The Chess Angle

Andy Ansel is a devoted chess enthusiast who is well known for his impressive book collection which features over 15,000 items. He also has an extensive tournament background with a peak rating of USCF 2100. His playing experience includes games against three World Champions (Symslov, Tal, and Kasparov). Currently, Andy is active in correspondence chess and recently earned the CM title. In this episode, Andy discusses his book collection in detail and gives his opinion on classic vs. modern books for adult improvers looking to become stronger. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 07:49 - Correspondence Chess 13:20 - Playing 3 World Champions 18:40 - Book Collection 42:45 - Classic vs. Modern Books 52:09 - Outro Referenced:

• Chess Book Collectors Facebook Group

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David MacEnulty is a legendary chess coach best known for his work with disadvantaged children at Community Elementary School #70 in the South Bronx in New York City. He took them from beginning players to national scholastic champions, an astonishing feat. David was portrayed by famed actor Ted Danson in the 2005 TV-film Knights of the South Bronx which details his experience at CES #70. In this episode, David shares his remarkable story, including some wild cheating incidents his students encountered. He also provides some insight on teaching, learning, developing a "warrior mentality," preparation, and much more. Be on the lookout for David's upcoming book (release date TBD) entitled "Sunrise in the Bronx" where he recounts his experience at CES #70 in vivid detail. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 03:50 - Bruce Pandolfini & Teaching 05:00 - Teaching at CES #70 06:33 - David's Background 17:55 - Guiding Principles 31:10 - Cheating Incidents 43:19 - Knights of the South Bronx film 48:45 - Outro 📚 Referenced:

• Knights of the South Bronx (YouTube full film)
• Knights of the South Bronx (DVD)
• My System (Nimzovitch)
• 1000 Best Short Games of Chess (Chernev)
• Complete Chess Strategy (Pachman)
• How Not to Play Chess (Znosko-Borovsky)
• Oceana (Ted Danson)

♟Links for David MacEnulty:

• Amazon Author Page
• CBS News Feature
• Think Like a King

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For this season's first interview episode, Neal spoke with Xilin Chen, a 24-year old student at Stonybrook University and a Long Island Chess Club regular. Xilin described his chess improvement activities: lots of 3-0 and 1-0 online games, analyzing his own games, chess.com study resources, and virtually no chess books. He also shared his thought process when playing OTB tournament games. 🎯 Support the Show:

• Patreon
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📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

• Website
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There's a lot of chess advice out there, but is all of it sound? Will these suggestions really help you, especially if you're an emerging player looking to get to the intermediate level? While this episode is primarily aimed at players rated about 1000 USCF, we believe improvers of all levels will enjoy it. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 07:22 - Classic Games 10:05 - Chess Engines 13:39 - Daily Study Plans 25:28 - Openings 31:07 - Outro 📚 Books Referenced:

• Willpower (Amazon)
• How to Study Chess on Your Own (Amazon)

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📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

• Website
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♟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.

This week we continue our discussion of IM Jeremy Silman. Some are critical of his method, and while Neal considers Silman's system to be essential for improvement, he shares a few nitpicks of his own in the spirit of thoroughness. Referenced: Silman's response to his critics. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 02:45 - Nitpicks 24:46 - Other Criticism of Silman 35:48 - Outro 🎯 Support the Show:

• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

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Welcome to Season 6! Sadly, renowned chess educator IM Jeremy Silman passed away recently. Many consider his content to be essential for amateur improvement. He is probably best known for his system of imbalances and its application to the middlegame. This week, we'll give an overview of his approach and discuss some of his books and online content. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 07:58 - The Imbalances 11:38 - The Amateur's Mind 15:05 - Complete Book of Chess Strategy 17:11 - Reassess Your Chess 19:59 - Silman's Complete Endgame Course 24:37 - Chess.com Lessons 34:17 - Outro Books Referenced (Amazon links):

• The Amateur's Mind
• The Complete Book of Chess Strategy
• Reassess Your Chess, 4th Ed.
• Silman's Complete Endgame Course

Lessons Referenced (Chess.com links):

• Silman Teaches Tactics 1
• Silman's Lessons in Strategy 1
• Silman's Lessons in Strategy 2
• Roots of Positional Understanding
• Now What?
• Rook and Other Endgames
• Mental Domination

Previous Episodes Referenced:

• #6: The Amateur's Mind
• #60: The Complete Book of Chess Strategy

🎯 Support the Show:

• Patreon
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📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

• Website
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• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

♟The Amazon and chess.com 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.

