The Chess Angle

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 debate whether YouTube videos or Chessable courses are more effective for gaining rating points, while also diving into tournament psychology, study habits, content overload, and the realities of balancing chess ...

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 beautifully, avoid embarrassment, prove their strength, or force results. The paradox is that the less emotionally attached you are to proving something over the board, the better...

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 improvers, not because it hands you lines to memorize, but because it rewires how you think. The Chessable version preserves Silman's voice a...