Episodes

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 include the following: Queenside castling The Hedgehog formation Does it make sense to to "prep for an opponent" at the club level? Blind spots when analyzing Game Referenced: 1. e4 e6 2. c4!? b6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 Bxc3 5. dxc3 h6 6. Qd4 Qf6 7. e5 Qe7 8. Bf4 Bb7 9. Be2 Nc6 10....

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 players and improvement. In addition, some helpful resources that may be underutilized by many are discussed. Additional talking points include the following: The (imaginary) decline of slow time controls DAUT: Don't Analyze Unnecessary Tactics* Your puzzle rating or onlin...

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 links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook E-mail: info@thechessangle.com The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!

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 opponent's abilities. Conversely, this episode will explain the "ratings walk" phenomenon when facing a higher-rated opponent. Have a question or topic for consideration in a future episode? E-mail us at info@thechessangle.com. Mentioned: Chess for Tigers (Amazon) The Survival G...

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 conversation went in a lot of interesting directions. Some of our talking points include the following: Tips for improvers The amateur tournament scene Should you play gambit openings? Cheating & sandbagging Bishop & knight mate Nick's journey to NM Online vs. OTB chess O...

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 depicted in the 2007 book The Kings of New York (retitled Game of Kings) by Michael Weinreb (Amazon). Alex was the winner of the 2021 US Open and is active as a chess coach for both children and adults. Some of this episode's talking points include the following: Why many adul...

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 some additional insight. Nick can be reached at nfigorito@ymail.com. Some of our talking points include: Is there a "formula" or systematic study plan to achieve a Master rating? Can anyone make Master? Nick's surprising viewpoint on opening theory Why he hates the Najdor...

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 theme. Lines discussed include the following: NIMZO-INDIAN: Rubenstein Variation with 4...b6: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 b6 5. Bd3 Bb7 (5. Nge2 Ne4!) 6. Nf3 Ne4! Classical Variation with 4...0-0: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 0-0 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 Ne4! 7. ...

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 prevalence of chess cheating is affecting amateur events Why the Carlsen/Niemann controversy has become irritating & tiresome Are cheat detection algorithms legitimate? Chess coaching philosophies Why do many players drop out of tournaments after losing just one game? Are lar...

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 courses!♟ Our links: Website Twitter YouTube Facebook Support the Show E-mail: info@thechessangle.com

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. In this episode, we review some tips on how club players can use an engine effectively to improve. Some of our talking points include: Why +/= or =/+ is really the same as = Identifying inflection points in your game A technique to avoid repeating a mistake in future to...

💻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,...

♟This podcast is sponsored by . Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. ♟ For this Season 3 Premier, Neal spoke with IM Justus Williams. Justus is featured prominently in the 2012...

🎤Follow us on Twitter: ♟This podcast is sponsored by . Chessable uses science-backed learning and the concept of spaced repetition to ensure retention. ♟ Grandmaster John Emms is a distinguished chess professional. He is one of the...