The Chess Angle

For club-level chess players and adult improvers, an argument can be made that amateur games are significantly more instructive than Grandmaster games. Amateur games feature themes, ideas, mistakes, and erroneous thought processes that are highly instructive, while the ideas in Grandmaster games are often esoteric and difficult to process. Simply put, amateur games are ripe with instructional value. This week's episode is a review of The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book (Amazon) by NM Dan Heisman. It is a collection of 30 deeply annotated amateur games. The written prose and explanations are outstanding. We cover the following and much more: Poor time management Erroneous thought processes The dangers of prioritizing strategy over safety Castling errors Why discovery and removal-of-the-guard tactics are often missed The "hand waving" error Poor defensive choices 📧 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 this podcast at no additional cost to you.

Discover the pitfalls of common chess study habits and why mastering the fundamentals is crucial. Explore the balance between offense-only exercises and studying, and find out how to effectively incorporate chess engine analysis. The impact of online chess on player mindset is discussed, highlighting the need for serious gameplay. Tune in for insights on how to navigate study materials and ensure your chess education is efficient and beneficial.

Welcome to Season 8! Neal begins by discussing the state of the podcast and some harsh truths about chess improvement that are arguably not mentioned enough. The final segment is a discussion of the King's Indian Attack, an easy-to-learn, theoretically sound system-opening for White after 1. Nf3 or 1. e4. It can be played against any Black defense, but is particularly effective against the French, Sicilian, and Caro-Kann.  Referenced: Why Play the King's Indian Attack? How to Play the King's Indian Attack King's Indian Attack - The Simplest Chess Opening for White (YouTube) Sample Lines: 1.e4 e6 2.d3 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 Nf6 5.g3 Nc6 6.Bg2 Be7 7.0-0 0-0 8.Re1 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 d5 3.Bg2 c6 4.d3 Bg4 5.O-O Nbd7 6.Nbd2 1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.0-0 e5 5.d3 Nf6 📧 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

This week's episode is our Season 7 Finale (Season 8 coming soon...). In this light, laid-back, rapid-fire episode, Neal reacts to the enjoyable chess.com article 7 Hot Takes That Are Just True by Pedro Pinhata, a Sr. Digital Content Writer for chess.com. Mr. Pinhata's 7 Hot Takes: Stalemate Being A Draw Is Awesome Chess.com Should Come With A Doomsday Device Online Chess Is Better Than Over-The-Board People Who Play 1+0 Bullet Are Not OK 1.d4 Is Better Than 1.e4 The London Is The Best Chess Opening You Should Never "Never Resign" 📧 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

This week, Neal discusses another instructive tournament game. We cover the following and more: "Frustration" moves Attacking the fianchetto pawn structure When those h3/h6 pawn moves are good (or bad) Moving the same piece twice early on Useless one-move attacks Bishop vs. Knight Game Referenced: Neal vs. 1697 (G/90;d10) 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 b6 4. h3 Bb7 5. Nf3 d6 6. Be2 Be7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nbd2 Nbd7 9. c3 Re8 10. a4 a5 11. Qc2 Rc8 12. Qd1 h6 13. Re1 Bf8 14. Bh2 e5 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nc4 Bxf3 17. Bxf3 e4 18. Be2 Nc5 19. Ne5 Qxd1 20. Rexd1 Bd6 21. Nc6 Bxh2+ 22. Kxh2 Re6 23. Nd4 Rd6 24. Nf5 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Kf8 26. Rd4 Ne6 27. Rd2 Rd8 28. Rxd8+ Nxd8 29. Nd4 Nb7 30. Nb3 Nd7 31. f3 exf3 32. gxf3 Ndc5 33. Nxc5 Nxc5 34. Bb5 Ke7 35. b4 Ne6 36. Kg3 Kd6 37. Bc4 c6 38. f4 f6 39. e4 axb4 40. cxb4 c5 41. Bxe6 Kxe6 42. bxc5 bxc5 43. Kf3 c4 44. Ke3 g5 45. fxg5 hxg5 46. Kd4 c3 47. Kxc3 Kd6 48. a5 Kc5 49. a6 Kb6 1-0 📧 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

