The Chess Angle

The Chess Angle

The Chess Angle is the official podcast of the renowned Long Island Chess Club in NY. We discuss chess, tournament play, and improvement at the amateur and club level. Featured guests include titled players and dedicated amateurs. New episodes drop on Sundays. Web: www.thechessangle.com. Twitter (X): www.twitter.com/TheChessAngle. Email: info@thechessangle.com. Thank you for listening and we hope you win your next game!

Episodes

June 29, 2025 • 43 mins

Welcome to Season 10! This week we discuss 1...e6, blitz chess, using the King in the endgame, and more.

Referenced:

📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com.

🎯 Our Lin...

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This is the S9 Finale. S10 Premiere coming soon. In the meantime, check out the Long Island Chess Club YouTube Channel which has instructional videos for busy adult players. We're looking to get the channel fully off the ground and add more content on a consistent basis. 

Game Referenced:

1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 e6 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. c3 Be7 6. h3 O-O 7. Bd3 Ne4 8. Bxe4
dxe4 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10. Bxe5 Bd6 11. Bxd6 Qxd6 12. O-O Rd8 13. Nd2 e5...

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In this episode, we dive into the hidden challenges adult players face when returning to chess after a long break, and the powerful mindset shifts that separate those who thrive from those who quit. Whether you’re battling self-doubt, time constraints, or rating plateaus, this episode offers real talk and practical strategies to help you stay motivated, set realistic goals, and rediscover the joy of the game. We also share the "dri...

Mark as Played

In this Listener Mailbag exclusive, we discuss whether prepping for specific opponents is worth it at the amateur level, and a bunch of other stuff too... 

📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com.

🎯 Our Links: 

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This week is all about chess opening philosophy. We discuss a number of ideas about opening prep and argue that having the White pieces does not provide any meaningful advantage at the club level since most amateur games are littered with mistakes, thus negating any possible benefit of moving first. The basis of this episode is a response to the excellent article 

Mark as Played

This week we discuss endgame strategy for club players and some other stuff as well. Grinding out a win in an "even" endgame is a mixture of patience, stubbornness, and luck. A .pgn for the game we analyze is below. We reference the highly recommended book The Survival Guide to Competitive Chess (Amazon) by GM John Emms, who was a previous guest on the pod (Episode #40).

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A number of years ago, GM Andy Soltis claimed that once a chess player becomes serious about the game, there is an 8-year window during which he achieves 90% of his maximum chess potential. Anything beyond that time frame is just squeezing out the remaining 10%. NM Tim Mirabile returns to the podcast to discuss this theory and a bunch of other chess improvement topics. In this episode we reference this chess.com article and a post ...

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The Jobava London (1. d4, 2. Nc3, 3. Bf4) is an opening system that is easy to learn, yet still has a lot of sting, especially against ...g6 set-ups by Black. It can easily throw off an opponent who's expecting to face a standard London formation. The theory and ideas are fairly simple, making it a great choice for those with limited study time. Much of the info in this episode is referenced from the book 

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This episode is a review of the chess.com course "Build Your Technique" by FM Thomas Wolski. This is a highly recommended training module for adult players looking to improve. We also share some chess club stories, dive into the Listener Mailbag, and react to a chess.com article about common online time controls. 

📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea ...

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April 13, 2025 • 38 mins

This week we discuss ratings and improvement for busy adults. You may wish to check out the Reddit post referenced in this episode. 

📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com.

🎯 Our Links: 

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This episode is a thematic analysis of an amateur game with takeaways that are instruction rich. Topics covered:

  • Bird's Opening (1. f4)
  • Unnecessary defensive moves
  • Sacrificing pieces
  • Material vs. Initiative
  • Calculation
  • Central Control

Referenced:

Mark as Played

This episode is a response to FM Nate Solon's excellent blog posts I Don’t Like Chess Tournaments and What Would a Fun Chess Tournament Look Like?

Neal reacts and shares his thoughts on weekend events including the following:

  • The ideal time control & round times 
  • Delay vs. increment
  • Club e...
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In this conversation, Neal and return guest NM Andy Ansel dive into the world of correspondence chess, exploring its nuances, challenges, and Andy’s pursuit of the International Master (IM) norm. They discuss the differences between over-the-board and correspondence chess, the importance of openings, tips for those new to correspondence play, and the impact of technology on the game. Andy explains the dynamics of playing multiple g...

  • Mark as Played

    5-0 blitz games can be an excellent chess improvement tool when used properly and judiciously. In this episode, we offer tips, tricks, and best practices.

    Referenced:

    📧 If you have a question, comment, or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at info@thechessangle.com.

    🎯 Our Links: 

    Mark as Played

    This week we discuss whether highly structured study plans are practical for busy amateurs. Neal concludes by sharing his own plan (HINT: it’s not complicated).

    Referenced:

    Mark as Played
    March 2, 2025 • 41 mins

    This week's pod is a dedicated Listener Mailbag episode. We challenge some of the pushback that's out there about IM Jeremy Silman's system of imbalances and discuss some other topics as well.

    Referenced:

    Mark as Played

    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:

    Mark as Played
    February 16, 2025 • 59 mins

    You guys asked for more tournament stories, so this week Neal goes into full TD mode to discuss recent antics and shenanigans from the Long Island Chess Club. You can't make this stuff up! This is followed by an extended Listener Mailbag segment.

    Referenced: 

    Mark as Played

    This week we discuss a chess improvement philosophy based on the book Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes--But Some Do (Amazon) by Matthew Syed. We also cover some additional topics from our Listener Mailbag.

    Chapters:

    • Intro & Listener Mailbag
    • Playing Unrated Games & Bots Online
    • Facing the London System
    • The "Black Box" Theory of Chess Impro...
    Mark as Played

    This week, Neal discusses the infamous "hand hover" at OTB events and other topics related to chess improvement and tournament strategy.

    Chapters:

    • Intro & Listener Mailbag
    • Thoughts on Chess Coaching
    • How to Handle Fatigue
    • Taking Byes
    • Dealing with Nerves and Composure
    • Hand-Hovering at Tournaments
    • Know Your Basic Mates!
    • Consistency
    • Identifying and Addressing Weaknesses

    Referenced: Practical Chess Exercises (Amazon)

    📧 If yo...

    Mark as Played

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