All Episodes

Ep. 199 (S11 Finale): You're Doing Chess Puzzles All Wrong

Ep. 198: Move Noise: The Mental Clutter Costing You Games

Ep. 197: Chess Openings and the Law of Diminishing Returns

Ep. 196: Rook Slides, Queen Slides, & Other Chess Blind Spots

Ep. 195: Why Your Chess Rating Swings So Much

Ep. 194: Are You a Chess Improver... or a Course Collector?

Ep. 193: The Yellow Zone: Where Adult Chess Improvement Actually Happens

Ep. 192: Zapp Chess: The One App That Hooked Me

Ep. 191 (Midseason Finale): Is YouTube Actually Better For Adult Chess Improvement Than Chessable? feat. Steve Rosenblatt

Ep. 190: Boost Your Chess Rating by Checking Your Ego

Ep. 189: The Amateur's Mind (Chessable Version) - Still the Most Important Chess Book for Adult Players

Ep. 188: Why Study Beats Play for Chess Improvement

Ep. 187: The 2200 Myth: Why Most Adult Chess Players Won't Make Master

Ep. 186: GM Daniel Gormally on "Untold: Chess Mates," the Netflix Special About the Magnus/Hans Cheating Controversy

Ep. 185: The Adult Amateur's Guide to Defeating Chess Prodigies

Ep. 184: Real Talk on Chess Improvement for Adults feat. Nick Visel

Ep. 183: Online Chess Has a Clock Problem

Ep. 182: Chess Ratings and the Luck Factor

Ep. 181: Why "Just Playing a Lot" is a Chess Improvement Myth

Ep. 180: My Complete Switch to Lichess

Ep. 179: When to Sac a Piece in Amateur Chess Games

Ep. 178: The Most Dangerous Player in the Room: "Unrated"

Ep. 177 (S11 Premiere): Your 2026 Chess Improvement Blueprint (Busy Adult Edition)

Ep. 176 (S10 Finale): Chess Improvement Mailbag Special

Ep. 175: The Butterfly Effect and Chess Improvement

Ep. 174: Lichess vs. Chess.com, and the Busy Adult Club Player (Online Chess Cleanup Plan, Part 3, feat. Austin Olson)

Ep. 173: Blitz vs. Rapid (Online Chess Cleanup Plan, Part 2)

Ep. 172: Your Online Chess Cleanup Plan

Ep. 171: Adult Chess Improvement Q & A

Ep. 170: The Colle System (The Working Adult's Opening)

Ep. 169: The Nimzo-Indian Defense, Junior Opponents, & More (Game Analysis #15)

Ep. 168: How "Find a Better Move" Ruined My Chess

Ep. 167: The Casuals Strike Back: How to Beat Chess Diehards

Ep. 166: The Busy Adult's Guide to Chess Success

Ep. 165: Why I (Probably) Will Never Play in a Weekend Tournament Ever Again

Ep. 164: Why Is My 900-Rated Opponent Playing Like a Master?

Ep. 163: Adult Chess Improvement & Content Creation From a Gen-Z Perspective feat. Anthony Arena

Ep. 162: Chess Burnout, Defending Against the London, Flagging Your Opponent & More (Listener Mailbag Exclusive)

Ep. 161: Resetting the Board (Back in the Fall)

Ep. 160: "Old Man" Chess: The Slow, Boring Way to Win More Games

Ep. 159: Chess Opening Systems for White & More

Ep. 158: Why Your Fancy Chess Study Plan and Four-Year Book Hierarchy Aren't Working

Ep. 157 (S10 Premiere): 1...e6 vs. EVERYTHING, Does Blitz Mess Up Your Thought Process?, & More

Ep. 156 (S9 Finale): The THREE Things You Need to Know to Beat 1. d4, Common Beginner Mistakes, Spite Checks, and Stalemate Fantasies

Ep. 155: Why Many Adults Give Up on Chess, and How You Can Be the Exception

Ep. 154: Wasted Prep? Why Your Opponent-Specific Prep Might Be Useless Below 2000

Ep. 153: There is NO Advantage to Having the White Pieces at the Amateur Level

Ep. 152: Grinding Out Endgame Wins at the Club Level (Game Analysis #14)

Ep. 151: You Have 8 Years to Improve, Then It's Game Over: A Discussion & Debate About Adult Chess Improvement feat. NM Tim Mirabile

Ep. 150: The Jobava London System: A Chess Opening for Busy Adults

Ep. 149: Build Your Technique, Build Your Rating: The Game-Changer You Need

Ep. 148: Can An Adult Beginner Reach 1600?

