Shows / The Chess Angle
The Chess Angle
The Chess Angle is the official podcast of the renowned Long Island Chess Club in NY. We discuss chess, tournament play, and improvement at the amateur and club level. Featured guests include titled players and dedicated amateurs. New episodes drop on Sundays. Web: www.thechessangle.com. Twitter (X): www.twitter.com/TheChessAngle. Email: info@thechessangle.com. Thank you for listening and we hope you win your next game!
Episodes
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 139: The "Black Box" Method of Chess Improvement
This week we discuss a chess improvement philosophy based on the book Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes--But Some Do (Amazon)…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 138: "Hand Hovering" at Chess Tournaments, Why We Lose Games, & More
This week, Neal discusses the infamous "hand hover" at OTB events and other topics related to chess improvement and tournament strategy. Chapters: Intro &…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 137: Chess Improvement Over Age 50
VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. In this episode we discuss chess improvement and tournament strategies for players over 50 with some…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 136: The Truth About Rook and Pawn Endings
VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. First, Neal engages with listener feedback, discussing their chess improvement journeys and suggestions for…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 135: Hidden Chess Mistakes No One's Talking About
VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. This week we discuss the importance of calculation, the choice between rapid and blitz games, and ten common…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 134 (S9 Premiere): Is the London System for Lazy Players? and other Chess Hot Takes
VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. Welcome to Season 9! This episode is a response to the Reddit post What is Your Personal Chess Hot Take?…
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Ep. 133 (Bonus Episode!): Stop Obsessing & Start Winning at Chess
VIDEO VERSION is available on our YouTube Channel. This episode is a pre-season bonus pod. Season 9 of the podcast begins on Sunday, January 5, 2025. Moving…
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Ep. 132 (S8 Finale): Chess Teaching, Part 2: Materials, Resources, & Essential Concepts
This episode is our Season 8 Finale! Neal will be taking an extended end-of-year break and will return with Season 9 in January 2025. This week, we continue…
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Ep. 131: Thoughts on Chess Teaching, Part 1: Philosophy & Structure
What are the qualities of a good chess coach? How can one become a chess teacher? How should lessons be organized and scheduled? This episode is Part One of…
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Ep. 130: Online Chess Cheating
This week, we share our thoughts about online chess cheating. We believe it is rampant, while the online servers seem to downplay the amount of cheating taking…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 129: Seven Attacking Tips for Club-Level Chess Players
This week, Neal discusses attacking play for the amateur player. Arguably, club players should approach attacks differently than titled players. This episode…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 128: Boosting Your Chess Rating & Higher-Rated Opponents (Game Analysis #12)
Beating or drawing higher-rated opponents stems from winning the psychological game, since attempting to outplay them based solely on chess skill usually…
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Ep. 127: Chess Study Plans & Formulas, the Club-Level Thought Process, Tournament Strategy & More feat. James Nidds
James Nidds is a 58-year-old amateur player and LI Chess Club regular rated 1808 (US Chess) at the time of this recording. He offers a great deal of advice and…
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Ep. 126: Should You Ever Withdraw From a Chess Tournament?
🎯 Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel! After much planning and preparation, you're excited to play in a 6-round weekend event, but find yourself 0-3…
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Ep. 125: Are Adult Improvers "Good" at Chess?
🎯 Please SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel! What are the qualifications to be a "good" chess player? This week's episode is a reaction to the Reddit post When…
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Ep. 124: Are Amateur Players Qualified to Coach Chess?
