The Chess Angle
Long Island Chess Club
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Top 10 The Chess Angle Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Chess Angle episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Chess Angle for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Chess Angle episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Ep. 64: Beating Higher-Rated Opponents: It's Easier Than You Think at the Club Level...
The Chess Angle
04/09/23 • 27 min
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 often more pressure on the higher-rated player
- Upsets happen quite often at the amateur level
- Is creating complications the ONLY way to beat these players? (hint: no)
- An effective mindset approach that you probably haven't tried before
- Strategic draw offers to place pressure on your opponent
Referenced:Chess for Tigers (Amazon) by Simon Webb
If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. Our links:
- Website
- YouTube
- E-mail: [email protected]
The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses! The Amazon links above are affiliate links which earn us a small commission on qualifying purchases. This helps support the podcast at no additional cost to you.
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04/02/23 • 34 min
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. Additional talking points include the following:
- Queenside castling
- The Hedgehog formation
- Does it make sense to to "prep for an opponent" at the club level?
- Blind spots when analyzing
Game Referenced: 1. e4 e6 2. c4!? b6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 Bxc3 5. dxc3 h6 6. Qd4 Qf6 7. e5 Qe7 8. Bf4 Bb7 9. Be2 Nc6 10. Qd3 O-O-O! 11. O-O-O g5 12. Bg3 Qf8 13. h4 g4 14. Nd4 h5 15. Rhg1 Qh6+ 16. Kb1 Nge7 17. f3 Nxd4 18. cxd4 Nf5 19. Be1 gxf3 20. Bxf3 Bxf3 21. gxf3 Rhg8 22. Bd2 Qf8 23. Rxg8 Qxg8 24. Bg5 Re8 25. d5 Qg6 26. Ka1 Ng7 27. Qc3 Qf5? 28. Bf6! Qg6 29. Qd4 Nf5 30. dxe6?? Nxd4 31. exd7+ Kxd7 32. Rxd4+ Kc6 33. a3 Qg1+ 0-1 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. Our links:
- Website
- YouTube
- E-mail: [email protected]
The Chess Angle is sponsored by Chessable. Check out a list of our favorite courses!
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Ep. 65: Your First Chess Tournament - Tips & Tricks
The Chess Angle
04/16/23 • 57 min
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's a harsh reality to tournament play that is often omitted from the discourse on chess. Neal discusses some hard truths about tournaments, shares some of his own personal journey as a player and TD, and provides some tips and tricks along the way. Some of this episode's talking points include the following:
- Chess equipment
- Local clubs vs. major events
- Ratings & pairing systems
- Tips & tricks while playing
- Should you play speed chess between rounds?
- Things that will annoy the tournament director
- Rules you may not be familiar with but should know
- Openings and using a "forever" repertoire
- Scorekeeping
- Dealing with disruptive behavior
Referenced: Tournament Announcement Terminology (Scroll down to "TOURNAMENT LIFE ABBREVIATIONS & TERMS") If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. Our links:
- Website
- YouTube
- E-mail: [email protected]
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Ep. 122: Online Blitz Chess and Adult Improvement
The Chess Angle
08/25/24 • 35 min
Most players agree that slower time controls are beneficial for chess growth, but what about blitz chess? Can online blitz chess help you improve? Are certain blitz time controls better than others? Should you always play with an increment? What about bullet chess? In this episode, Neal shares the results of an informal online chess experiment where he played several blitz games at various time controls.
Referenced:
📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected].
🎯 Our Links:
The Amazon links above are affiliate links. Qualifying purchases help support the podcast at no additional cost to you.
