The Chess Cognition Podcast

IM Andras Toth - 17 Essential Chess Questions Every Player Must Ask


Listen Later

In this episode, I'm joined by the legendary chess coach Andras Toth for a deep dive into improving your chess thinking process. We discuss the key questions you should ask during a game to sharpen your decision-making. Andras and I cover essential topics like identifying threats, calculation techniques, and positional decisions.

This episode is especially valuable for beginner and casual players who are still developing their thought processes in chess. These essential questions serve as a guide, helping you navigate the complexities of our royal game. With consistent practice, these questions will become second nature, allowing you to focus more on your game without needing to consciously recall them (thus leading to lower cognitive load).
Chess, with its immense complexity and infinite possibilities, resists being fully captured by any single algorithm or set of rules. While chess questions and principles provide valuable frameworks for guiding our decisions, they should be seen as tools for enhancing our thinking rather than definitive solutions.

These questions encourage us to explore different strategies, recognize patterns, and develop a deeper understanding of the game while aiding practical decision-making. Depending on your weaknesses and playing style, some questions may be more relevant for you than others.


03:15 What would they play if I did not make a move right now?

13:11 Does my move allow a devastating check?
17:43 Does my move create a loose piece?
21:12 What is the drawback of my opponent's last move?
25:10 Did I reassess for better moves at each step of my calculated line?
30:59 What ELSE can I do?
34:00 Does it REALLY work?
40:23 What move is in line with my strategic goal?
43:45 Am I wasting time on irrelevant calculations?
46:10 Do I really need to defend that pawn?
51:31 Do I need to take any risks here?
56:19 What is my opponent’s plan?
01:01:18 Can I transition into a winning endgame?
01:10:18 Can I exchange on my own terms?
01:12:42 What is my worst-placed piece?
01:13:51 Where are the weaknesses?
01:16:38 Does this pawn move improve my pieces or my opponent's?

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Chess Cognition PodcastBy Can Kabadayi

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

4 ratings


More shows like The Chess Cognition Podcast

View all
Perpetual Chess Podcast by Ben Johnson

Perpetual Chess Podcast

609 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

9,095 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

12,854 Listeners

Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast by IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai

Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast

59 Listeners

How To Chess by Ben Johnson

How To Chess

111 Listeners

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement by Dr. Kevin Scull

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement

125 Listeners

The Chess Angle by Long Island Chess Club

The Chess Angle

76 Listeners

The Chess Experience by Daniel Lona

The Chess Experience

63 Listeners

Ukraine: The Latest by The Telegraph

Ukraine: The Latest

1,825 Listeners

chessfeels: conversations about chess, psychology & mental health by JJ Lang, Julia Rios

chessfeels: conversations about chess, psychology & mental health

51 Listeners

Chess Visualization with Don't Move by Don't Move Until You See It

Chess Visualization with Don't Move

15 Listeners

C-Squared Podcast by Fabiano Caruana & Cristian Chirila

C-Squared Podcast

168 Listeners

New In Chess Podcast by New In Chess

New In Chess Podcast

18 Listeners

Chess with Mustreader by Greg Mustreader

Chess with Mustreader

4 Listeners

NextLevelChess by GM Noël Studer

NextLevelChess

28 Listeners