087 Rarely have I publicly reflected on my experiences from running this podcast. Or what I’ve learned from talking to so many titled players, coaches, and commentators. But it’s been a little over two years since the show’s launch. And it has recently crossed 250K downloads (woohoo!) To top it off, we’ve delivered eighty guest interviews and counting. So, I figured a little reflection was due. In this episode, I share insights on the improvement, insights on the chess community, and a few “behind-the-scenes” thoughts from years of being a chess podcast host. I also dive into:  My fiv ..read more

Quick update: No full episode this week. But we'll return on 4/16/24. Wanna tell me how your chess journey is going? Or have any feedback for the podcast? You can send me a message here. Also, I asked my Twitter followers what their answer would be to my frequently asked pod question below.  Send me your answer and I may read it on next week's solo pod! "If a chess genie existed and could grant you one chess wish, what would you wish for?" Send your answer through my website or reply to this Twitter post ..read more

085 GM Noël Studer is a fountain of superb chess advice. Many folks loved his first appearance on the show (Ep. 67.) And that’s why he’s here a second time! It’s rare and special to have a Grandmaster working hard to help club players improve their game. And, now, he even helps beginners. A former Swiss chess champion and the youngest GM ever from Switzerland... Noël has just released a comprehensive course to help beginner players (links are below.) In this episode, we discuss: Three strategies to make your chess study experience more fun. Help your beginner friends and family improve by ..read more

084 Hungary has a rich history of producing chess stars. Even at the adult improver level, you have the impressive accomplishments of our guest, Kincső Toth. She’s already reached 1900 FIDE and is gunning for the Woman FIDE Master (WFM) title - which requires a 2100 rating plus norms. And she does this all while earning her computer engineering degree in Budapest. Kincső infuses even more chess into her life by moderating online events for Chess.com and running a Twitch channel with thousands of followers. In this episode, we discuss: What she changed in her chess to leap 250 FIDE rating p ..read more

082 Many adult improvers ask this question at least once: Should I get a chess coach? This episode is designed to help you figure out what to look for in a coach and how to maximize the experience. Helping me discuss this topic is IM Yuriy Krykun. Yuriy is a well-known course creator with Chessable, and a superb coach who’s helped countless students. In this episode, we cover:  What are some of the qualities you should look for in a chess coach? Do you need to work towards a specific goal with your coach? Does it matter which title your coach has? (NM, FM, IM, etc.) What if you’re not ..read more

080 What can you learn from a year of coaching from one of the world’s best chess coaches More than can ever be packed into a single podcast episode! BUT we cover the top five lessons I learned from IM Andras Toth - with Andras doing a deep dive into each one. Andras is an extraordinary chess coach. He has a YouTube channel full of entertaining videos on powerful chess improvement help. Plus, he has a wide variety of Chessable courses on essential topics every adult club player should learn. In this episode, we cover: Why losing material is the last variable that matters in chess. Does Puz ..read more

079 Sometimes a passion for chess runs so deep you want to make it your life. That’s the story of South Africa’s WIM Charlize van Zyl. While she earned the WIM at just age 13, she didn’t fully realize her passion for the game until she left it for five years and then returned to it as an adult. From there, she earned her way to multiple Chess Olympiads and is now gunning for the WGM title. Plus, she has a chess business and recently became a reporter for FIDE’s most elite tournaments. We also discuss: What chess skills she needs to develop to go from WIM to WGM What it’s like interviewing M ..read more

A second visit to the pod from chess coach & author, FM Nate Solon! In recent years, Nate has become a well-known chess educator. He’s co-authored the highly-praised book, Evaluate Like a Grandmaster. In 2023, he released his first Chessable course on the Reti opening for White. Plus, Nate regularly publishes a popular e-newsletter on improvement advice called, Zwischenzug. (Links to all these are below!) In this interview, we discuss: Preparation and performance lessons learned from Nate’s victory at the adults-only, classical tournament, called ALTO, at the Charlotte Chess Center. W ..read more

051 Like many areas of chess, it can be difficult to study endgames. There’s an ocean’s worth of books and courses on the subject. But where to begin? To help me simplify this subject for club players, I’m excited to bring IM Yuriy Krykun back on the show. For starters, Yuriy is renowned as one of Chessable’s top course creators (his Dynamic Italian course is one of my favorites!) Plus, from years of coaching amateur students, Yuriy understands well how to teach endgames in a practical way. In this episode, we discuss: How to boost your motivation to study endgames (if, like me, yours is l ..read more

079 Sometimes a passion for chess runs so deep you want to make it your life. That’s the story of South Africa’s WIM Charlize van Zyl. While she earned the WIM at just age 13, she didn’t fully realize her passion for the game until she left it for five years and then returned to it as an adult. From there, she earned her way to multiple Chess Olympiads and is now gunning for the WGM title. Plus, she has a chess business and recently became a reporter for FIDE’s most elite tournaments. We also discuss: What chess skills she needs to develop to go from WIM to WGM What it’s like interviewing M ..read more