Episodes

Live, over-the-board (OTB) tournament play is the ultimate in chess competition. It's fun, exciting, and aesthetically pleasing. However, rated chess events are not always unicorns and rainbows. There's a harsh reality to tou...

This episode offers some direct and pragmatic ideas for club players when facing a higher-rated opponent. Talking points include the following: Why chess generally hates the underdog Why there's often more pressure on the hig...

This week's episode is a thematic analysis of an amateur game featuring the Steiner Variation of the French Defense (1.e4 e6 2. c4!?). Some other common French sidelines are discussed as well. Additional talking points includ...

This episode covers so-called "club-level" time controls, such as G/90 and G/60. These usually include a time delay ranging from 5 - 30 seconds per move. Neal also shares his thoughts on speed chess as it relates to amateur p...

This week's episode discusses study plans, training programs, and improvement as it relates to the amateur and club player. If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com . Our ...

This episode is a review of (Amazon) by IM Jeremy Silman. This is an excellent all-in-one reference book for improvers and club players, covering all phases of the game as well as practical matters (blunders, time pressure, chess psychology,...

This episode explores the psychology of facing a lower-rated opponent who is playing really well. This is often highly frustrating for tournament players. Many times, however, it's more about your own mindset than your oppone...

This week I spoke with National Master Nick Panico. Nick is a fellow educator with a background in science and has also been active as a storm chaser. Nick shared his vast experience from the amateur chess scene and our conve...

To kick off Season 4, Neal spoke with Grandmaster Alex Lenderman. Alex resides in Brooklyn, NY where he was a member of the famous chess team at Edward R. Murrrow HS that won multiple national high school titles. This was dep...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by This week's episode is our Season 3 Finale and features International Master Jay Bonin, a legend of the New York chess scene. He is one of the most active tournament players ever, having amassed an estimated 30K - 40K...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by This week's episode features WFM Maaike Keetman. We covered a number of important topics for adult improvers and amateur players. Maaike is the VP of Content for Chessable and is active with the ChessQueens Foundation...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by This episode offers some practical advice and insight for improvers and emerging tournament players. Some of the talking points include: How many games a year do you need to play to increase your OTB rating? Should...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Offering or accepting a draw is often a critical decision in a chess game and is the subject of much discussion and debate. Our guest this week, National Master Robert Guevara, is a tenacious player who declines...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by This episode is dedicated to all of the school teachers out there. Our guest this week, Dr. Stephen Wefer, is an adult improver (USCF 1691), HS science teacher, and Long Island Chess Club regular. He has also...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by In this solo episode, Neal shares some thoughts on a number of topics related to tournament chess. Talking points include: Non-resigning in overwhelmingly worse positions with no time-pressure issues Queen trade...

Nick Figorito is a member of the Long Island Chess Club who recently earned the title of National Master (USCF 2200). In this episode, Nick shares his journey to Master, busts some common chess improvement myths, and offers s...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Fide Master Carsten Hansen is a prolific writer who has authored an astounding 46 chess books and is a #1 best selling author on Amazon. Recently published books include and , co-authored with Cyrus Lakdawala....

This episode is a primer on the Nimzo & Queen's Indian Defenses for adult improvers and club-level players. These two openings can be used as a complete system against 1. d4. Fighting for control of the e4-square is a major t...

Candidate Master and renowned chess educator Brian Karen returns to the podcast to discuss the chess cheating crisis as it relates to the amateur player, among other topics. Some of our talking points include: How the prevale...

Neal discusses the dangers of playing chess too literally or "inside the box." Sometimes deviating from conventional chess principles is a smart play. ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable . Check out a list of our favorite...

Analyzing your tournament games with a computer program such as Fritz or Stockfish is perhaps the most important component of any improvement plan. However, using a chess engine can sometimes be confusing at the amateur level...

💻Be sure to 💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community! This season's first solo episode is divided into two main segments with some additional subtopics thrown in. First, Neal argues...

💻Be sure to 💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community! ♟This podcast is sponsored by ♟ Electronic Notation Devices (ENDs) offer a convenient way for players to keep score...

💻Be sure to 💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community! ♟This podcast is sponsored by ♟ We've all heard of players who study several hours a day. Nice work if you can get it,...