The Chess Angle

♟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. At age 12, he was the youngest African American to achieve the NM title. Currently, Justus runs Black Squares Chess, which brings the game to kids in underserved communities. Some of the talking points from this episode include: Justus's quest for the GM title Behind the scenes info from Brooklyn Castle  & the IS 318 experience A technique to improve tournament results when facing critical positions Why Justus prefers chess study using physical books over computers How playing in Washington Square Park helped his development Is it possible to get a good slice of pizza outside of NY?🍕 Links for IM Justus Williams: Brooklyn Castle (YouTube - stream entire film) Brooklyn Castle (Amazon - DVD) Black Squares Chess/DreamBuilders4Equity Black Squares Chess main site Justus's appearance on CBS This Morning Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.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!♟ 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 focused on his amazing (and highly recommended) book, The Survival Guide to Competitive Chess (Amazon).  Club players and adult improvers of all levels should find our discussion  highly beneficial. John reviews several topics from the book and offers practical strategies for tournament play at the amateur level. Some of our talking points include: The CEM (check every move) method Avoiding high risk/low reward tactics Bluffing & The Poker Face Converting winning positions Draw offers & "draw by reputation" Choosing an opening repertoire Clock control & time management Long think, wrong think Internet & blitz chess John's Twitter page: @GMJohnEmms 📚Visit John's Amazon.com Author Page for a full list of titles📚 Selected works by GM John Emms: The Survival Guide to Rook Endings The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book Starting Out: The Queen's Indian Starting Out: The Sicilian Easy Guide to the Nimzo-Indian Discovering Chess Openings : Building a repertoire from basic principles More Simple Chess: Moving on from the Basic Principles This episode is our Season 2 Finale. Season 3 begins September 2022. 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. Our links: Website Twitter Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.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 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 Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman (Amazon) Pandolfini's Endgame Course by Bruce Pandolfini (Amazon) 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. Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.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: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

🎤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 can be used as a complete opening repertoire for White or as an occasional surprise against an unsuspecting opponent. Regardless, Black can easily get crushed if he's not careful or plays on autopilot. Some of this episode's talking points include the following: "System" openings defined What exactly is the London System? Why the London is so effective at the amateur level Addressing criticism of the London System Basic themes and concepts Comments on the recommended resources below Recommended Resources: The London System in 12 Practical Lessons by Oscar De Prado (Amazon) The London System for the Busy Chess Player by GM Simon Williams (chess.com) Tips & Tricks of the London System by GM Aman Hambleton (chess.com) The Agile London System by GM Alfonso Romero & FM Oscar De Prado (chessable) The Jobava London System by GM Simon Williams (chessable) While I currently recommend the recent De Prado book above as your starting point (as far as physical books), you should be aware of the seminal text Win With the London System by Johnsen & Kovacevic (Amazon), which contains both illustrative games and an in-depth analytical section. The resources above include affiliate links, which earn us a commission on qualifying purchases. This helps support the podcast at no additional cost to you. Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

🎤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 repertoire against 1. e4. Some of this episode's talking points include: Why amateurs should avoid the Sicilian defense (1...c5) and open games (1. e4 e5)  Why the French Defense is so effective at the club level Three variations that will cover 95% of your games versus 1. e4 Some additional thoughts about confidence and patience Recommended Resources: Starting Out: The French by Byron Jacobs (Amazon) Why Simon Loves the French Defense by GM Simon Williams (chess.com) Master the French Defense by NM Bryan Tillis & GM Alex Lenderman (Chessable) The resources above include affiliate links, which earn us a commission on qualifying purchases. This helps support the podcast at no additional cost to you. Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

🎤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 an overriding theme in our conversation was how becoming a parent changes the narrative of adult improvement. Some of our talking point include: The unfortunate decline of OTB post-mortem analysis The dangers of mimicking super-GMs How Jay almost gave a lesson to the late William Lombardy (Fischer's coach) Jay's encounters with some now-famous GMs ("I knew them when...") Chess improvement beyond parenting Opening choices Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

🎤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 experience vs. studying A suggested tip for the opening phase Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

🎤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 this episode, we discuss many of these behaviors and offer some solutions (hint: SAY SOMETHING to your opponent or call the TD over). Some of the behaviors mentioned include: repeated draw offers incessant fidgeting "acknowledgers" and "sighers" tapping hand hovering Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

🎤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 System be banned from chess?😉 Endgame theory and the amateur player Making unconventional moves to get into your opponent's head The importance of confidence The psychology of draw offers Our links: WebsiteTwitter Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com