EP 464- IM John Donaldson- Bobby Fischer’s Chess Improvement Advice, the Story Behind His Colossal Rating Leap from Perpetual Chess Podcast

Perpetual Chess Podcast

Ben Johnson

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EP 464- IM John Donaldson- Bobby Fischer’s Chess Improvement Advice, the Story Behind His Colossal Rating Leap

1 hour 29 minutes Posted Dec 16, 2025 at 9:00 am.

Why was Bobby Fischer writing a chess column for Boys Life magazine? 0:07- Are world class talents like Fischer good people to give chess improvement advice?

Bobby Fischer’s 4 Chess Improvement Tips

Why was Fischer confident about his match vs. Spassky despite a losing record?

How did Fischer respond when he was asked about reportedly having a genius-level IQ?

The impact of Fischer growing up in New York City

Patreon mailbag question- Why, after all these years, is there still such a cult-like obsession with Fischer?

John’s memories of GM Daniel Naroditsky, who John knew since Danya’s childhood,

Status of the US Olympiad team

Will John pursue the GM title at age 67?

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1:29:15

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Show notes

What can Bobby Fischer still teach us about chess improvement? In this episode, renowned trainer, author, and historian IM John Donaldson returns to discuss Fischer’s writing, advice, and training methods, as featured in his new book Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer. We explore Fischer’s views on openings, what he said about his own IQ, and what modern players can realistically take from his approach. I was particularly interested to hear John break down how Fischer went from roughly 2100 strength to an elite player in less than two years. After our Fischer deep dive, John shares his memories of a young Daniel Naroditsky and discusses the outlook for the next U.S. Olympiad team, which he has captained 15 times.

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0:43- Patreon mailbag question- Why, after all these years, is there still such a cult-like obsession with Fischer?

Mentioned: GM Gregory Kaidanov, GM Lev Psakhis

Thanks, as always, to IM John Donaldson for joining me! Here is where to get Inside the Mind of Bobby Fischer.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Mind-Bobby-Fischer-Annotations/dp/1890085286/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QKKXI2SDOLYS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._2M3HsSJt-U7Bdai-uPvhA.AJtX-b-nDihPzKRJb_BUo7jCkpq_R2sPMhsked9R8GU&dib_tag=se&keywords=inside+the+mind+of+bobby+fischer&qid=1765826270&s=books&sprefix=inside+the+mind+of+bobby+fischer%2Cstripbooks%2C55&sr=1-1

Chess4Less:

https://chess4less.com/products/pre-order-inside-the-mind-of-bobby-fischer-john-donaldson

Also available in Europe:

https://gazellebookservices.co.uk/products/9781890085285?_pos=1&_sid=e49e3c6fa&_ss=r

Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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