Ep. 199 (S11 Finale): You're Doing Chess Puzzles All Wrong
This episode is our Season 11 Finale. We'll be taking a break and will be back soon. Chess puzzles can be one of the most effective ways to improve, but only if you're actually training, rather than g...
23 Aug 36min
Ep. 198: Move Noise: The Mental Clutter Costing You Games
Sometimes the problem isn't that we aren't thinking enough at the chessboard — it's that we're thinking about too much. In this episode, we explore "move noise": the unnecessary calculation, imaginary...
16 Aug 46min
Ep. 197: Chess Openings and the Law of Diminishing Returns
Many adult club players don't study too little opening theory - they study too much. In this episode, we explore the trap of diminishing returns in opening study, why understanding ideas matters far m...
9 Aug 43min
Ep. 196: Rook Slides, Queen Slides, & Other Chess Blind Spots
Many chess blunders aren't caused by poor calculation - they're caused by visual blind spots. In this episode, we explore why certain types of moves consistently escape our attention, how those blind ...
2 Aug 26min
Ep. 195: Why Your Chess Rating Swings So Much
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 Juli 32min
Ep. 194: Are You a Chess Improver... or a Course Collector?
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 Juli 42min
Ep. 193: The Yellow Zone: Where Adult Chess Improvement Actually Happens
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 Juli 34min
Ep. 192: Zapp Chess: The One App That Hooked Me
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 Juli 43min
