Ben Hodgkiss is a 32-year-old chess enthusiast who has worked in a few different fields, but feels like he has not yet found his professional calling. Ben knows that he loves chess though, and for at least the next year, he has decided to live the life of a chess professional and to chronicle this pursuit on his YouTube channel. Many chess players have fantasized about taking such a leap, so I was fascinated to hear that Ben is actually doing it! In our conversation, we cover the nuts of bolts, of how Ben will pay the bills, and what Ben will study, but we also discuss his goals for the project and his chess-related goals. Ben has already collaborated with well-known presenters like IM Eric Rosen and IM Andras Toth and recently played his first of what will likely be many OTB chess tournaments. I really admire Ben’s dedication to his chess passion and am excited to share his story with you! Timestamps of topics discussed are below.
Thanks to our presenting chess education sponsor, Chessable.com! Find out more about becoming a Chessable pro member, and receiving a wide range of features here:
https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro
0:02- How did the idea of doing a year of full chess come about?
Ben’s Reddit post is here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/17anc4k/quit_your_job_chess_full_time_for_a_year_how_do
0:08- What are Ben’s goals for this project? What is his chess history?
13:30- Patreon mailbag questions: Does he think it will be more challenging to maintain motivation? Would taking a week or a month off be beneficial for one’s chess?
22:00- Patreon mailbag questions Is it possible that working full time subtracts 200 points from your chess strength?
Mentioned: Check out Tactics Time author Tim Brennan’s rating graph here:
https://www.uschess.org/datapage/ratings_graph.php?memid=12718954
30:00- What was Ben’s first OTB tournament like?
37:00- Ben discusses his study regimen more, and why he decided to join the Chess Dojo.
41:30- We discuss the best potential ways for Ben to chronicle his chess pursuit on YouTube.
50:00- Ben read my book and wanted to discuss some topics on it! We start with discussing visualization. What does one see when visualizing a chess board?
Mentioned: Chess Steps 2, Thinking Ahead, Visualize Courses on Chessable
1:03:00- Ben asks me: which chess weakness of mine am I working on?
1:07:00- Thanks so much to Ben for sharing his inspiring story, be sure to check out his YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/@pifflesticks
If you would like to help support Perpetual Chess via Patreon, you can do so here:
patreon.com/perpetualchess
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EP 380- FIDE Candidates Wrap Up with GM Erwin L'Ami: Gukesh Ascends as Caruana Suffers a Heartbreaking Setback
EP 379- IM Renier Castellanos on How he Earned the GM Title at Age 41.
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 12 Breakdown (Part 2)- FM Mike Klein on the Player’s Mindsets, Historical Context, and the Alireza Shoe Controversy
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 12 Breakdown (Part 1)- An Epic Finish Awaits, as Naka, Nepo and Gukesh are Tied!
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 10 Breakdown (Part 2)- GM Jan Timman on the tournament so far.
EP 378- Lou Hays- Spending weekends with Fischer and Spassky, Getting to 2100 from Scratch as an Adult, Chess Publishing Then and Now
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 10 Breakdown (Part 1)- Nepo and Gukesh lead Narrowly as Naka and Fabi are in Pursuit
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 7 Breakdown (Part 2)- GM Daniel King on the Tournament So Far
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates Round 7 Breakdown (Part 1)- Nepo and Tan Zhongyi Lead after a Dramatic First Half of the Tournament
EP 377- NM Dan Heisman and NM Laura Smith. Two Accomplished Trainers on Capturing, Counting, and other Chess Concepts To Know
Bonus Pod- FIDE Candidates First 4 Round Breakdown. Nepo leads (As usual). Plus a Fan's Toronto Trip Report
EP 376- Adult Improver Jordan Groff on What it Takes to Make Master in 2024
EP 375- FIDE Candidates Mega Preview with GM Rafael Leitão, Chess by the Numbers, and On the Queenside
EP 374- GM Noel Studer- Chess Improvement Q & A- Avoiding Burnout, Addressing Weaknesses, Avoiding Blunders, & Lots More!
EP 373- Carol Ann Caronia: Advice for Chess Parents & Scholastic Teachers from an Author and Longtime Teacher
EP 372- GM Jan Gustafsson: Learning 1. E4, Life after Team Magnus, Chess Cheating, the FIDE Candidates & more
EP 371- GM Josh Friedel- Common Beginner & Intermediate Mistakes, Freestyle Chess, and Advice for Goal-Setting
EP 370- GM Paul van der Sterren- Breakthroughs, Declines, Mindfulness and the Odyssey of a 20+ Year Professional Career
EP 369- NM Robert Ramirez on the difference between Adult and Youth Chess Students, Chess in Cuba, and Why He Loves the Pirc Defense
EP 368- Erik Allebest (Chess.com CEO)- Online Cheating, The Magnus-Hikaru match that fell through, the Chess24 closure & more
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