Chess Visualization with Aiden Rayner

Episode Archive

Episode Archive

869 episodes of Chess Visualization with Aiden Rayner since the first episode, which aired on August 25th, 2023.

  • 🎉 Models of the Masters (Saturday Fun Episode)

    August 1st, 2026  |  34 mins 16 secs
    chess, conceptualization, visualization

    I discuss the conceptualization spectrum and break down some of the most interesting models I've run into in my half-decade of researching this stuff. And I try (and fail) not to go on tangents about cool Chess conceptualization stories.

  • ⚡️ Aphantasia and the Visual-Verbal Spectrum

    July 31st, 2026  |  14 mins 53 secs
    chess, conceptualization, visualization

    If you can't create pictures in your head, does that mean you must use words instead? I break down some new insights I've run into, and suggest that may not be the case.

  • 🧠🧠🧠 The Spice Melange (Vigilance Exercise)

    July 30th, 2026  |  11 mins 13 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Vigilance Exercise: Follow the sequence of moves from a position and decide at the end which of two moves should be played.

  • 🧠🧠 One Needle, Big Haystack (Position Exercise)

    July 29th, 2026  |  6 mins 19 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Position Exercise: The audio will tell you where each of the pieces on the board are and whose turn it is. Find the best move!

  • 🧠 Splayed Out (Awareness Exercise)

    July 28th, 2026  |  6 mins 16 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Awareness Exercise: Listen to the locations of all the pieces in the position, then answer the questions to test your awareness.

  • 🧠 Jaws of a Draw (Hybrid Exercise)

    July 27th, 2026  |  5 mins 50 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Hybrid Exercise: The audio will tell you where each of the pieces on the board are, then read a series of moves from that position. When prompted, try to identify the best next move.

  • State of the Pod, and What's Next

    July 25th, 2026  |  14 mins 1 sec

    Aiden address the plans for this next phase of the podcast.

  • 🧠 Thinking with Portals (Illegal Move Exercise)

    July 22nd, 2026  |  6 mins 48 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Illegal Move Exercise: The audio will lead you through a series of moves from the beginning of a game. Somewhere in there, a player will make an illegal move but the game will continue anyway. Find the illegal move.

  • 🧠 Omnipotence (Lost Piece Exercise)

    July 20th, 2026  |  11 mins 6 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Lost Piece Exercise: The audio will tell you the position of most of the pieces on the board. Can you work out where the missing piece is meant to be?

  • 🧠🧠 Miss Zhu (Awareness Exercise)

    July 16th, 2026  |  8 mins 38 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Awareness Exercise: Listen to the locations of all the pieces in the position, then answer the questions to test your awareness.

  • 🧠🧠 Slip of the Thumb (Find the Blunder Exercise)

    July 15th, 2026  |  9 mins 26 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Find the Blunder Exercise: The audio will lead you through a series of moves from the beginning of a game. One player will blunder and the other will not punish them for it. Can you find the blunder and the best punishment?

  • 🧠 Two Rooks > Queen (Hybrid Exercise)

    July 14th, 2026  |  8 mins 10 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    Hybrid Exercise: The audio will tell you where each of the pieces on the board are, then read a series of moves from that position. When prompted, try to identify the best next move.

  • 🧠 Development Is the Most Important Thing (Opening Exercise)

    July 13th, 2026  |  1 min 49 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    An exercise to train your conceptualization, strengthen your mental board, and improve your Chess.

  • 🧠 Layers Upon Layers of Pressure (Game Exercise)

    July 12th, 2026  |  2 mins 47 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    An exercise to train your conceptualization, strengthen your mental board, and improve your Chess.

  • 🧠 Pair o' Bishops (Position Exercise)

    July 11th, 2026  |  1 min 28 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    An exercise to train your conceptualization, strengthen your mental board, and improve your Chess.

  • 🧠 Greco Beats the Philidor Defense (Opening Exercise)

    July 10th, 2026  |  1 min 58 secs
    chess, exercise, visualization

    An exercise to train your conceptualization, strengthen your mental board, and improve your Chess.