The Chess Angle

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!In this solo episode, Neal shares some thoughts on a number of topics related to tournament chess. Talking points include: Non-resigning in overwhelmingly worse positions with no time-pressure issues Queen trade blunders Are online ratings legit or a sham? The Jobava London System (1. d4 2. Nc3 3. Bf4) Resources for the Jobava London: The Jobava London System by GM Simon Williams (Amazon paperback) The Jobava London System by GM Simon Williams (Chessable  course) Ginger GM Simon Williams' YouTube Page Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

Nick Figorito is a member of the Long Island Chess Club who recently earned the title of National Master (USCF 2200). In this episode, Nick shares his journey to Master, busts some common chess improvement myths, and offers some additional insight. Nick can be reached at nfigorito@ymail.com. Some of our talking points include: Is there a "formula" or systematic study plan to achieve a Master rating? Can anyone make Master? Nick's surprising viewpoint on opening theory Why he hates the Najdorf Sicilian Chess improvement while working full-time Nick's belief that simply "not blundering" may boost your rating more than any other strategic or tactical approach Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! Fide Master Carsten Hansen is a prolific writer who has authored an astounding 46 chess books and is a #1 best selling author on Amazon. Recently published books include The Anti-Alapin Gambit  and The Chess Wizardry of Wotawa, co-authored with Cyrus Lakdawala. Carsten is also an active chess coach and trainer. In addition, he is working to achieve an IM title, and does all this while holding down a full-time day job, so his work ethic is quite impressive. In this episode, Carsten offers some outstanding insight on the opening phase of the game for amateur players. Some of our talking points include: Carsten's quest to achieve an IM title How club players should approach openings How to beat higher-rated opponents Should you play gambits? A full assessment of Neal's opening repertoire Theory vs. themes Dealing with nerves and avoiding time pressure Carsten's chess coaching philosophy The one glaring weakness with many opening courses  Links for FM Carsten Hansen: Website Amazon Author Page Twitter Chessable Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

This episode is a primer on the Nimzo & Queen's Indian Defenses for adult improvers and club-level players. These two openings can be used as a complete system against 1. d4. Fighting for control of the e4-square is a major theme. Lines discussed include the following: NIMZO-INDIAN: Rubenstein Variation with 4...b6: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 (5. Nge2 Ne4!) 6. Nf3 Ne4! Classical Variation with 4...0-0: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4! 7. Qc2 f5 Leningrad Variation: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bg5 h6 5. Bh4 c5 6. d5 d6 Samisch Variation with 4. a3: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3 5. bxc3 and Black can begin an attack on the weak c4-pawn (...Nc6-a5, ...b6, ...Ba6, etc.) QUEEN'S INDIAN: Main Line:  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nc3 Ne4! 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 (9. Ng5?? Nxe2! 10. Qxe2 Bxg2 11. Qh5 h6 -+) c5 (9...Be4 is also good in the main line) Petrosian System with 4. a3:  1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. a3 Bb7 5. Nc3 d5! (stopping 6. d5 by White) Errata: When discussing odds & ends,  I mentioned that you can sometimes trick your opponent into playing the French Defense after 1. d4 e6! 2. e4 d5. I said 2. ...e5 by mistake (though I suspect most of you knew what I meant).  RECOMMENDED RESOURCES: Starting Out: The Nimzo-Indian (Amazon) Starting Out: The Queen’s Indian (Amazon) The Fierce Nimzo-Indian by WFM Maaike Keetman (Chessable) Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com The Amazon links above are affiliate links, which earn us a commission on qualifying purchases. This helps support the podcast at no additional cost to you.

Candidate Master and renowned chess educator Brian Karen returns to the podcast to discuss the chess cheating crisis as it relates to the amateur player, among other topics. Some of our talking points include: How the prevalence of chess cheating is affecting amateur events Why the Carlsen/Niemann controversy has become irritating & tiresome Are cheat detection algorithms legitimate? Chess coaching philosophies Why do many players drop out of tournaments after losing just one game? Are large cash prizes hurting the Royal Game? Is bullet chess harmful or helpful? Is solving extremely difficult chess puzzles really beneficial? ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!♟ Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

Neal discusses the dangers of playing chess too literally or "inside the box." Sometimes deviating from conventional chess principles is a smart play. ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!♟ Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

Analyzing your tournament games with a computer program such as Fritz or Stockfish is perhaps the most important component of any improvement plan. However, using a chess engine can sometimes be confusing at the amateur level. In this episode, we review some tips on how club players can use an engine effectively to improve. Some of our talking points include: Why +/=  or  =/+  is really the same as  = Identifying inflection points in your game A technique to avoid repeating a mistake in future tournament games Avoiding the mindset of "I don't need to review the game - I know where I went wrong"  Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

💻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 season's first solo episode is divided into two main segments with some additional subtopics thrown in. First, Neal argues that "waiting" moves or "passive" moves can sometimes be very effective and possibly the best choice in certain situations. Next, he shares his thoughts on the chess podcasting space. Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

💻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!♟ Electronic Notation Devices (ENDs) offer a convenient way for players to keep score during chess tournaments. No more messy scoresheets or missing  moves. ENDs, however, have their detractors, with some worried that players can cheat by sideloading a chess engine. We explore this in detail and show that these concerns are overblown. My guest this week is Joey Troy, creator of ChessNoteR, the only END available for purchase at the time of this recording. Joey gives us the full scoop on electronic notation. We also reached out to the Continental Chess Association about their decision to not allow ChessNoteR devices, even though they're USCF certified. Find out how they responded, and hear Joey's reaction... Joey is offering all Chess Angle listeners a 10% discount on ChessNoteR devices (all are USCF certified) through 11/1/22.  Use the promo code CHESSANGLE on the ChessNoteR site below.  Links Referenced in this Episode: ChessNoteR.com - Homepage ChessNoteR.com - Store ChessNoteR.com - Info for TDs USCF Certified ENDs Disclosure: The Chess Angle was provided with a ChessNoteR unit at no cost. We stand by our recommendations and only endorse products we believe in and have used personally. Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

💻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 responsibilities and commitments outside of chess. My guest this week is Dan Levin, a Long Island Chess Club regular and New York attorney. We discussed what it's like being a tournament player while adulting, among other topics. Some of our talking points include: A thematic analysis of two of our games played at the club Why do some 800-rated opponents play like they're 1800? The Caro-Kann opening: 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 Major events vs. local clubs - Which is better? How Dan got to play former world champion Boris Spassky Rating swings Internet & speed chess Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com