Show notes
ChessDojo’s GM Jesse Kraai is always one of my favorite people to talk chess with, yet somehow it had been five years since his last visit to the pod. Jesse returned at a great time, having been both studying and competing actively, and recently achieving his goal of qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Senior Closed Championship. His recent over-the-board activity provided a springboard for us to discuss a wide range of topics, including: How he has learned to confront his fears in tough, “meat-grinder” weekend tournaments Why he believes weight training—and even certain health supplements—are important for older players, and may be the next frontier for professionals as well How the ChessDojo curriculum and philosophy have evolved in recent yearsI am also a big fan of Jesse’s book reviews on the ChessDojo YouTube channel, so I couldn’t let him go without sharing a few recommendations. We even closed the conversation by discussing Intermezzo, a recent novel by award-winning Irish writer Sally Rooney. I always admire Jesse’s dedication to improvement, and it’s a pleasure to hear his thoughtful perspectives on chess and beyond. Approximate timestamps of topics discussed are below.Mentioned: Jesse’s review of the book TurboCharge Your Tacticshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLBMmqk8an0Also Mentioned: Perfect Your Chesshttps://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Your-Chess-Ukrainian-Authors/dp/1915328063/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1KXGHHH199SMQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XJTzNVQ4N6jtqAJlUh5KzvNBpaX4Cs6DkIe2E-15eIhEw6YsZYPA5HdNzRFsEzgzHHBYkJjSSdBddTS1PPcTP6iRXtOUrqULwf5Sc2JQUMHafGmhNIGcuYGQ8MyXxIkQhoxaHmbKuO0u94ls6vl8vhiehM-UnVvrZ17ce4FPjsd3ho3b08KJh-vPw89-SF0ccgo36HEXf7zwi__wKMmX8iO1_7DXOTHH5Pk9OgLrBUA.kPo0CC2fg8nMzpfrIKoCIvkTyNUwFvqAT7-k0iXzEmI&dib_tag=se&keywords=perfect+your+chess&qid=1756510333&sprefix=Perfect+Your+Chess%2Caps%2C267&sr=8-1Jesse’s IG post here:https://www.instagram.com/p/DMqT1jOuxcK/Check out Dr. Nick Vasquez’s blog here:https://nickvasquezmd.substack.com/p/clearing-the-fogMentioned: Mindset by Carol DweckDeep Work by Cal Newport Mentioned: GM Larry Christiansen, GM Gregory Kaidanov, FM Doug Eckert 44:00- We share our thoughts on the chess-adjacent novel Intermezzo by popular author Sally Rooneyhttps://www.amazon.com/Intermezzo-Novel-Sally-Rooney/dp/0374602638Mentioned: Polgar ChessLogical Chess Move by Move https://www.chessdojo.club/signup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