Ep. 147: Bird's Opening (1. f4), When to Sac a Piece (and when not to) at the Amateur Level, Material vs. Initiative & More (Game Analysis #13)

Ep. 146: Better Tournaments, Better Chess: Creating Ideal Playing Conditions

Ep. 145: Correspondence Chess Success feat. NM Andy Ansel

Ep. 144: Speed Chess Secrets: How 5-0 Blitz Can Supercharge Your Skills

Ep. 143: Formal Chess Study Plans: Essential or Overhyped?

Ep. 142: The Tactics vs. Imbalances Debate

Ep. 141: What Actually Wins Chess Tournaments (And What's Just Noise)

Ep. 140: Chess Tournament Trickery & Shenanigans

Ep. 139: The "Black Box" Method of Chess Improvement

Ep. 138: "Hand Hovering" at Chess Tournaments, Why We Lose Games, & More

Ep. 137: Chess Improvement Over Age 50

Ep. 136: The Truth About Rook and Pawn Endings

Ep. 135: Hidden Chess Mistakes No One's Talking About

Ep. 134 (S9 Premiere): Is the London System for Lazy Players? and other Chess Hot Takes

Ep. 133 (Bonus Episode!): Stop Obsessing & Start Winning at Chess

Ep. 132 (S8 Finale): Chess Teaching, Part 2: Materials, Resources, & Essential Concepts

Ep. 131: Thoughts on Chess Teaching, Part 1: Philosophy & Structure

Ep. 130: Online Chess Cheating

Ep. 129: Seven Attacking Tips for Club-Level Chess Players

Ep. 128: Boosting Your Chess Rating & Higher-Rated Opponents (Game Analysis #12)

Ep. 127: Chess Study Plans & Formulas, the Club-Level Thought Process, Tournament Strategy & More feat. James Nidds

Ep. 126: Should You Ever Withdraw From a Chess Tournament?

Ep. 125: Are Adult Improvers "Good" at Chess?

Ep. 124: Are Amateur Players Qualified to Coach Chess?

Ep. 123: The Most Confusing Chess Concepts for Developing Players

Ep. 122: Online Blitz Chess and Adult Improvement

Ep. 121: Avoiding "Panic Moves" in Chess (Game Analysis #11)

Ep. 120: Fix Your Chess Mistakes! (Review of "The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book")

Ep. 119: Ineffective Chess Study Habits

Ep. 118 (S8 Premiere): Chess Improvement Realities (Also, The King's Indian Attack Opening System)

Ep. 117 (S7 Finale): Online Chess "Doomsday Feature" to Stop Your Losing Streak

Ep. 116: The Truth About Bishops & Knights for the Club-Level Chess Player (Game Analysis #10)

Ep. 115: What (Some) Chess Coaches Don't Get (Game Analysis #9)

Ep. 114: How to Avoid Time-Trouble at Club-Level Chess Tournaments

Ep. 113: Stop Dropping Pawns! (Game Analysis #8)

Ep. 112: Chess Tournament Savvy, Playing Amid Distractions, Prepping for OTB Play & More feat. NM Nick Panico (Chess Coffee Talk #4)

Ep. 111: How to Boost Your Chess Rating Using Draw Offers

Ep. 110: IM Michael Rahal on the Challenges of Adult Chess Improvement & More

Ep. 109: Chess Improvement Shortcuts for the Busy Adult Improver

Ep. 108: Checkmate Confessions: The Harsh Realities I Learned from Chess Tournaments

Ep. 107: Check, Mate, Cheat: Unveiling the Dark Side of Chess Tournament Shenanigans

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

Ep. 105 (S7 Premiere): Declutter Your Chess Study Plan

Ep. 104 (S6 Finale): Ten Ways to Lose a Chess Game

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

Ep. 102: Chess Improvement & Tournament Skills Roundtable feat. Nick Visel

Ep. 101: Candidates Tournament Preview 2024 feat. GM Daniel Gormally

Ep. 100: The Hippopotamus Defense and Other Chess Opening Systems for Black

Ep. 99: How to Approach Chess Study as a Beginner or Advanced Beginner (Tips and Suggested Resources)

