The Chess Angle

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

This week, Neal discusses attacking play for the amateur player. Arguably, club players should approach attacks differently than titled players. This episode is divided into three segments: Listener Mailbag (elderly advice, withdrawing from tourneys, improvement realities) Does US Chess appreciate its local tournament directors? (opinion piece) 7 attacking tips for the club player Referenced: The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Amazon) Chess for Tigers (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 the podcast at no additional cost to you.

Beating or drawing higher-rated opponents stems from winning the psychological game, since attempting to outplay them based solely on chess skill usually fails. We also discuss the following: Stop doing THIS and your rating will increase Opening choices Queenside castling: many forget to follow up with THIS move Why the Queen's Indian Defense is so powerful at the club level The "correct" time to consider offering a draw Playing & directing in the same event Game Referenced: 2013 vs. Neal (G/90;d10) 1. c4 b6 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. d4 Bb7 4. a3 e6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Nf3 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Qc2 Nxc3 10. Qxc3 Be4 11. Nd2 Bb7 12. O-O-O d5 13. Kb1 dxc4 14. Bxc4 Nd7 15. f3 c5 16. Nb3 Rac8 17. d5 exd5 18. Bxd5 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 Nf6 20. Rd2 Rfd8 21. Rhd1 Rxd2 22. Qxd2 h6 23. e4 Qe6 24. Nc1 c4 25. Ne2 Qe5 26. Qd6 Qb5 27. Nc3 Qg5 28. e5 Qf5+ 29. Ka1 Ne8 30. Qd7 Qxd7 31. Rxd7 Nc7 32. Ne4 Ne6 33. Kb1 Rc7 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

James Nidds is a 58-year-old amateur player and LI Chess Club regular rated 1808 (US Chess) at the time of this recording. He offers a great deal of advice and perspective on chess improvement as an adult. Talking points include the following & more: Beginners should focus on these THREE things The FOUR characteristics all good players possess How to handle opponents who play aggressively Why the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik match changed James' approach permanently A sample chess study regimen James' belief that electronic training tools are more effective than books Why the idea that amateurs "should not spend too much time on openings" may be inaccurate for some players Referenced: Viktor Korchnoi - Sofia Polgar Speed Chess Match 📧 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