Ep. 75: Jessica Hyatt, the Highest-Rated Female African-American Chess Player (with NM Tyrell Harriott)
The Chess Angle
07/30/23 • 32 min
Meet high school student and Candidate Master Jessica Hyatt, the highest-rated female African-American chess player, and National Master Tyrell Harriott, her coach and mentor. Be intrigued as the duo sheds light on Jessica's inspiring journey from her initial rating of USCF 350 in fifth grade to her current rating of USCF 2100, and her quest to achieve the title of National Master (USCF 2200). Advancing in chess is a long trek, but it's filled with numerous exciting turns, as Jessica recounts her experiences at recent tournaments and the time she won the prestigious Daniel Feinberg Success in Chess Award. We'll also learn about her recent victories against GMs Michael Rohde and Abhimanyu Mishra. Are you eager to gain insights into strategies for today's faster time controls? Well, Jessica has you covered. She shares her game plan, emphasizing the importance of mental toughness and strategic thinking. You'll be amazed by Tyrell's unique teaching style, which involves playing even the most disadvantageous positions and embracing the art of resilience. Listen to how he motivates his students using his own tournament experiences, pushing them to become stronger while enjoying the journey. It's all about focus, discipline, and determination. Join us for this engaging conversation with one of the rising stars in the chess world and learn what it truly takes to achieve your chess goals! Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:33 - Marshall Chess Club 06:31 - College Aspirations 08:27 - Discovering Jessica's Talent 10:27 - Beating Two GMs - Tyrell 12:54 - Beating Two GMs - Jessica 15:48 - Tyrell on Coaching & Improvement 19:12 - Jessica on Coaching & Improvement 25:05 - Jessica's Chess Beginnings 31:24 - Outro Links for Jessica Hyatt:
If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. Our links:
Ep. 130: Online Chess Cheating
The Chess Angle
10/20/24 • 33 min
This week, we share our thoughts about online chess cheating. We believe it is rampant, while the online servers seem to downplay the amount of cheating taking place. We hypothesize that cheaters are using specific methods in an attempt to avoid detection, and we created nicknames for these players. We discuss the following cheating personalities and more:
- Larry "Long Pause"
- Sal "Smooth Moves"
- Oliver "Obvious Recapture"
- Donald "Decoy Move"
- Peter "Perfect Attack"
- Orlando "Only When Needed"
- David "Deliberate Early Blunder"
Referenced:
- Long Island Chess Club YouTube Channel (instructional videos for busy adult club players - still a work in progress...)
📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected].
🎯 Our Links:
This week's guest is Australian Grandmaster Max Illingworth. Max is a coach, author, and blogger who has lots of experience working with adult chess improvers and a sincere interest in helping them get better. His chess.com blog is instruction rich and formed the basis of our conversation. Max shared his thoughts on why many adult players have trouble improving, including the erroneous thought processes and approaches that hinder progress.
As a reminder, you can become a Patreon member of The Chess Angle. For just $2 a month, you can support the show while receiving a few perks including access to a members-only blog, Neal's personal episode notes/outlines, priority consideration for questions/topic suggestions, and early access to select episodes. If you're interested in a single donation, we also have a Buy Me a Coffee page, where you can buy us a "virtual" coffee as a one-off contribution. We appreciate your support of the pod!
Links for GM Max Illingworth:
- Chess.com Blog
- Twitter/X
- YouTube
- Dismantling the Sicilian (Amazon)
- Coaching inquiries: Email [email protected] or DM at https://m.me/max.illingworth.16
📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected].
🎯 Our Links:
02/23/25 • 58 min
This week we dive into what separates winning amateur chess players from the rest - and what’s often just noise and distraction. We break down the skills, habits, and strategies that lead to consistent tournament success and explore common misconceptions that don’t actually impact performance as much as people think.
Referenced:
📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected].
🎯 Our Links:
07/07/24 • 22 min
This week's episode is our Season 7 Finale (Season 8 coming soon...). In this light, laid-back, rapid-fire episode, Neal reacts to the enjoyable chess.com article 7 Hot Takes That Are Just True by Pedro Pinhata, a Sr. Digital Content Writer for chess.com.
Mr. Pinhata's 7 Hot Takes:
- Stalemate Being A Draw Is Awesome
- Chess.com Should Come With A Doomsday Device
- Online Chess Is Better Than Over-The-Board
- People Who Play 1+0 Bullet Are Not OK
- 1.d4 Is Better Than 1.e4
- The London Is The Best Chess Opening
- You Should Never "Never Resign"
📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected].
🎯 Our Links:
01/28/24 • 59 min
Our guest this week is English Grandmaster Daniel Gormally. Daniel is a professional chess player and coach who has written several books on the game. He is also the author of a 3-part Chessable series entitled Sharp Middlegames. In addition, Daniel has represented England in the European Team Championship and is a two-time winner of the English Rapid Play Championship. He earned his final GM norm in 2005 in a tournament where he scored a 2693 performance rating. Chapters: (00:00) - Intro (01:32) - English Chess Scene (10:25) - Computers, AI, & Engines (21:24) - Chess Cheating Epidemic (33:15) - Adult Improvement & Daniel's Instructional Content (58:59) - Outro Links for GM Daniel Gormally:
- Mating the Castled King (Amazon)
- Pandemic Shark: A Journey Through the World of Chess Improvement (Amazon)
- Play Chess Like the Pros (Amazon)
- Sharp Middlegames (Chessable)
- Twitter (X)
🎯 Support the Show:
📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:
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FAQ
How many episodes does The Chess Angle have?
The Chess Angle currently has 144 episodes available.
What topics does The Chess Angle cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Hobbies and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on The Chess Angle?
The episode title 'Ep. 64: Beating Higher-Rated Opponents: It's Easier Than You Think at the Club Level...' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Chess Angle?
The average episode length on The Chess Angle is 42 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Chess Angle released?
Episodes of The Chess Angle are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of The Chess Angle?
The first episode of The Chess Angle was released on May 2, 2021.
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