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

Your chess rating can easily swing 100 points or more, but it doesn't necessarily mean you've become a better or worse player. In this episode, we react to a fascinating article on rating variance and...

26 Heinä 0s

In engineering, a single point of failure is the one weak component capable of bringing down an entire system. Chess improvement often works the same way. In this episode, we explore why your rating m...

19 Heinä 42min

If you're holding off until you're fully rested, completely focused, and free from distractions before playing or studying chess, you may be waiting a very long time. Most adult improvers live in the ...

12 Heinä 34min

I break my long-standing rule about not playing chess on my phone to talk about Zapp Chess, a listener-recommended app that surprised me. It blends fast, gamified play with real competitive chess deci...

5 Heinä 43min

In this midseason finale episode, Neal talks with Long Island Chess Club regular Steve Rosenblatt for a wide-ranging conversation on adult chess improvement. The two debate whether YouTube videos or C...

24 Touko 52min

Most adult chess players are not held back primarily by calculation or opening knowledge. They are held back by ego: the need to look smart, play "real chess," attack beautifully, avoid embarrassment,...

17 Touko 45min

This week, we revisit The Amateur's Mind by IM Jeremy Silman, this time through the Chessable edition. We've long argued this is the most important book for adult improvers, not because it hands you l...

10 Touko 51min

Most adult players default to playing more games when they want to improve, but that instinct is often backwards. In this episode, we argue that structured study is the real driver of progress for clu...

3 Touko 56min