
EP 194 | Should I Play Up?
From Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast by IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai
May 29, 2026 · 48 min · Episode 197
About this episode
The episode discusses whether players should compete in higher rating sections during chess tournaments and explores strategies for improvement.
Should you play up in chess tournaments? The sensi discuss tournament rating sections, strategy, and best methods for improvement. Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.clubWatch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojoPlay Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop Want to support the channel?Patreon - https://patreon.com/chessdojoDonate - https://streamelements.com/chessdojo/tip Find all of our chess book & supplies recommendations (& more!) on our Amazon storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/chessdojo Shopping through our link is a great way to support the Dojo. We earn a small affiliate % but at no cost to you. Website: https://chessdojo.clubTwitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojoDiscord: https://discord.gg/GhKsJtjpFwTwitter: https://twitter.com/chessdojoPatreon: https://patreon.com/chessdojoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chessdojoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/chessdojoPodcast: https://chessdojotalks.podbean.comTikTok: https://tiktok.com/@/chessdojoclips 0:00 Should You Play Up?0:55 Play Your Own Section2:23 The Ego Trap5:29 What About Juniors?9:32 If Everyone Plays Up17:15 Tournament Problems22:27 Playing Stronger Opponents29:09…
People in this episode
Hosts: IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, GM Jesse Kraai
Topics covered
- chess tournaments
- rating sections
- strategy
- improvement methods
- playing stronger opponents
- confidence in chess
- tournament challenges
Keywords
- play up
- chess strategy
- tournament rating
- improvement
- confidence
- ego trap
- juniors
- stronger opponents
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Chess Dojo, Twitch, Patreon, Amazon, Discord, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
More episodes of Dojo Talks: A Chess Podcast
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