Perpetual Chess Linkfest #173, July 2, 2026

Hi there, chess fans! We have a rare Thursday linkfest, as I will be traveling tomorrow, and will be away all next week as well. The next linkfest will be on July 17. Happy 4th to those of you in the U.S. and I hope the rest of you enjoy the World Cup and/or some chess. 👋

FM Dennis Monokroussos assesses the strength of the U.S. Olympiad teams. (The Chess Mind)

Arkady Dvorkovich is running for FIDE President, contradicting an earlier promise to only seek two terms. (Tarjei Svensen for Chess.com)

As the FIFA World Cup Captivates the World, Tarjei Svensen recounts Norwegian Football Superstar Erliig Haaland’s Investment in Chess (Chess.com)

Even GMs grapple with the question of how to deal with slowly atrophying skills and limited time to compete. GM Alex Colovic will still find ways to enjoy chess, but is resigned to accepting this fate. “As it turned out, the European Individual Championship in Skopje in 2019 was the last tournament of my chess career. I didn’t know that back then, but 7 years later I realise that my professional career ended where it started - in my home city.” (GM Alex Colovic’s Blog)

Dr. Nick Vasquez wrote insightfully about his continued quest to improve his play in quiet positions. “One reason why kids learn differently than adults, they are far more likely to engage in play based learning.” (Chess in Small Doses)

FM Christoph von Puttkamer wrote about the parallels between chess improvement and training for a half-marathon. “In running, training plans are the norm. They span several months, schedule regular sessions, and prescribe exactly what to do: long runs, tempo workouts, or easy recovery kilometers. These plans aren’t theoretical; they have a proven track record verified by hundreds of thousands of runners.” (Chessable Blog)

IM Junta Ikeda reviews ten of the most impactful chess books he has read. (Infinite Chess)

Ben Graff wholeheartedly recommends Jennifer Shahade’s Thinking Sideways. “This review can only do justice to a few elements of Shahade’s excellent book, which abounds with personal stories and intriguing insights” (English Chess Federation)

What makes a chess book good? Renowned author and chess bibliophile GM Mauricio Flores Rios breaks it down. “If you can't tell me what you've learned in words, then you probably didn't learn that much.” (Chessreads)

This newsletter is committed to remaining free but does use affiliate links. One way to help support it (and your chess!) is to sign up for special offers using the following links:

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Chess Publishing- Chess Publishing is a long-time newsletter with articles written by GMs and IMs about the latest in opening theory. GM Simon Williams has been working to make their online database modern and comprehensive. Check it out here:

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GM Noel Studer-

GM Studer has published two popular courses- one with the goal of getting you to 1200, and the second designing a study

Check out Noël’s updated course on studying chess the right way here (https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system?ref=bc4be0)