Ep. 98: The Worst Chess Mindsets for Tournament Players

Ep. 97: Chess Ratings, Improvement, the 3...Qd8 Scandinavian & More feat. NM Daniel Lowinger

Ep. 96: GM Daniel Gormally on Adult Chess Improvement, the Cheating Epidemic, & More

Ep. 95: How to Use a Chess Engine as a Developing Player

Ep. 94: Sicilian vs. Caro-Kann, Neal's 2024 Chess Study Plan, & More

Ep. 93: Holiday Message 2023

Ep. 92: Stop Being Afraid of 1. d4: Tips for Club-Level Chess Players

Ep. 91: The Botvinnik System: An Easy-to-Learn Opening for White

Ep. 90: Common Club-Level Chess Mistakes: Matching, Punishing, "Temper Tantrum" Chess & More

Ep. 89: Chess "Backsplaining" & the "Null Move" Strategy for Club Players feat. FM Alex King

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

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

Ep. 86: Chess Improvement Without Books feat. Xilin Chen (USCF 2144)

Ep. 85: Trendy Chess Improvement Advice

Ep. 84: Mastering the Middlegame, Part 2: Are There Flaws With Silman's Imbalances?

Ep. 83 (S6 Premiere): Mastering the Middlegame for Club Players: The Legacy of IM Jeremy Silman

Ep. 82 (S5 Finale): My Opponent is Smoking a Cigarette: Chess Clubs Then vs. Now feat. Brian Karen (Chess Coffee Talk #3)

Ep. 81: The English Opening (1. c4) from Black's Perspective

Ep. 80: Chess Opening Surprises to Trick Your Opponent

Ep. 79: Everybody Loves Ratings

Ep. 78: Cheating at Local Chess Clubs feat. NM Nick Panico (Chess Coffee Talk #2)

Ep. 77: Phantom Tactics, Impatient Pawn Pushes, the Power of 1...Nf6, Nimzo-Indian Defense, Stopping Counterplay, & More (Game Analysis #7)

Ep. 76: Decision Fatigue and Brain Fog at the Chessboard (Game Analysis #6)

Ep. 75: Jessica Hyatt, the Highest-Rated Female African-American Chess Player (with NM Tyrell Harriott)

Ep. 74: Inside the Mind of a Tournament Chess Player feat. Dan Levin

Ep. 73: The Chess Conundrum: Balancing Online and OTB Play

Ep. 72: NM Jerald Times on Mastering the Chessboard: Insights, Strategies, and Transformations

Ep. 71 (S5 Premiere): A Journey to Chess Mastery feat. NM James Altucher

Ep. 70 (S4 Finale): Chess Openings & Using a "Forever" Repertoire (Ep. 1 Reboot)

Ep. 69: Passed Pawns, Piece Sacrifices, & More (Game Analysis #5)

Ep. 68: Weekend Tourneys, Rating "Donators" & More feat. NM Nick Panico (Chess Coffee Talk #1)

Ep. 67: The "Puzzle Rush Plus One" Chess Study Plan for Busy Adults

Ep. 66: Starting Chess at a "Late" Age feat. NM Anthony Levin

Ep. 65: Your First Chess Tournament - Tips & Tricks

Ep. 64: Beating Higher-Rated Opponents: It's Easier Than You Think at the Club Level...

Ep. 63: The French Steiner Variation, 1. e4 e6 2. c4!? & More (Game Analysis #4)

Ep. 62: How To Succeed At Club-Level Time Controls (G/90, G/75, etc.)

Ep. 61: Do Chess Training Programs Work?

Ep. 60: Review of "The Complete Book of Chess Strategy," the Best All-In-One Reference Book for Improvers

Ep. 59: Why Is My Lower-Rated Opponent Playing So Well?

