The Chess Angle artwork

Hobbies · Long Island Chess Club

The Chess Angle

by Long Island Chess Club

The Chess Angle is dedicated to practical chess improvement for busy adult players. Join Neal as he plays online games, analyzes them, and shares practical lessons to help club players improve and make the most of their limited study time. New episodes are produced in a video-first format and are best experienced with the accompanying video. The first 200 episodes feature the original audio podcast. YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thechessangle. Web: www.thechessangle.com. X: www.x.com/TheChessAngle. Email: info@thechessangle.com.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Ep. 204: How to Play Chess in Time Trouble | 5+3 Amateur Run

This video features two 5+3 games with very different challenges. After a quick London System game, the second turns into a lesson in managing serious time pressure, with

Sep 27
33 min

Ep. 203: How to Stop a London System Attack | 10+5 Amateur Run

The London System can become dangerous quickly if Black allows a comfortable kingside attack. In this video, we look at practical ways to defend accurately, create counte

Sep 24
30 min

Ep. 202: Want a Simple Opening Repertoire? Try This Combo | 5+3 Amateur Run

Introducing our 5+3 Amateur Run series: Fast enough to create pressure, slow enough to still play real chess (mostly😂). In this video, I play one game with the French Def

Sep 21
45 min

Ep. 201: This Is Why You Don't Give Up After a Blunder | 10+5 Amateur Run

Welcome to the 10+5 Amateur Run. In this first game, I make an embarrassing early mistake, fall behind, and have to figure out how to stay in the game and fight back. Thi

Sep 20
43 min

Ep. 200: The Chess Angle Is Going Video

After 200 episodes, The Chess Angle is making its next move. I explain why the show is shifting to a video-first format where I play games against fellow amateurs, talk t

Sep 20
12 min

Ep. 199 (S11 Finale): You're Doing Chess Puzzles All Wrong

This episode is our Season 11 Finale. We'll be taking a break and will be back soon. Chess puzzles can be one of the most effective ways to improve, but only if you're

Aug 23
36 min

Ep. 198: Move Noise: The Mental Clutter Costing You Games

Sometimes the problem isn't that we aren't thinking enough at the chessboard — it's that we're thinking about too much. In this episode, we explore "move noise": the unne

Aug 16
46 min

Ep. 197: Chess Openings and the Law of Diminishing Returns

Many adult club players don't study too little opening theory - they study too much. In this episode, we explore the trap of diminishing returns in opening study, why und

Aug 9
43 min

Ep. 196: Rook Slides, Queen Slides, & Other Chess Blind Spots

Many chess blunders aren't caused by poor calculation - they're caused by visual blind spots. In this episode, we explore why certain types of moves consistently escape o

Aug 2
26 min

Ep. 195: Why Your Chess Rating Swings So Much

Your chess rating can easily swing 100 points or more, but it doesn't necessarily mean you've become a better or worse player. In this episode, we react to a fascinating

Jul 26
32 min

Ep. 194: Are You a Chess Improver... or a Course Collector?

In engineering, a single point of failure is the one weak component capable of bringing down an entire system. Chess improvement often works the same way. In this episode

Jul 19
42 min

Ep. 193: The Yellow Zone: Where Adult Chess Improvement Actually Happens

If you're holding off until you're fully rested, completely focused, and free from distractions before playing or studying chess, you may be waiting a very long time. Mos

Jul 12
34 min

Ep. 192: Zapp Chess: The One App That Hooked Me

I break my long-standing rule about not playing chess on my phone to talk about Zapp Chess, a listener-recommended app that surprised me. It blends fast, gamified play wi

Jul 5
43 min

Ep. 191 (Midseason Finale): Is YouTube Actually Better For Adult Chess Improvement Than Chessable? feat. Steve Rosenblatt

In this midseason finale episode, Neal talks with Long Island Chess Club regular Steve Rosenblatt for a wide-ranging conversation on adult chess improvement. The two deba

May 24
52 min

Ep. 190: Boost Your Chess Rating by Checking Your Ego

Most adult chess players are not held back primarily by calculation or opening knowledge. They are held back by ego: the need to look smart, play "real chess," attack bea

May 17
45 min

Ep. 189: The Amateur's Mind (Chessable Version) - Still the Most Important Chess Book for Adult Players

This week, we revisit The Amateur's Mind by IM Jeremy Silman, this time through the Chessable edition. We've long argued this is the most important book for adult improve

May 10
51 min

Ep. 188: Why Study Beats Play for Chess Improvement

Most adult players default to playing more games when they want to improve, but that instinct is often backwards. In this episode, we argue that structured study is the r

May 3
56 min

Ep. 187: The 2200 Myth: Why Most Adult Chess Players Won't Make Master

Most adult amateurs quietly carry the same goal: reach Master. In this episode, we take an honest look at why that milestone is so elusive: time constraints, training dem

Apr 26
1 h 03 min

Ep. 186: GM Daniel Gormally on "Untold: Chess Mates," the Netflix Special About the Magnus/Hans Cheating Controversy

GM Daniel Gormally returns to the pod to unpack Netflix's Untold: Chess Mates, the documentary covering the Magnus Carlsen - Hans Niemann controversy. We separate the sig

Apr 19
52 min

Ep. 185: The Adult Amateur's Guide to Defeating Chess Prodigies

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 practica

Apr 12
31 min

Chart trend

Position in the Hobbies chart (US), last 90 days.

#30
all-time peak
66
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024

Chart positions

Where The Chess Angle ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 30, 2026).

#93 ▼ 33 Hobbies US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I learned the rules of chess 60 years ago but never learned more until I started learning chess from this podcast. I enjoy the interviews with the higher level players and learned essential skills as well as simply enjoying the game.

Dr 3 · May 2026

This is great chess content, not focused so much on moves as on other aspects of the game, all from the perspective of an experienced tournament director. Invaluable content.

Forty of Forty · Oct 2025

Solid, actionable content. A plethora of info and level-up able insights for every day chess players. Glad I stumbled across this one.

lob2k · Apr 2025

"The Chess Angle" is required listening for me. As specified in the intro it is a chess podcast focusing on busy improvers with limited study time. The host is knowledgeable as well as enthusiastic. He has some very interesing guests and also goes "solo" with tips for openings, tournaments and various other topics. His advice resonates with me - for example, stick to a "set" repertoire, for white & black - play a lot - analyze your games - use the chess.com lessons. He also recommends books and he typically does not fully endores media unless he read or used it. One of the best chess podcasts for improvers areound.

Stevereenomeister · Feb 2024

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.

More podcasts like The Chess Angle

Popular shows in Hobbies, for your next listen.

Browse charts by category

Daily updated Apple Podcasts rankings for the United States.

About The Chess Angle on Reason.fm

Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Chess Angle, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.

Contact

Questions or issues? Reach us at hello@reason.fm

0:000:00