This week's offering is a dedicated Listener Mailbag episode. We cover the following and more: Using "inflection points" to improve Does using a chess engine…
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Ep. 123: The Most Confusing Chess Concepts for Developing Players
This week's episode is a response to the Reddit post What are some of the most advanced and incomprehensible concepts in chess? At the time of this recording…
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Ep. 122: Online Blitz Chess and Adult Improvement
Most players agree that slower time controls are beneficial for chess growth, but what about blitz chess? Can online blitz chess help you improve? Are certain…
The Chess AngleEp. 121: Avoiding "Panic Moves" in Chess (Game Analysis #11)
Your opponent has a better position or plays a move that catches you by surprise. Rather than keep your composure while patiently analyzing, you become…
The Chess AngleEp. 120: Fix Your Chess Mistakes! (Review of "The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book")
For club-level chess players and adult improvers, an argument can be made that amateur games are significantly more instructive than Grandmaster games. Amateur…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 119: Ineffective Chess Study Habits
Developing tournament players are often told the following: study tons of Master games, drill tactics, review mate-in-one puzzles, and do not spend more than…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 118 (S8 Premiere): Chess Improvement Realities (Also, The King's Indian Attack Opening System)
Welcome to Season 8! Neal begins by discussing the state of the podcast and some harsh truths about chess improvement that are arguably not mentioned enough…
The Chess AngleEp. 117 (S7 Finale): Online Chess "Doomsday Feature" to Stop Your Losing Streak
This week's episode is our Season 7 Finale (Season 8 coming soon...). In this light, laid-back, rapid-fire episode, Neal reacts to the enjoyable chess.com…
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Ep. 116: The Truth About Bishops & Knights for the Club-Level Chess Player (Game Analysis #10)
This week, Neal discusses another instructive tournament game. We cover the following and more: "Frustration" moves Attacking the fianchetto pawn structure…
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Ep. 115: What (Some) Chess Coaches Don't Get (Game Analysis #9)
This week, Neal begins by diving into the listener mailbag. This is followed by an instructive analysis of a recent OTB tournament game. We cover the following…
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Ep. 114: How to Avoid Time-Trouble at Club-Level Chess Tournaments
Like it or not, the clock is just as much a part of tournament chess as the board and pieces. Poor clock management is a consistent problem for many players…
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Ep. 113: Stop Dropping Pawns! (Game Analysis #8)
You hang one pawn, then eight moves later you hang another, and then your opponent easily wins the game while you're still processing where you went wrong…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 112: Chess Tournament Savvy, Playing Amid Distractions, Prepping for OTB Play & More feat. NM Nick Panico (Chess Coffee Talk #4)
National Master Nick Panico returns to the pod for some "chess coffee talk" and shares his insights from the tournament scene. We cover: Developing a…
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Ep. 111: How to Boost Your Chess Rating Using Draw Offers
This week we take a deep dive into the psychology of draw offers for the club-level player. Strategically offering or accepting a draw can add quite a number…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 110: IM Michael Rahal on the Challenges of Adult Chess Improvement & More
This podcast recently crossed the half-a-million download mark! Thank you all for your support of The Chess Angle. This week's guest is International Master…
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Ep. 109: Chess Improvement Shortcuts for the Busy Adult Improver
This week's pod is an updated and revised version of Episode 12: Chess Improvement Hacks for Busy People. Neal offers some practical time-saving hacks for busy…
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Ep. 108: Checkmate Confessions: The Harsh Realities I Learned from Chess Tournaments
This week, Neal shares some tips, tricks, and harsh realities he learned from playing in chess tournaments over the years. 📧 If you have a question or topic…
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Ep. 107: Check, Mate, Cheat: Unveiling the Dark Side of Chess Tournament Shenanigans
This week, Neal puts on his tournament director hat to discuss rule violation scenarios using real examples from amateur chess tournaments. We also include…
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Ep. 106: GM Max Illingworth on Adult Chess Improvement, Why YouTube Videos May Not Help, "Potholes & Detours" on the road to 1600, "Unlearning" Chess, & More
This week's guest is Australian Grandmaster Max Illingworth. Max is a coach, author, and blogger who has lots of experience working with adult chess improvers…
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Ep. 105 (S7 Premiere): Declutter Your Chess Study Plan
Welcome to Season 7! As a reminder, you can become a Patreon member of The Chess Angle. For just $2 a month, you can support the show while receiving a few…
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Ep. 104 (S6 Finale): Ten Ways to Lose a Chess Game