This week, Neal begins by diving into the listener mailbag. This is followed by an instructive analysis of a recent OTB tournament game. We cover the following and more: A common piece of chess coaching advice that is often more idealistic than realistic The Pirc Defense (1. e4 d6) Play in the center Queen's Indian Defense Exchange sequences Rook and pawn endings The OTB thought process Game Referenced: 1831 vs. Neal (G/90;d10) 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3 Ne4 8. Qc2 Nxc3 9. Qxc3 Be4 10. Nd2 Bxg2 11. Kxg2 d5 12. e4 c5 13. cxd5 exd5 14. dxc5 Bxc5 15. Nb3 d4 16. Qc4 Qe7 17. Nxc5 bxc5 18. f3 Nd7 19. b4 Rac8 20. bxc5 Qxc5 21. Qxc5 Nxc5 22. Ba3 Rfd8 23. Bxc5 Rxc5 24. Rad1 Kf8 25. Rd2 Ke7 26. Rfd1 Ke6 27. f4 f6 28. Kf3 Ra5 29. Rxd4 Rxd4 30. Rxd4 Rxa2 1/2-1/2 📧 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

Like it or not, the clock is just as much a part of tournament chess as the board and pieces. Poor clock management is a consistent problem for many players. We cover: Why clock management is essential for tournament success Common causes of time-trouble (and how to avoid it) The dangers of perfectionism and obsessing over the "best" move An interesting trick you can use to get your opponent into time trouble Referenced: Ep. 16: "Chess for Tigers" Ep. 29: "The Seven Deadly Chess Sins" Chess for Tigers (Amazon) The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Amazon) 📧 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 links above are affiliate links. Qualifying purchases help support this podcast at no additional cost to you.

You hang one pawn, then eight moves later you hang another, and then your opponent easily wins the game while you're still processing where you went wrong. This is all too common at the club level. In addition, Neal dives into the Listener Mailbag. Game Referenced: Neal vs. 1490 (G/90;d10) 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Bf5 3. e3 e6 4. Bd3 Bd6 5. Bg3 Nf6 6. Bxf5 exf5 7. Qf3 Qd7 8. Bxd6 Qxd6 9. c3 Qd7 10. Qe2 O-O 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. O-O Rfe8 13. Qc2 Qd6 14. Qxf5 Ne7 15. Qc2 Ng6 16. Nbd2 Ng4 17. Rae1 Re6 18. h3 Nf6 19. c4 c5 20. cxd5 Qxd5 21. b3 Ne4 22. Nxe4 Rxe4 23. Qxc5 Qd8 24. Rc1 h6 25. Rc2 b6 26. Qc7 Qe7 27. Qxe7 Rxe7 28. Rfc1 1-0 📧 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

National Master Nick Panico returns to the pod for some "chess coffee talk" and shares his insights from the tournament scene. We cover: Developing a tournament routine Playing while distracted What to do when the guy next to you won't stop coughing Our thoughts on caffeine consumption as a chess player Preparing for OTB play 📧 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

This week we take a deep dive into the psychology of draw offers for the club-level player. Strategically offering or accepting a draw can add quite a number of points to your rating. We break this down in detail. Referenced: Ep. #40: Tournament Strategy feat. GM John Emms Ep. #53: NM Rob Guevara on Why He Declines All Draw Offers Ep. #57: GM Alex Lenderman on Adult Improvement, Chess Cheating, & More The Complete Book of Chess Strategy (Amazon) The Survival Guide to Competitive Chess (Amazon) 📧 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 Patreon Buy Me a Coffee The Amazon links above are affiliate links. Qualifying purchases help support this podcast at no additional cost to you.