For this interview episode, Neal spoke with National Master Anthony Levin, a NY based chess player and the News Manager for chess.com. Anthony shared his insights on adult improvement and his own personal journey. Talking points include the following: Puzzle Rush vs. speed chessThe mythical "phase out" of classical chessAnthony's role as News Manager for chess.comChess improvement tipsEndgame realities for amateur playersReferenced: Shereshevsky's Endgame StrategySmyslov's Endgame...

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 tournament play that is often omitted from the discourse on chess. Neal discusses some hard truths about tournaments, shares some of his own personal journey as a player and TD, and provides some tips and tricks along the way. Some of this episode's talking points include...

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 underdogWhy there's often more pressure on the higher-rated playerUpsets happen quite often at the amateur level Is creating complications the ONLY way to beat these players? (hint: no)An effective mindset approach that you probably haven't tried beforeStrategic draw offers to place pressure on your...

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 castlingThe Hedgehog formationDoes it make sense to to "prep for an opponent" at the club level?Blind spots when analyzingGame 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. Qd3...

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 controlsDAUT: Don't Analyze Unnecessary Tactics*Your puzzle rating or online...

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 [email protected]. Our links: WebsiteTwitterYouTubeFacebookE-mail: [email protected] Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 

This episode is a review of The Complete Book of Chess Strategy (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, etc.).  Neal shares his thoughts on how the concepts in this book apply to the amateur tournament scene. Talking points include the following: The "cat and mouse" techniqueOpening principles and the correct way to...

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 [email protected]. Mentioned: Chess for Tigers  (Amazon)The...

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 improversThe amateur tournament sceneShould you play gambit openings?Cheating & sandbaggingBishop & knight mateNick's journey to NMOnline vs. OTB chessOur...

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...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 rated OTB games, sometimes playing over 700 games in one year. As such, he is known as the "Iron Man of Chess." Neal spoke with Jay recently via phone where he shared his experiences and...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 which promotes the game of chess for women and girls in the Netherlands. Her Chessable course, The Fierce Nimzo-Indian, is designed for amateur players and is highly recommended. Some of our...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 you get up from the board during your game?How tournament pairing rules often make increasing your rating difficultA common pawn blunder to avoidBook study vs. digital/online studyMentioned: The...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 virtually every draw offer thrown his way. He explains his reasoning for doing so, and it's not because of an obsession with winning. His thought process is highly instructive. We covered some other...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 worked as an adjunct professor. We spoke about academia, chess improvement, tournaments, and a lot more. Some of our talking points include the following: Applying an academic mindset to chess...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 issuesQueen trade blundersAre online ratings legit or a sham?The Jobava London System (1. d4 2. Nc3 3. Bf4)Resources for the Jobava London: The Jobava London System by GM Simon Williams (Amazon paperback)The Jobava...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 [email protected]. Some of our talking points include: Is there a "formula" or systematic study plan to achieve a Master rating?Can...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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 The Anti-Alapin Gambit  and The Chess Wizardry of Wotawa, co-authored with Cyrus Lakdawala. Carsten is also an active chess coach and trainer. In addition, he is working to achieve an IM title, and does all this while holding down a...

The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! 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...

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 eventsWhy the Carlsen/Niemann controversy has become irritating & tiresomeAre cheat detection algorithms legitimate?Chess coaching philosophiesWhy do many players drop out of tournaments after losing just one game?Are large...

This is our first episode recorded on location due to scheduling circumstances. Neal begins with some general remarks and then 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:WebsiteTwitterYouTubeFacebookE-mail: [email protected]

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 gameA technique to avoid repeating a mistake in future...

💻Be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel!💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community!♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!♟ This season's first solo episode is divided into two main segments with some additional subtopics thrown in. First, Neal argues that "waiting" moves or "passive" moves can sometimes be very effective and possibly the best choice in certain situations. Next,...

💻Be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel!💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community! ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!♟ Electronic Notation Devices (ENDs) offer a convenient way for players to keep score during chess tournaments. No more messy scoresheets or missing  moves. ENDs, however, have their detractors, with some worried that players can cheat by sideloading a chess...

💻Be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel!💻 We have preview clips for select episodes and are gradually adding content. Please join our community! ♟This podcast is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!♟ We've all heard of players who study several hours a day. Nice work if you can get it, but that's not viable for most adult improvers who have responsibilities and commitments outside of chess. My guest this week is Dan Levin, a Long Island Chess Club...