This episode is our Season 6 finale. We'll be taking a short break and will return with Season 7 on April 14, 2024. This week, we discuss ten common reasons…
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Ep. 103: Wild Chess Tournament Stories: Cheating, Collusion, Pushy Parents & Other Tall Tales from the Amateur Chess Scene feat. Tim Just, National TD and US Chess Rulebook Editor
This week's guest, Tim Just, is a major figure in tournament directing and chess administration. He is a National TD, editor of the 5th-7th editions of the US…
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Ep. 102: Chess Improvement & Tournament Skills Roundtable feat. Nick Visel
Nick Visel is a dedicated club player with a long term goal of achieving the title of National Master. He is well known in the adult improver community and is…
The Chess AngleEp. 101: Candidates Tournament Preview 2024 feat. GM Daniel Gormally
In this jam-packed episode, return guest Grandmaster Daniel Gormally discusses the upcoming 2024 Candidates Chess Tournament: the players, controversies…
The Chess AngleEp. 100: The Hippopotamus Defense and Other Chess Opening Systems for Black
Welcome to our 100th episode! Be sure to check out our new and improved website. Same address, updated look. This week, we explore five universal responses for…
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Ep. 99: How to Approach Chess Study as a Beginner or Advanced Beginner (Tips and Suggested Resources)
Chess improvement can be overwhelming and daunting for beginners looking to reach the intermediate level and beyond. This is especially true for busy adults…
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Ep. 98: The Worst Chess Mindsets for Tournament Players
The week, Neal dives into the listener mailbag to discuss the parallels between music and chess, handling losses, and dealing with frustration at the…
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Ep. 97: Chess Ratings, Improvement, the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian & More feat. NM Daniel Lowinger
This week's guest is National Master Daniel Lowinger, a high school Chinese teacher who cut his teeth playing chess on the New York scene. Dan offers some…
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Ep. 96: GM Daniel Gormally on Adult Chess Improvement, the Cheating Epidemic, & More
Our guest this week is English Grandmaster Daniel Gormally. Daniel is a professional chess player and coach who has written several books on the game. He is…
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Ep. 95: How to Use a Chess Engine as a Developing Player
This week we discuss how to analyze your chess games with an engine to increase learning, avoid mistakes, and explore your thought process. Neal addresses some…
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Ep. 94: Sicilian vs. Caro-Kann, Neal's 2024 Chess Study Plan, & More
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…
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Ep. 93: Holiday Message 2023
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…
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Ep. 92: Stop Being Afraid of 1. d4: Tips for Club-Level Chess Players
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…
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Ep. 91: The Botvinnik System: An Easy-to-Learn Opening for White
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…
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Ep. 90: Common Club-Level Chess Mistakes: Matching, Punishing, "Temper Tantrum" Chess & More
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…
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Ep. 89: Chess "Backsplaining" & the "Null Move" Strategy for Club Players feat. FM Alex King
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…
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Ep. 88: Amateur Chess Legend Andy Ansel on his Massive 15,000+ Book Collection, Playing 3 World Champions, & Whether Club Players Should Use Classic or Modern Books for Improvement
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…
- The Chess Angle
Ep. 87: David MacEnulty, Renowned Chess Coach Portrayed in the 2005 Film "Knights of the South Bronx," on Teaching, Learning, Improving, Tournament Skills, Cheating, & More
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…
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Ep. 86: Chess Improvement Without Books feat. Xilin Chen (USCF 2144)
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…
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Ep. 85: Trendy Chess Improvement Advice
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…
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Ep. 84: Mastering the Middlegame, Part 2: Are There Flaws With Silman's Imbalances?
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…
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Ep. 83 (S6 Premiere): Mastering the Middlegame for Club Players: The Legacy of IM Jeremy Silman
Welcome to Season 6! Sadly, renowned chess educator IM Jeremy Silman passed away recently. Many consider his content to be essential for amateur improvement…
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Ep. 82 (S5 Finale): My Opponent is Smoking a Cigarette: Chess Clubs Then vs. Now feat. Brian Karen (Chess Coffee Talk #3)
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…
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Ep. 81: The English Opening (1. c4) from Black's Perspective
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…
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Ep. 80: Chess Opening Surprises to Trick Your Opponent
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…