098 Adult club players are a fast-growing part of the chess community. But this growth is relatively new. And the community may not have fully caught up to our sizeable presence. So, in a first for this podcast, I’ve brought in two guests to help me discuss this subject and propose some ideas to make the community more engaging for us adult amateurs.

Kamryn Hellman is an adult improver who rose to 2000 Chess.com Rapid in less than a year. Since then, she’s launched a YouTube channel and created a Chessable course for beginners.

Omar Mills is a super-dedicated and inspiring club player who’s built a large chess Twitter following.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The need for more adults-only OTB tournaments.
• The exciting opportunity for more online, adult amateur events a la Pogchamps (Omar suggests “Survivor: Chess Edition!”)
• Whether chess media should feature notable achievements or stories of adult club players.

Kamryn:

• Chessable Course: 50 Essential Chess Concepts
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Twitter

Omar:

• Twitter

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097 Playing against 1.d4 can be awkward. Many club players say they’re less sure of what to do positionally and have more difficulty finding tactical possibilities. Even the most popular, and arguably best, opening responses like the Slav or the Queen’s Gambit Declined can leave club players unsatisfied.

Why is that?

And are there any openings that can at least ease this challenge?

My guest, IM Mateusz Kolosowski, is here to help.

He brings a decade of coaching experience to bear on this subject. And, he’s recently created a course on an opening that works well to ease these problems: the Albin Countergambit.

But what we discuss is far more than the details of a single opening.

In our chat, we also cover why club players inherently struggle with 1.d4 positions and openings. Which reveals some interesting insights.

Hopefully, this episode is both therapeutic regarding 1.d4 woes...and helpful for you!

More From Mat:

• Albin Countergambit Course
• Chessable Courses

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096 After a two-week break, we are back! For the first time, I explain what I have in store for the podcast for 2024…and beyond. (Hint: it’s all good news!) From new episode formats to a different category of guests, I share my ambitions for this show.

I also preview the upcoming launch of my community-themed membership for adult chess improvers, which will also have some connections to the podcast.

The final part of this brief episode updates my struggles with regaining my former chess skills.

Last, I’d love to hear from you directly! In this episode, I ask your thoughts on two different questions.

Please send me your thoughts to either of those questions at either of the links below.

Message me on my website contact page.

DM me on Twitter.

Not only will it help to get your feedback, but I’ll also respond to you within a couple of days. Thank you!

095 GM Alex Colovic is an exceptional course creator and an engaging writer on all things chess. He returns to the pod to discuss some intriguing subjects from his weekly newsletter. I hand-picked three topics Alex wrote about that I found fascinating. We dive deep into each one:

• Why pro chess players (outside the Top 50) can't make a living competing anymore?
• Can you create a certainty of winning before the game begins that helps you play better?
• How can you ensure you bring a fighting spirit to each game you play?

Finally, we discuss his latest opening courses for White that have been released on Chessable, and why it may be worth learning to play 1.e4 and 1.d4.

More From Alex:

• Weekly Newsletter
• Chessable Courses
• Twitter
• Website & Blog

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094 Kaja Snare, a pro chess broadcaster, has been leading chess into a new and more accessible era of live coverage. Gone are the days of top-level chess being watchable only for the most dedicated to the game. With her co-hosts, GM David Howell and WGM Jovanaka Houska, Kaja anchored one of the most popular live chess broadcasts our sport has ever seen.

And for good reason…

At Chess24, Kaja was part of a team that worked hard to make chess more accessible and more exciting for the general public with its live coverage.

In our chat, Kaja shares how they helped move chess into era with greater reach and relatability.

We also discuss:

• Hilarious stories Kaja shares from her interviews with Hikaru, Magnus, and Ivanchuk.
• How Kaja went from covering sports to focusing exclusively on chess - even as someone who originally knew very little about the game.
• A behind-the-scenes look at how the now-famous Chess24 broadcast team was assembled with Kaja, David, and Jovanaka.

More From Kaja:

• Twitter
• Instagram

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093 An exciting new chess coach has hit the scene. NM Robert Ramirez has seen a huge growth in popularity in the past several years. Already, his YouTube channel has grown to 140K subscribers at the time of this episode. He’s launched two Chessable opening courses in the past year alone...

And his coaching advice and videos are being shared all over Chess Twitter.

As you watch his videos and listen to Robert speak, it’s no surprise.

His advice is extremely helpful (he may have solved my time trouble woes in this episode alone.)

And he has a calm, assuring charisma.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he uses simplicity to balance his chess life with his work/home life.
• A powerful strategy to solve your time trouble issues if you play too slow.
• Why the Stonewall opening can be an aggressive surprise against your opponents if you’re a club player.

More From Robert:

• YouTube channel
• Chessable courses
• Website
• Twitter

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092 It’s rare to see an adult chase a title and work full-time as a chess content creator. With passion and confidence, that’s exactly what this week’s guest, Elaynah, is doing with her chess life.

It's an inspiring journey because, only two years ago, she was an absolute beginner who was beaten easily by her cousin at a Christmas party.

Now?

She’s rated 1800 Chess.com Rapid and has 22K followers for her chess Twitch channel - with both of those numbers quickly rising!

In this episode, we chat:

• Her interest in getting chess media to focus more on adult improvers.
• What it’s like having IM Kostya Kavutskiy, of the Chess Dojo, as her coach.
• Why she expanded her chess content beyond streaming and into podcasting.
• Her plans to reach 2000 Chess.com Rapid this year.

More From Elaynah:

• Twitch
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Podcast

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091 This week’s guest, Emilia Castelao, approaches chess in rare but special ways. First, she’s making chess her career. Though not as a player, coach, or content creator. Instead, she’s pursuing a Ph.D in chess history.

For most folks, that would take up a majority of their waking hours. Emila, however, has another major chess ambition.

To improve the chess world for women.

To that end, she recently co-founded a non-profit organization called the Women in Chess Foundation. Its goals are 1) to make OTB tournaments safer for women and 2) to help market women’s chess events.

It already has the direct support of Jennifer Shahade, Jovanka Housaka, and the CEO of Chessable.

In our interview, Emilia and I discuss her two chess endeavors, plus how her journey with the game led to these unique projects.

More From Emilia:

• Women in Chess Foundation
• Twitter - Emilia
• Twitter - Women in Chess

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