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 years
I 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. 0:02- Does Jesse ever find it hard to stay motivated to keep studying and reading chess books? 0:03- Reflections on Jesse’s recent tournaments 0:05- What are the keys to GM Alex Fishbein’s recent success? 0:09- What does Jesse do to work on his own chess? Mentioned: Jesse’s review of the book
TurboCharge Your Tactics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLBMmqk8an0 Also Mentioned: Perfect Your Chess
https://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=8-1 12:00- ChessDojo and Jesse’s fitness regimen Jesse’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-fog 17:00- Are elite chess players likely taking cognitive supplements or other drugs to help their performances? 20:00- What have been the biggest lessons from co-founding the ChessDojo? 25:00- What has Jesse learned from reading the works of IM Willy Hendriks? 28:00- Patreon mailbag question: What non-chess books influenced Jesse’s philosophy of chess improvement?
Mentioned: Mindset by Carol Dweck Deep Work by Cal Newport 30:00- Patreon mailbag question: Are books as effective as modern digital tools for chess improvement? 32:00- Does Jesse have set hours for studying chess? 36:00- The strengths and weaknesses of Jesse’s competitors in next year’s US Senior Closed Championship. Mentioned: GM Larry Christiansen, GM Gregory Kaidanov, FM Doug Eckert 38:00- New developments in the dojo 42:00- Jesse’s rest of 2026 tournaments 44:00- We share our thoughts on the chess-adjacent novel Intermezzo by popular author Sally Rooney
https://www.amazon.com/Intermezzo-Novel-Sally-Rooney/dp/0374602638 54:00- Parting book recs Mentioned: Polgar Chess Logical Chess Move by Move 58:00- Thanks to Jesse, for rejoining me! You can find him at the ChessDojo. (use code "ben" at checkout to save 10%
https://www.chessdojo.club/signup
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