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

Most adult amateurs quietly carry the same goal: reach Master. In this episode, we take an honest look at why that milestone is so elusive: time constraints, training demands, a competitive player poo...

26 Apr 1h 3min

GM Daniel Gormally returns to the pod to unpack Netflix's Untold: Chess Mates, the documentary covering the Magnus Carlsen - Hans Niemann controversy. We separate the signal from the noise, offering a...

19 Apr 52min

In this episode, we react to a recent article on how to beat chess prodigies and what adult amateurs tend to get wrong when facing underrated kids. We break down practical strategies like avoiding tac...

12 Apr 31min

Fellow chess amateur and blogger Nick Visel returns to the pod to talk about the nuts and bolts of improving as an adult player. We cover endgames, openings, and the psychological habits that separate...

5 Apr 1h 7min

Time delay or an increment has become the norm in over-the-board tournaments, but online chess still largely ignores it. In this episode, we break down why using an increment leads to better games, fa...

29 Mars 43min

We like to think chess is pure skill, but at the amateur level, luck plays a bigger role than most players realize. In this episode, we break down how blunders, pairings, time pressure, and your oppon...

22 Mars 34min

Many adult chess improvers start with the same plan: just play a lot of games and the rating will climb. At first, that actually works - until it doesn't. In this episode, we talk about why the "just ...

15 Mars 39min

This week, Neal discusses why he recently made a full switch to lichess.org for playing his online games and why the platform works better for his day-to-day chess routine. He still uses chesscom, but...

8 Mars 44min