Ep. 73: The Chess Conundrum: Balancing Online and OTB Play

Have you ever wondered about the differences between playing chess online and over-the-board? How does it impact your strategies and even your enjoyment of the game? Welcome to the first solo episode of the fifth season of The Chess Angle. We're making our podcast experience more user-friendly by introducing chapter markers and experimenting with video versions of our interview episodes on YouTube. This week, Neal dives into the mailbag to answer your questions.

In a light-hearted discussion, we compare online chess to the more traditional OTB format. We explore whether using a physical chessboard while playing online can help you practice for real-life tournaments, yet we also emphasize that nothing can truly replicate the thrill of a live game. Neal shares a personal strategy he uses when he's overlooked a crucial move in an OTB game. We even discuss the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) variation!

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro.
00:35 - Opening Remarks/Video versions
05:34 - Listener Mailbag Intro.
07:01 - Online Chess with Physical Board
12:56 - OTB Time Controls
18:29 - Move-by-Move Books
24:40 - World Champ. Format Suggestions
28:18 - English Opening
32:50 - ICBM Variation
35:36 - Outro.

Referenced:

• Logical Chess Move by Move (Amazon)
• Understanding Chess Move by Move (Amazon)
• The Amateur's Mind (Amazon)
• Everyman Chess: "Starting Out" series (publisher site)
• ICBM Variation (YouTube): 1. e4 d5 2. Nf3 dxe4 3. Ng5 Nf6 4. d3 exd3 5. Bxd3 h6?? 6. Nxf7! Kxf7 7. Bg6+ Kxg6 8. Qxd8 (the Queen is like a "missile" going across the board)

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

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