see a revival in chess in this day and age. It takes a ton of hard work and practice to even begin to become decent at it, with numerous hours spent studying the board and positions, solving puzzles, looking for tactics, and using engines to find the most optimal moves.
And for the players that can’t get enough of chess, they can now even find podcasts to discuss the latest news and events in the chess world. Some of these podcasts interview top players, and you get a little insight into how they think, and potentially pick up some tips for improving your chess game along the way.
So for all things chess, you definitely want to check out these 8 podcasts, or else you’re just waiting to get checkmated!
#1 Perpetual Chess Podcast
Perpetual Chess features weekly conversations with the chess world’s best players, promoters, and educators about their lives, careers, current projects, and best practices.
#2 Chess Talk Podcast
We play chess and we talk. That’s it.
#3 Cover Stories
This monthly podcast, hosted by Director of Publications and editor of Chess Life Daniel Lucas, goes in depth and behind the scenes with the author of each month’s cover story.
#4 Chess Underground
This monthly podcast, hosted by Director of Publications and editor of Chess Life Daniel Lucas, goes in depth and behind the scenes with the author of each month’s cover story.
#5 Ladies Knight
Jennifer Shahade, two-time US Women’s Chess Champion, hosts the official podcast of US Chess Women, where she interviews female chess champions and leaders on Ladies Knight.
#6 One Move at a Time
One Move at a Time is the US Chess podcast in which we talk to people who are advancing the US Chess mission statement to “Empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess.”
#7 Chess: The Full English Breakfast
A chess podcast with a couple of cheeky chaps! Macauley Peterson hosts International Master Lawrence Trent and Grandmaster Simon Williams to breakdown the chess world into lively short bites.
#8 Coffeehouse Blunders
Join Daniel “Danny” Rensch and James “Motz” Montemagno each week on Coffeehouse Blunders as they discuss the latest in chess, coffee, tech, and anything else happening in their wonderful lives and around the world. Danny’s life as an International Chess Master collides with Motz’s mobile development and public speaking background for absolutely adorable and astonishing conversation.