Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast

Jesse, David, and Kostya preview the 2026 Chess Olympiad, breaking down the top contenders, Team USA, dark horses, board orders, and the notable players missing from the event.

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00:00 – Olympiad Predictions
09:00 – The Top Contenders
18:00 – India’s Big Challenge
27:00 – Breaking Down Team USA
36:00 – Dark Horses to Watch
45:00 – Board Order Strategy
55:59 – Why Top Players Are Skipping
1:02:33 – Final Thoughts & Predictions

The ChessDojo sensei reconnect after a busy summer to recap recent tournament runs, European travels, behind-the-scenes FIDE election politics, and updates across the Dojo.

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Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com
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00:00 - Summer Catch-Up
01:35 - Tournaments & Prodigy Records
06:40 - US Senior Championship
13:50 - European Tour & FIDE Politics
19:57 - The GM Quest Reality
23:42 - 45-Minute Classical Time Controls
26:15 - 2700 Blitz Peak & Dojo Camp

For our milestone 200th episode of Dojo Talks, we are joined by Grandmaster and long-time second to Magnus Carlsen, Peter Heine Nielsen!  The sensei and Peter discuss the upcoming 2026 FIDE Presidential election. 

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00:00 - Election Intro
02:54 - FIDE Voting System
07:54 - Secret Ballots & FIFA
18:59 - Two-Term Limit Drama
33:15 - The New Candidates
1:03:47 - Coaching Magnus & Freestyle Chess

GM Jacob Aagaard joins Dojo Talks for a deep conversation on chess books, AI, coaching, and the future of chess improvement.

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Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@/chessdojoclips

00:00 Jacob Aagaard's Publishing Journey
07:09 The New Dvoretsky Book Collection
12:18 Are Chess Books Still Relevant?
27:25 Deep Work vs. Digital Learning
39:33 AI, Chess, and the Future of Learning
50:19 Why Great Chess Coaches Still Matter
56:05 Why Beginner Chess Books Are Too Hard

The sensei discuss is the queen really worth 9 points, or should it be valued closer to 10?

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Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo

Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you.

Website: https://chessdojo.club
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Patreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojo
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Podcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.com
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@/chessdojoclips

00:05 — Is the Queen Worth 10 Points?
09:38 — Queen vs. Two Rooks
17:41 — When Is the Queen Stronger?
29:56 — Queen vs. Three Minor Pieces
40:10 — How Chess Values Evolve
53:20 — Final Thoughts on Piece Values