James Nidds is a 58-year-old amateur player and LI Chess Club regular rated 1808 (US Chess) at the time of this recording. He offers a great deal of advice and perspective on chess improvement as an adult. Talking points include the following & more:

• Beginners should focus on these THREE things
• The FOUR characteristics all good players possess
• How to handle opponents who play aggressively
• Why the 2000 Kasparov-Kramnik match changed James' approach permanently
• A sample chess study regimen
• James' belief that electronic training tools are more effective than books
• Why the idea that amateurs "should not spend too much time on openings" may be inaccurate for some players

Referenced:

Viktor Korchnoi - Sofia Polgar Speed Chess Match

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After much planning and preparation, you're excited to play in a 6-round weekend event, but find yourself 0-3 heading into round 4 and feeling frustrated and dejected. Should you finish out the tournament or withdraw? We take a look at this and more. Topics covered:

• Weekend vs. club events
• Why tournament conditions favor stronger players
• Should you play "up?"
• The "sunk cost fallacy" and tournament psychology
• How to respond to "tilt"

Referenced:

The instructional videos below are from the LI Chess Club YouTube Channel which is in the early stages. All videos feature positions from amateur games and cover themes and ideas you will actually face on a regular basis. The goal will be to have videos that are approx. 7-12 min. in length so that busy adults will be able to consume them.

• 3 Tactics That BOTH Players Miss
• Trapped Piece Tactics
• Players Rated 1000: Common Errors

✔ FIDE Rating Deflation Adjustment (chess.com article)

✔ Ep. 99: How to Approach Chess Study as a Beginner/Adv. Beginner

✔ Ep. 71: NM James Altucher

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

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What are the qualifications to be a "good" chess player? This week's episode is a reaction to the Reddit post When Can You Tell Someone You Are Good at Chess? We cover the following and more:

• Should you tell your opponent he forgot to press his clock?
• How to play against kids
• The dangers of "coffee house" chess
• Is it the hours you put in or what you put in the hours?

Referenced:

• The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book (chess.com forum)
• The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book (lichess study)

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

🎯 Our Links:

• Website
• Twitter (X)
• YouTube
• Buy Me a Coffee