Updated October 2026. I’ve now finished the entire course, and Duolingo has added game review, player vs. player matches, games against friends, and playing with Black since I first wrote this. Here’s what changed, and what didn’t. Obviously, if you’re…
What Is a city? Edward Glaeser captures the essence of urban life in The Triumph of the City: “Cities are the absence of physical space between people and companies. They are proximity, density, closeness. They enable us to work and…
(Inspired by Josh Waitzkin’s first podcast on the Tim Ferriss Show, which I revisit about every year, and “Empty Space” by The Story So Far. This piece is an experimental form for me.) In chess, white always moves first. And…
(Spoiler alerts for The Karate Kid (1984) but if you’ve had over thirty years to watch it so I don’t know what else to tell you.) “Hey Sensei, is there any way in particular you want me to wash these…
A little while ago I saw this tweet from one of my favorite thinkers, Adam Robinson. Adam is a rated chess master, bestselling author, investor, advisor, and all-around smart human being. (For the unfamiliar, I highly recommend his guest appearances…
I’m staring down at the rickety wooden table covered by 64 squares and 32 pieces in Chess Forum, New York’s iconic old-school chess parlor. Located in Greenwich Village, just blocks from Washington Square Park. The whole parlor has that “old…
This afternoon, I’m sitting and writing in the famous New York City chess parlor, Chess Forum on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village, just a block from Washington Square Park. I’ve just wrapped up some blitz games with fellow parlor players,…