If I had to pick one idea about chess expertise that fascinates me the most, I think that would have to be the possibility that strong players see the board differently than mere patzers like myself. I've written about various aspects of this befo...
What kind of player are you? How do we tell? The academic year began a few weeks ago in North Dakota, which means I've been busy with the Neuropsychology course I teach during the fall each year. The big goal I have for my students is to learn h...
I count myself very fortunate to be a scientist. I love running my lab, and as we approach the beginning of the Fall term (where did summer go?) it's time for me to start designing the experiments we'll be deploying for kids and grown-ups to take ...
The other day, everything was going great on the chessboard for yours truly. Maybe I was feeling the benefits of putting in more tactical training than usual, or maybe cutting back on my doom-scrolling was having salutary effects on my attention a...
I've been reading a lot about blindfold chess recently, mostly because I'm fascinated by the accomplishments of great blindfold players. I consider myself to be downright mediocre in terms of my ability to visualize positions and calculate, so fin...
My favorite chess book of all time has to be Bobby Fischer's "My 60 Memorable Games." I was given a copy as a gift when I was about 9 years old or so, and I've read and re-read it too many times to count since then. I know players who are more ser...
I love puzzles. My morning routine usually includes the New York Times Connections puzzle, the Strands grid, and the venerable Wordle. From there, it's off to Gisnep for a daily drop-quote afollowed by my new favorite, Squardle. If I need a quick ...
