The Chess Cognition Podcast

In this exciting episode, I sit down with Solveig Friberg, also known as Rookie Redhead, a rising chess star from Norway who started playing chess in 2022 and has already made impressive strides, reaching a FIDE rating of 1570!But Solveig is more than just a chess enthusiast—she's a professional educator. She shares her unique insights into education and psychology, blending them with her chess journey. Whether you're an adult improver, a chess learner, or a coach, this conversation will offer valuable lessons about learning chess, overcoming barriers, and enhancing your educational approach.Solveig shares her fascinating story of falling in love with chess after watching the World Chess Championship on Norwegian TV and realizing the game's incredible depth. From setting a New Year's resolution to learn chess to working with coaches, playing in tournaments, and crafting her popular Chessable course, "Breaking 1000," Solveig opens up about the dedication and mindset it takes to improve. We also discuss the social side of chess learning, group dynamics, and how these pedagogical principles can boost anyone’s chess progress, especially for adult learners navigating rating anxiety and psychological barriers. 01:38 How Solveig Rediscovered the Game07:40 Chessable Course: Breaking 100013:57 Misconceptions Around Chess Improvement20:42 Productive Failure: Why Reflection and Feedback Are Crucial 27:52 Social Aspect of Chess Learning32:14 Advantages of Group Lessons38:54 Solveig's Upcoming Course on Cultivating Courage Over the Board47:28 What Makes Chess So Fascinating?52:00 How Chess Teaches Us About Ourselves

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of Chessable with an expert guest, Benner, a Danish chess player with above 2000 ELO rating otb and Chessable superuser with over 1700 study streak days and five published courses. Benner moved from 700 to 2200 ELO (online) in only 5 years by extensively studying Chessable courses! Benner shares valuable insights on how to navigate Chessable, discussing the MoveTrainer technology, spaced repetition, and how to best use Chessable for both openings and general chess improvement. The discussion highlighted personalized study materials and focusing on one’s weaknesses, whether through tactical exercises or understanding common chess patterns, and the potential pitfalls of attempting to memorize thousands of variations. Benner stressed the value of studying recurrent tactical, positional, or endgame patterns, like those found in "Common Chess Patterns" and "Checkmate Patterns," which help players build a solid foundation for improvement. He also gave good tips on studying strategy courses and which Chessable study settings are best suited for those courses. He showed us all the good tools on Chessable that maximize learning and make learning intentional.

Join legendary chess coach Andras Toth, renowned for his chess courses on Chessable, as he delves into crucial questions every player should consider during a game. He shares strategies on identifying threats and enhancing decision-making skills. The conversation emphasizes the importance of board awareness, calculation techniques, and recognizing patterns to avoid blunders. Andras also discusses adapting strategies to different playing styles, making this insight-packed session a must-listen for both beginners and seasoned players.

In this episode, we explore the age-old debate: Is Blitz chess good for improvement? Joining me is FIDE Master Nate Solon, a chess coach and Chessable author, to discuss Blitz chess's benefits and potential drawbacks. We discuss how Blitz can be a powerful tool for developing chess intuition, sharpening opening repertoire, and quickly identifying recurring mistakes through high-volume play. Nate highlights the advantages of quick feedback loops and how Blitz can be an integral part of a balanced training regimen. However, we also delve into the opposing viewpoint: the risks of Blitz creating bad habits, especially for beginners. We discuss the importance of deliberate practice, focusing on slower, more thoughtful games to solidify essential chess processes like deep calculation, positional understanding, and endgame technique. 00:00 Introduction02:58 Nate’s Argument: Benefits of Blitz Chess07:16 Counterargument: What You CAN NOT Do Properly in Blitz Chess09:20 Consistency and Accuracy FIRST Before Speed (Lessons from Other Domains)10:41 Benefits For Different Rating Ranges14:45 How to Analyse Our Blitz Games23:30 Listing Recurrent Mistakes 27:26 Tilt and Breaking the Tilt31:36 Did Blitz Help Nate and His Students?36:24 Grandmasters Playing Blitz46:00 Knowing What I Do NOT Know48:27 How To Steer the Chess Engine For Analysis52:21 Should Chess Improvement be Fun?55:35 Deliberate Practice01:01:31 Mindset