Skip to content

Ben Mezrich – Checkmate

    Genius, Lies, Ambition, and the Biggest Scandal in Chess

    The James Altucher Show | 2 June 2026 | 0h 59m | Listen Later | Podcasts | Spotify
    Interview with Ben Mezrich about his book Checkmate: Genius, Lies, Ambition, and the Biggest Scandal in Chess. Discusses the Hans Niemann chess cheating scandal: world champion Magnus Carlsen’s unprecedented accusation against the 19-year-old bad boy of chess. Examines the mechanics of over-the-board cheating, the viral “anal beads” rumor, and Mezrich’s discovery of a suspicious photographer at the Sinkfield Cup. Covers the generational clash in elite chess and the upcoming A24 film adaptation produced by Emma Stone.


    Book cover

    Oliver Roeder on the Enduring Appeal of Chess and Other Games

      Perpetual Chess Podcast | 25 January 2022 | 1h 08m | Listen Later | iTunes | Spotify
      Interview with Oliver Roeder about his book Seven Games, a Human History. Backgrounds the history and current competitive contexts of Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Go, Poker, Scrabble, and Bridge. Discusses why people love games, why people love chess, the methods and costs of achieving high proficiency in Scrabble, and how AI is changing games.

      Confessions of a Recovering Chess Addict

        KERA’s Think | 21 August 2019 | 0h 47m | Listen Later
        Interview with Sasha Chapin about his memoir All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir About Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything. Insightful throughout, with perspectives beyond chess on relationships, social skills, travel, psychology, decision making, talent versus 10,000 hours, and, of course, chess.

        I’ve since read the book, which is beautifully well written. It reminded me of William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days, also a beautifully written memoir of growing up and relationships, but anchored on surfing rather than chess.