Episodes

Happy New Year! For our first episode of 2024, Neal answers some questions from our listener mailbag and shares his chess study plan for 2024. Chapters: (00:00) - Intro (01:20) - Neal's 2024 Study Plan (09:57) - Are YouTube V...

Happy Holidays! This week, Neal shares a brief holiday message. Thank you to everyone for supporting the show. We saw a major uptick in downloads in 2023. We'll be taking an extended holiday/end-of-year break and will resume ...

Many club-level players consistently have trouble facing 1. d4. This week, we explore why that is, and offer some practical and philosophical advice. Chapters: (00:00) - Intro (01:40) - 1. d4 General Thoughts (07:00) - Social...

The Botvinnik System is a solid opening choice for White that is easy to learn. We also discuss system openings generally and how they can benefit club players with limited study time. **Errata: In the episode at (23:31), it ...

This week we take a deep dive into some of the most common thematic mistakes that club players make on a regular basis. Most of them have to do with misguided tournament strategies and mishandling your opponent, rather than a...

FM Alex King returns to the podcast to share his journey from NM to FM. In addition, we discuss some practical improvement topics that club players of all levels should find useful. Check out Episode #23 if you missed Alex's ...

Andy Ansel is a devoted chess enthusiast who is well known for his impressive book collection which features over 15,000 items. He also has an extensive tournament background with a peak rating of USCF 2100. His playing exper...

David MacEnulty is a legendary chess coach best known for his work with disadvantaged children at Community Elementary School #70 in the South Bronx in New York City. He took them from beginning players to national scholastic...

For this season's first interview episode, Neal spoke with Xilin Chen, a 24-year old student at Stonybrook University and a Long Island Chess Club regular. Xilin described his chess improvement activities: lots of 3-0 and 1-0...

There's a lot of chess advice out there, but is all of it sound? Will these suggestions really help you, especially if you're an emerging player looking to get to the intermediate level? While this episode is primarily aimed...

This week we continue our discussion of IM Jeremy Silman. Some are critical of his method, and while Neal considers Silman's system to be essential for improvement, he shares a few nitpicks of his own in the spirit of thoroug...

Welcome to Season 6! Sadly, renowned chess educator IM Jeremy Silman passed away recently. Many consider his content to be essential for amateur improvement. He is probably best known for his system of imbalances and its appl...

This episode is our Season 5 Finale. Season 6 coming soon! Our guest this week is Brian Karen, a Candidate Master, chess educator, historian, and regular contributor to the podcast. We discussed the evolution of chess clubs ...

In this episode, we unravel the English Opening from Black's point of view for club players and adult improvers. We tackle the unfamiliarity and anxiety that comes with confronting 1. c4 and share three variations that will b...

Ready to shake up your chess game with some unconventional openings? In our latest episode, we make a case for occasionally adding complexity to your game. By getting higher-rated opponents out of their comfort zone early on,...

Did you know that the world of chess ratings can be as intriguing and mysterious as the game itself? How significant are tactics, game analysis, and a consistent opening repertoire for players rated below 1800? We go a step ...

Have you ever wondered what goes on inside a chess tournament? Join us as we converse with return guest National Master Nick Panico, who takes us on a captivating journey. This episode is a deep dive into the world of chess, ...

This week, we'll be exploring some common themes for club-level players by analyzing a typical amateur game that featured a lot of miscues. Concepts include: stopping counterplay, open vs. closed center, impatient pawn pushes...

Our episode features an engaging analysis of a chess game from the Long Island Chess Club. We dissect every plan, delving into the nuances of a Queen's pawn opening and strategies for preventing Black's e5 idea from White. We...

Meet high school student and Candidate Master Jessica Hyatt, the highest-rated female African-American chess player, and National Master Tyrell Harriott, her coach and mentor. Be intrigued as the duo sheds light on Jessica's ...

Tune in as we delve into the mind of a seasoned tournament player, Dan Levin. A regular at the Long Island Chess Club, Dan brings a unique perspective to this episode as he shares his experiences from the recent Eastern Class...

Have you ever wondered about the differences between playing chess online and over-the-board? How does it impact your strategies and even your enjoyment of the game? Welcome to the first solo episode of the fifth season of Th...

Get ready to sharpen your chess skills with National Master Jerald Times, a revered chess educator and CEO of Chess Across Borders. We'll traverse across the chessboard of Jerald's experiences, from his nostalgic moments play...

Are you ever too old to get better at chess? Join me as I sit down with National Master, top podcaster, successful entrepreneur, and best-selling author James Altucher, who is on a thrilling journey to regain a rating of 2200...