Ep. 142: The Tactics vs. Imbalances Debate

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

In this episode, we tackle one of the most tempting (and dangerous) questions in amateur chess: when should you sacrifice a piece? Instead of carelessly chasing "!!" moves, we break down when your sac...

1 Mars 44min

In this episode, Neal confesses a hard truth: his most dreaded opponents aren't Masters - they're "unrated" and "lower-rated" opponents who absolutely do not play like their numbers suggest. We talk a...

22 Feb 36min