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

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 pers...

23 Apr 20231h

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...

16 Apr 202357min

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 underdog Why there's ofte...

9 Apr 202327min

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. Additio...

2 Apr 202334min

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 a...

26 Mar 202341min

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 inf...

19 Mar 202340min

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 ...

12 Mar 202340min

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...

5 Mar 202345min