The Chess Angle

Explore the fascinating philosophy of chess improvement through the lens of 'black box thinking.' Learn how embracing mistakes can drastically enhance your game. Discover strategies for players over 50 to keep improving, and dive into the nuances of rated versus unrated games. Get insights into mastering the London System, overcoming challenges, and finding enjoyment in familiar tactical positions. Plus, hear practical training tips utilizing computer bots to elevate your gameplay without the pressure of competition.

This week, Neal discusses the infamous "hand hover" at OTB events and other topics related to chess improvement and tournament strategy. Chapters: Intro & Listener Mailbag Thoughts on Chess Coaching How to Handle Fatigue Taking Byes Dealing with Nerves and Composure Hand-Hovering at Tournaments Know Your Basic Mates! Consistency Identifying and Addressing Weaknesses Referenced: Practical Chess Exercises (Amazon) 📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube (Chess Angle Podcast) YouTube (LI Chess Club) Buy Me a Coffee The Amazon link above is an affiliate link. Qualifying purchases help support the podcast at no additional cost to you.

VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. In this episode we discuss chess improvement and tournament strategies for players over 50 with some additional topics from our Listener Mailbag. Chapters: Intro and Listener Mailbag Winning Won Positions Spectator Interference Online Chess Etiquette Chess Improvement Strategies for Players Over 50 📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube (Chess Angle Podcast) YouTube (LI Chess Club) Buy Me a Coffee

VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. First, Neal engages with listener feedback, discussing their chess improvement journeys and suggestions for future episodes. The conversation then transitions into an exploration of rook and pawn endings, emphasizing their complexity and the mental challenges players face. Neal also shares resources for improving endgame skills, highlighting the importance of foundational knowledge in chess. Chapters include: Introduction and Listener Mailbag Declining Draw Offers Is Endgame Knowledge Really That Important? Realities of Rook and Pawn Endings Trading Rooks - yes or no? A Warning About Doubled Rooks Active vs. Passive Rook The Reality of the Lucena & Philidor Positions Recommended Endgame Resources Outro Books Referenced: Silman's Complete Endgame Course (Amazon) Pandolfini’s Endgame Course (Amazon) Chess.com Lessons Referenced: Pawn Endings: Beginner to Expert (King and pawn endings only, providing a solid foundation) Rook and Other Endgames (by IM Jeremy Silman) Build Your Technique (Endgames are included, but there’s also some openings, middlegames, and tactics).  📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube (Chess Angle Podcast) YouTube (LI Chess Club) Buy Me a Coffee The Amazon links above are affiliate links. Qualifying purchases help support the podcast at no additional cost to you.  

VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. This week we discuss the importance of calculation, the choice between rapid and blitz games, and ten common hidden mistakes that players of all levels make. These mistakes range from erroneous pawn grabs to thoughtless bishop moves, providing valuable insights for beginners and reminders for experienced tournament players. Referenced: Ep. 99: How to Approach Chess Study as a Beginner or Advanced Beginner Ep. 111: How to Boost Your Chess Rating Using Draw Offers 📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube (Chess Angle Podcast) YouTube (LI Chess Club) Buy Me a Coffee

VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. Welcome to Season 9! This episode is a response to the Reddit post What is Your Personal Chess Hot Take? Neal discusses various topics, including the importance of analyzing both wins and losses, the debate surrounding the London System, and the significance of openings in chess strategy. He also shares hot takes about rating deflation, clock etiquette, speed chess, and the impact of psychology on the game. The conversation also touches on the challenges of online chess, particularly regarding cheating. 📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube (Chess Angle Podcast) YouTube (LI Chess Club) Buy Me a Coffee

The hosts dive into cunning strategies for countering popular openings like the Catalan and London System. They highlight the dangers of fixating on winning, sharing valuable insights on maintaining a resilient mindset in the chess world. Personal anecdotes sprinkle the conversation, making complex strategies relatable. Plus, there’s an exciting update about the podcast’s shift to video formats, ensuring listeners can enjoy content in their preferred way. Tune in for some thought-provoking chess insights!

This episode is our Season 8 Finale! Neal will be taking an extended end-of-year break and will return with Season 9 in January 2025. This week, we continue our discussion on chess teaching with a focus on materials, resources, and essential concepts for developing players. Referenced Resources and Materials: Chess.com Chessable Practical Chess Exercises The Amateur's Mind Winning Chess Tactics Winning Chess Strategies Jeff Coakley books (red and green) Pandolfini's Endgame Course Openings: Starting Out series by Everyman Chess Referenced Chess Concepts for Developing Players: General board vision and not hanging pieces Address gross blunders Basic mates with the heavy pieces (but arguably, don’t worry about mate with the Bishop and Knight) Basic mating patterns: back rank mate, Anastasia’s mate, Epaulette’s mate, Smothered mate, etc. Lots of mate-in-1 and mate-in-2 exercises  Stalemate Basic tactical themes (pins, forks, skewers, overloaded piece, etc.) 3-move combinations Basic opening principles Basic middlegame & positional ideas (minor pieces, pawn structure, space, initiative, King safety, files and squares). Things like “rooks belong on open files,” “Knights prefer closed positions,” “Queen and Knight is a lethal attacking combination” Basic endgame ideas (King and pawn vs. King, the opposition, square of the pawn, triangulation, outflanking, rooks behind passed pawns, passed pawn tactics, rook and pawn endings, opposite colored bishop endings, Queen vs. pawn on the 7th, etc. 📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube Buy Me a Coffee

What are the qualities of a good chess coach? How can one become a chess teacher? How should lessons be organized and scheduled? This episode is Part One of Two about chess teaching from both the teacher and student point of view. This week we focus more on the former. We also cover the following topics: Annotating your own games Is there a "rating ceiling" no matter how hard one works to improve? Can you take notes during an OTB tournament game? How to find time to play OTB games as a busy adult Referenced: How to Reassess Your Chess, 4th Ed. (Amazon) Ep. #15: When It's Your Turn to Move Ep. #124: Are Amateur Players Qualified to Coach Chess? 📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube Buy Me a Coffee The Amazon link above is an affiliate link. Qualifying purchases help support the podcast at no additional cost to you.

This week, we share our thoughts about online chess cheating. We believe it is rampant, while the online servers seem to downplay the amount of cheating taking place. We hypothesize that cheaters are using specific methods in an attempt to avoid detection, and we created nicknames for these players. We discuss the following cheating personalities and more: Larry "Long Pause" Sal "Smooth Moves" Oliver "Obvious Recapture" Donald "Decoy Move" Peter "Perfect Attack" Orlando "Only When Needed" David "Deliberate Early Blunder" Referenced: Long Island Chess Club YouTube Channel (instructional videos for busy adult club players - still a work in progress...) 📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. 🎯 Our Links:  Website Twitter (X) YouTube Buy Me a Coffee