The Left-Hander’s archive

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I look at chess from the edges: the brain that calculates, the player who doubts, and the society around them. Find my articles here, from newest to oldest.

73articles to explore
3 sections, another perspective

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The archive · Page 4

28–36 of 73 articles

A hand erasing footprints behind a figure looking back.

Society9 min read

Gaslighting in Chess: When Someone Rewrites Your Own Game

A recorded game helps verify moves, not read intentions. Distinguishing disagreement, hindsight and destabilization, with the limits of analysis and precisely attributed institutional examples.

August 27, 2026

A tiny hand holding a thimble at the foot of an immense sand dune.

Science7 min read

The Algorithmic Complexity of Chess: From Shannon to AlphaZero

The tree of variations becomes enormous long before an engine can explore it all. Distinguish size estimates, selective search and demonstrated limits from Shannon to Deep Blue and AlphaZero.

August 24, 2026

Two stacks side by side, one built course by course, the other wobbling off balance.

Mind7 min read

Chess and Self-Confidence: Building Specific, Testable Expectations

Confidence and skill are different. How self-efficacy can help you frame specific expectations, examine your practice and keep ratings separate from personal worth.

August 20, 2026

A short column casting a much taller shadow.

Mind3 min read

The Dunning-Kruger Effect in Chess: What 3,388 Players Reveal About Confidence

A 2025 study combines 3,388 rated players who, on average, claim a level 89 Elo points above their observed rating. What the figures show, and why interpretation matters.

August 18, 2026

A seed resting on a strip of soil with contrasting textures.

Society9 min read

Teaching Chess to Children: Discovery at Their Own Pace

No universal ideal age or promise of better grades: practical ideas for introducing chess according to a child's interest and understanding.

August 17, 2026

A close-up of a bowl of water whose surface has just become still again.

Science11 min read

Meditation and Chess: Mindfulness, Studies and Practical Limits

Mindfulness, attention and returning to the position: understand the evidence and its limits, then try a personal routine without promises of an Elo gain.

August 13, 2026

Rows of dark pushpins with some surrounded by pale circles.

Mind6 min read

Murphy’s Law in Chess: Why a Blunder Seems to Arrive at the Worst Moment

“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” captures disappointment, not a law of chess. Distinguish a mistake’s frequency, consequences and place in your memory.

August 10, 2026

A seated figure facing the last embers of a fire.

Mind7 min read

Burnout in Chess: When a Game You Love Leaves You Drained

You no longer want to play and training feels compulsory. How to observe that exhaustion, adjust your practice and seek support without diagnosing yourself from a list of signs.

August 6, 2026

A tangled ball of thread from which a single strand emerges perfectly taut and straight.

Society7 min read

Chess and Mental Health: Supportive Activity or Treatment?

Playing can offer a regular meeting, learning and companionship. Distinguishing these uses from treatment for anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress requires appropriate evidence.

August 3, 2026

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