The Chess Angle

💻Be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel! 💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community! ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable . Check out a list of our favorite courses! ♟ We've all heard of players who study several hours a day. Nice work if you can get it, but that's not viable for most adult improvers who have responsibiliti...

♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. Check out their courses today! ♟ For this Season 3 Premier, Neal spoke with IM Justus Williams. Justus is featured prominently in the 2012 chess documentary Brooklyn Castle , which chronicles the famous chess team from Intermediate School 318 in Brooklyn, NY....

🎤Follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. Check out their courses today! ♟ Grandmaster John Emms is a distinguished chess professional. He is one of the UK's top players, as well as a prolific writer, educator, and chess coach. The bulk of our conversation focuse...

🎤Follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. Check out their courses today! ♟ This episode is a discussion of common endgame ideas, themes, and mistakes at the club level. Mentioned: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman (Amazon) Recommended Resources: Silman's Com...

🎤Follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. Check out their courses today! ♟ This episode explores possible reasons why your rating is not increasing. It may have little to do with study time or knowledge of chess theory. Our links: Website Twitter Facebook E-mail:...

🎤Follow us on Twitter (X): @TheChessAngle The London System has become one of the most popular openings for White. While it's a staple at amateur events, many top players use it as well, including GMs Magnus Carlsen, Gata Kamsky, Simon Williams, and Anish Giri. The London System is easy to learn, yet very sound and solid. It can lead to slow positional play or dynamic attacking play. The London c...

🎤Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. Check out their courses today! ♟ The French Defense (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5) is one of the most respected openings for Black, and is particularly effective at the amateur level. This is recommended as a complete rep...

🎤Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. Check out their courses today! ♟ This week I spoke with my friend Jay Kleinman, a fellow chess amateur and social worker in NY. Jay recounted some fascinating experiences from the amateur tournament scene, and...

🎤Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable .  Check out their courses today!♟ Happy Father's Day to all the chess dads out there! In this episode, I will discuss the chess thought process through the lens of two of my recent OTB games. Some of the talking points include: Confidence against higher-rated opponents Trusting your analysis Playing experien...

🎤Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable . Neal is currently enjoying the course entitled The Agile London System , based on the book of the same name.♟ We've all been there: the opponent who won't sit still or who keeps adjusting every piece. Distracting behavior at the chess board can be so infuriating that it adversely affects your results. In th...

🎤Be sure to follow us on Twitter: @TheChessAngle   For this interview episode, I spoke with USCF Expert Jarrod Tavares. Jarrod is an amateur/club player who has achieved tournament success with an unconventional, anti-book style. Amateur players and adult improvers of all levels should find this conversation enlightening and provocative. Some of our talking points include: Should the London Syste...

🎤NEW Twitter page for the podcast: @TheChessAngle 🎤Be sure to follow us! While some favor slower time controls, blitz & rapid games are more popular than ever, mainly due to the explosion of online chess. Can speed chess actually help you in slow games and improve your chess overall? National Master Tyrell Harriott believes it can. Tyrell is very active in the New York chess scene and runs the K...

Are you constantly comparing your chess progress to that of others? Are four, five, or six-hour-a-day study plans effective for amateur players? I offer opinions on these topics and more. The segments in this episode include: The "tournament hall" vs. the "study hall" Handling decision fatigue from all the available study material The essential areas of focus for beginners OTB vs. online strategy...

This episode is a book review/discussion of the acclaimed text The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Amazon) by Jonathan Rowson. This is a follow up to Episode 16 which discussed Chess for Tigers   (Amazon) by Simon Webb. I believe these two outstanding books are probably the only resources you need for chess psychology at the amateur and club level. Chess for Tigers is an excellent primer, while The Seven...

Grandmaster Romain Edouard joins the podcast this week to explain how players of all levels can minimize mistakes in their games. Be sure to check out Romain's chess.com lesson on this subject (affiliate link), as well as his chessable course on facing the English opening (1.c4) . I caught up with Romain during his current visit to the US for his stint as GM in Residence for the St. Louis Chess Cl...

This is the second episode in our Game Analysis Series where I thematically discuss one or more of my OTB games. Some of the concepts from this episode include: Positional ideas vs. tactics Adults vs. kids Unconventional openings Thoughtless one-move attacks As mentioned in this episode, please follow us on Twitter and comment on our pinned post about your rating goal for 12/31/22. Our links: Webs...

For this interview episode, I spoke with Fide Master Roger LaFlair.  Roger teaches high school chemistry and chess at a private school here on Long Island in NY.  He also has an active roster of private chess students.  Roger can be reached at rlaflair@gmail.com.  We touched on a variety of topics regarding tournament play and chess improvement.  Some of our talking points include: The dangers of...

This episode details some of my experiences as a club player and tournament director in three parts: Why I started the Long Island Chess Club What it's like directing and playing in the same tournament Some funny stories from the club Our links: Website Twitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

This is the first episode for our new Game Analysis Series. I will thematically break down one or more of my OTB games, covering a variety of chess concepts and ideas for the amateur and club player. Some of the themes from this episode include: Why you shouldn't fear higher-rated opponents How to play against lower-rated opponents How to handle draw offers The French Defense advance variation   O...

**Note: Alex King earned the FM title after this was recorded. The episode title has been updated but the original show notes are below. This week I spoke with National Master Alex King who resides in Memphis, Tennessee. Alex is an active tournament player, teacher, and writer. His 6-part article series for Chess Life magazine on the Tarrasch Defense  begins with the March 2022 issue. Alex is also...

I spoke with Candidate Master and renowned chess educator Brian Karen. He is one of the most active teachers in the country. Some of our talking points include: Tournament players vs. hobbyists A rating system based on norms, rather than individual games Studying chess Does preparing for a specific opponent actually make a difference at the club level? Links referenced in this episode: Chess Book...

Arguably, certain "theoretical advantages" often have less significance at the amateur level. For example, material imbalances such as "having the two bishops" or "being up the Exchange" are often overrated when non-titled players face off. Our Links: Website Twitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

For the podcast's first interview format, I spoke with National Master Tim Mirabile. This is our uncut, unedited conversation. Below, Tim shared a list of some favorite books and a link to an article about the growth mindset: Bobby Fischer – My 60 Memorable Games Robert Burger – The Chess of Bobby Fischer Alexander Kotov – Think Like a Grandmaster, Play Like a Grandmaster Andrew Soltis – The Art o...

For many players, chess study is a grey area.  It's not just WHAT to study but HOW. We believe Practical Chess Exercises is one of the best puzzle books for amateur players. For online instructional content, we recommend chess.com . These are affiliate links which support the podcast at no additional cost to you. Our links: Website Twitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

Certain chess mistakes appear in amateur games with unwavering consistency. For the best online chess experience, we recommend chess.com (affiliate link). Our links: Website Twitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com