Ep. 58: Gambit Openings, Students Cheating During Lessons, Bishop & Knight Mate, Sandbagging, Time Controls, Improvement & More feat. NM Nick Panico

Ep. 57 (S4 Premiere): GM Alex Lenderman on Adult Improvement, Chess Cheating & More

Ep. 56 (S3 Finale): Active Pieces feat. NY Chess Legend IM Jay Bonin, the "Iron Man of Chess"

Ep. 55: WFM Maaike Keetman on the Nimzo-Indian, Grinding Out Wins, Attacking Play, Openings, & More

Ep. 54: Avoid This Common Pawn Blunder & Other Practical Tournament Tips

Ep. 53: NM Robert Guevara on Why He Declines All Draw Offers

Ep. 52: Chess Improvement and Academia feat. Stephen Wefer, Ph.D.

Ep. 51: Non-Resigners, Faulty Queen Trades, the Jobava London, & More

Ep. 50: Becoming a Chess Master feat. NM Nick Figorito

Ep. 49: Chess Openings Masterclass feat. FM Carsten Hansen

Ep. 48: The Nimzo & Queen's Indian Defenses: A Complete System Against 1. d4

Ep. 47: The Chess Cheating Crisis: Implications for the Amateur Player feat. CM Brian Karen

Ep. 46: The Dangers of Playing Too Literally

Ep. 45: The Truth About Chess Engines for Club Players

Ep. 44: "Waiting" Moves, Chess Podcasts, & Other Musings

Ep. 43: Are Electronic Notation Devices Legit? feat. Joey Troy, Creator of ChessNoteR

Ep. 42: Playing in Tournaments With a Full-Time Job feat. Dan Levin (USCF 1724)

Ep. 41 (S3 Premiere): IM Justus Williams on Chess Improvement, Brooklyn Castle & More

Ep. 40 (S2 Finale): Tournament Strategy feat. GM John Emms

Ep. 39: Endgame Tips for Improvers

Ep. 38: Why Your Rating Is Not Increasing

Ep. 37: The London System for Club Players

Ep. 36: The French Defense for Club Players

Ep. 35: Chess Improvement While Parenting feat. Jay Kleinman (USCF 1915)

Ep. 34: Confidence at the Chessboard (Game Analysis #3)

Ep. 33: Annoying & Distracting Chess Behaviors

Ep. 32: Winning With Off-Book Ideas feat. Jarrod Tavares (USCF 2000)

Ep. 31: The Benefits of Speed Chess feat. NM Tyrell Harriott

Ep. 30: Dubious Study Plans, The Comparison Game, & More

Ep. 29: "The Seven Deadly Chess Sins" (advanced chess psychology)

Ep. 28: Avoiding Mistakes feat. GM Romain Edouard

Ep. 27: Facing Unusual Openings (Game Analysis #2)

Ep. 26: Learning & Improving feat. FM Roger LaFlair

Ep. 25: Chess Club Stories

Ep. 24: Higher & Lower-Rated Opponents (Game Analysis #1)

Ep. 23: The Chess Cheating Epidemic & More: Talking with FM Alex King

Ep. 22: Playing vs. Studying feat. Candidate Master Brian Karen

Ep. 21 (S2 Premiere) : Amateur Chess Myths

Ep. 20 (S1 Finale): Talking with National Master Tim Mirabile

Ep. 19: Do Chess Puzzles Really Help?

Ep. 18: Thematic Amateur Chess Mistakes

Ep. 17: Sneaky Chess Tricks, Swindles, & Head Games

Ep. 16: "Chess for Tigers" by Simon Webb (the best chess psychology primer)

Ep. 15: When It's Your Turn to Move

Ep. 14: Boosting Your Chess Rating in the Modern Era

Ep. 13: Your Opponent's Rating & "Pushy" Chess Parent Anecdotes

Ep. 12: Chess Improvement Hacks for Busy People

Ep. 11: What Chess Players Do When Losing a Game

Ep. 10: When "Internet Players" Join In-Person Tournaments

Ep. 9: Podcast Update Announcement 9-12-21

Ep. 8: Why I Now Like 5-minute Online Chess Games

Ep. 7: Draw Offers, Slumps, & Ego

Ep. 6: Why "The Amateur's Mind" is the Best Chess Book...

Ep. 5: Local Chess Clubs vs. Major Tournaments

Ep. 4: The Flaws of the Swiss System Pairing Method

Ep. 3: Thoughts on Internet Chess & the Pandemic

Ep. 2: Catching a Chess Cheater

Ep. 1: Chess Openings and the Club Player

Ep. 0: Introduction to The Chess Angle