The Chess Angle

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.  

This podcast recently crossed the half-a-million download mark! Thank you all for your support of The Chess Angle. This week's guest is International Master Michael Rahal. Michael is a professional trilingual chess coach, content creator, and FIDE Press Officer. In this jam-packed episode, he provides thoughtful insight on the challenges of improving at chess as an adult and why there's not always a positive correlation between chess study and tournament results. Michael also details his experiences interviewing some of the world's most elite players including Magnus Carlsen. He then shares his thoughts on the chess content creation space and previews his upcoming Chessable and YouTube projects. Links for IM Michael Rahal: Twitter/X YouTube Instagram 📧 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

Practical time-saving hacks for busy adult chess players, the impact of social media on chess progress, strategies for efficient improvement including consistent openings and tactics, discussion on approved electronic scorekeepers by US Chess, advice for utilizing PGN files and online resources for skill development.

This week, Neal shares some tips, tricks, and harsh realities he learned from playing in chess tournaments over the years. 📧 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

This week, Neal puts on his tournament director hat to discuss rule violation scenarios using real examples from amateur chess tournaments. We also include common mishaps and misunderstandings at the club level regarding rules and procedures. Amateur players of all levels should find this episode both informative and entertaining! Special thanks to Pat Barron, friend of the pod and fellow TD from Pennsylvania whose correspondence was the basis of this episode. 📧 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

This week's guest is Australian Grandmaster Max Illingworth. Max is a coach, author, and blogger who has lots of experience working with adult chess improvers and a sincere interest in helping them get better. His chess.com blog is instruction rich and formed the basis of our conversation. Max shared his thoughts on why many adult players have trouble improving, including the erroneous thought processes and approaches that hinder progress. As a reminder, you can become a Patreon member of The Chess Angle. For just $2 a month, you can support the show while receiving a few perks including access to a members-only blog, Neal's personal episode notes/outlines, priority consideration for questions/topic suggestions, and early access to select episodes. If you're interested in a single donation, we also have a Buy Me a Coffee page, where you can buy us a "virtual" coffee as a one-off contribution. We appreciate your support of the pod! Links for GM Max Illingworth: Chess.com Blog Twitter/X YouTube Dismantling the Sicilian (Amazon) Coaching inquiries: Email illingworthchess@gmail.com or DM at https://m.me/max.illingworth.16 📧 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

Welcome to Season 7! As a reminder, you can become a Patreon member of The Chess Angle. For just $2 a month, you can support the show while receiving a few perks including access to a members-only blog, Neal's personal episode notes/outlines, priority consideration for questions/topic suggestions, and early access to select episodes.  If you're interested in a single donation, we also have a Buy Me a Coffee page, where you can buy us a "virtual" coffee as a one-off contribution. We appreciate your support of the pod! This week, we discuss how to "Marie Kondo" your chess study plan if you're rated about 800-1200 and you're looking to break the 1400 barrier. You don't need to buy 100 chess books, 25 courses, and join seven different online training programs. A streamlined collection of chess study materials covering each phase and theme of the game combined with lots of OTB experience is probably all you need for quite some time. In this episode, we cover: Why playing is just as crucial as studying How much study material do you need? How often should you study? Using chess study materials appropriately What NOT to study  Putting it all together Referenced: Ep. 99: How to Approach Chess Study as a Beginner or Advanced Beginner The Amateur's Mind Chess for Tigers Starting Out: The Caro-Kann Winning Chess Strategies Pandolfini's Endgame Course Silman's Complete Endgame Course How to Study Chess on Your Own Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual Introduction to Tactics Endings, Openings, A Taste of the Middle 📧 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 ♟Some of the links above are affiliate links which earn us a small commission on qualifying purchases. This helps support the podcast at no additional cost to you.♟  

This season finale dives into the top ten blunders that cause amateur players to lose chess games. Discover the pitfalls of rushing decisions, neglecting piece development, and mismanaging time. Learn why overcomplicating positions can lead to disaster and why some players stumble against lower-rated opponents. The conversation balances serious analysis with a touch of humor, ensuring every player can reflect on their game and improve in upcoming matches.