This episode is our Season 5 Finale. Season 6 coming soon! Our guest this week is Brian Karen, a Candidate Master, chess educator, historian, and regular contributor to the podcast. We discussed the evolution of chess clubs and the amateur tournament scene, specifically from the 80s, 90s, and early 00s until now. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 09:26 - Rise of International Players 14:00 - Postmortems 18:38 - Analog vs. Digital Clocks 28:11 - Speed Chess 30:35 - OTB vs. Online Ratings 38:37 - Female Attendance at Chess Clubs 43:59 - Outro FB Groups Referenced: Chess Book Collectors FIDE World Chess Championship 2025 🎯 Support the Show:

• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

• Website
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• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

In this episode, we unravel the English Opening from Black's point of view for club players and adult improvers. We tackle the unfamiliarity and anxiety that comes with confronting 1. c4 and share three variations that will boost your confidence as Black. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 05:50 - Symmetrical Var. (1...c5) 10:33 - Nimzo-English (1...Nf6) 16:58 - English Defense (1...b6) 26:52 - Outro Referenced: Starting Out: The English (Amazon) PGNs: After 1. c4: Symmetrical English: 1. ...c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. Nf3 Nf6 Nimzo-English: 1... Nf6 2. Nf3 2... e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3 6. Qxc3 b6 English Defense: 1... b6 2. Nf3 Bb7 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 Bxf3 5. exf3 c5 6. d4 cxd4 7. Qxd4 Nc6 8. Qd1 Rc8 🎯 Support the Show:

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📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

• Website
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• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

♟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.

Ready to shake up your chess game with some unconventional openings? In our latest episode, we make a case for occasionally adding complexity to your game. By getting higher-rated opponents out of their comfort zone early on, you can create an unbalanced, non-theoretical position that might just give you the upper hand. We also bring attention to the "piece polishers" - those players who love sticking to conventional theory. This episode explores how you can disrupt them. We delve into the effectiveness of off-book openings, such as 1. e3. Please note that this isn't an exhaustive guide to every unconventional opening, but a general overview. Finally, we explore some exciting opening ideas that can lead to tactically rich positions. These can disorient a classical player who is not prepared for the unexpected. We discuss the Grob, otherwise known as the Spike, and the Scandinavian Defense. We also delve into the Evans Gambit, and the Orangutan Opening. These might seem a bit out there, but with a basic theoretical study, you could gain a significant advantage by occasionally springing these surprises on your opponent. So, let's get ready to catch your opponent off guard! Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 09:15 - 1. e3 10:43 - Fianchetto Structures 16:00 - Early h4 and ...h5 Ideas 19:05 - 1. d4 e6 22:08 - The Grob (1. g4) 24:35 - Scandinavian Defense 26:43 - Alekhine's Defense 28:54 - Orangutan Opening (1. b4) 32:52 - Benoni Defense 36:20 - Evans Gambit 39:01 - Outro 🎯 Support the Show:

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📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

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Did you know that the world of chess ratings can be as intriguing and mysterious as the game itself? How significant are tactics, game analysis, and a consistent opening repertoire for players rated below 1800? We go a step further, shedding light on the pros and cons of competing in higher rating sections and the unreliability of online ratings. As we wrap up, we serve up practical tips and strategies to help bolster your rating, including the pitfalls to avoid like dual-rated games. But above all, we celebrate the sheer love for the game and the joy of tournament play. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 01:17 - Listener Mailbag 28:55 - Playing Up 32:46 - Online Ratings 37:34 - Rating Deflation 42:48 - Dual-Rated Games 51:44 - Outro Referenced:

• Blindfold Chess Podcast
• Audible Chess
• Blindfold Chess Offline (Android app)
• Blindfold Chess Training (Android app)
• Chess for Tigers (Amazon)
• The Seven Deadly Chess Sins (Amazon)

🎯 Support the Show:

• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

📧 If you have a question or topic idea for a future episode, e-mail us at [email protected]. 🔗 Our links:

• Website
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Patreon
• Buy Me a Coffee

♟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.