Welcome to The Chess Angle!
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. Thank you for listening and we hope you win your next game!

Recent Episodes

June 1, 2025

Ep. 155: Why Many Adults Give Up on Chess, and How You Can Be the Exception

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 se...
May 25, 2025

Ep. 154: Wasted Prep? Why Your Opponent-Specific Prep Might Be Useless Below 2000

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,...
May 18, 2025

Ep. 153: There is NO Advantage to Having the White Pieces at the Amateur Level

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 ...
May 11, 2025

Ep. 152: Grinding Out Endgame Wins at the Club Level (Game Analysis #14)

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 refere...
May 4, 2025

Ep. 151: You Have 8 Years to Improve, Then It’s Game Over: A Discussion & Debate About Adult Chess Improvement feat. NM Tim Mirabile

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...
April 27, 2025

Ep. 150: The Jobava London System: A Chess Opening for Busy Adults

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...

Reviews

Great for club players and improvers!

"This podcast has quickly climbed the ranks for me and has become one of my favorite and must-listen shows that I listen to. I am a fairly new club player, and I’ve learned a ton from Neal, both in t…"

Tom_Casper | Jan. 21, 2023

Excellent Podcast - I feel like it has REALLY helped my game

"This is a great podcast for the chess enthusiast. I have been listening to it regularly and trying out the tips that are suggested. I feel like it has helped me step up my game. Thank you so much!…"

lasertswift | Sept. 4, 2022

Outstanding adult improvement podcast!!!

"I last played chess on my high school team and have recently returned after nearly a 40 year hiatus. Upon my return I was overwhelmed by the abundance of material that is “out there” and was really c…"

bg000001a | June 25, 2022

Might be the best chess podcast for amateurs

"This is probably my favorite chess podcast. The content and presentation are excellent - well organized, and lots on no-nonsense, practical advice. I like the mix of solo and interview episodes. We…"

BookClub28 | May 23, 2022