The Chess Cognition Podcast

GM Aman Hambleton - His London System Course, Chessbrah, and Winning Habits 🎙️ [No Board Needed]

February 20, 2026·1h 20m
Episode Description from the Publisher

00:00 Intro01:31 The Chessbrah Journey09:40 The Impact of the Chess Boom12:57 The Educational Value of the Channel18:33 Building Habits Series30:11 The Role of Blitz in Improvement36:08 Creating the London System Course40:48 Unique Aspects of his London Course45:59 Connecting Openings to Middlegame54:33 Conceptual Approach and Knowing Crucial Ideas58:09 Balancing Engine Lines and Practical Play01:03:36 Speed Chess Championship Live Commentary01:12:20 The Future of Chess Content CreationGrandmaster Aman Hambleton joins the podcast to unpack the real origin story of Chessbrah, from two Canadian juniors casually “streaming” to each other with one viewer, to building a long-running, community-first brand that’s now approaching 400K subscribers. He reflects on the 2020 chess boom (lockdown + Queen’s Gambit) as an accelerator, but emphasizes that Chessbrah’s durability comes from stickiness: entertainment that keeps people watching, and instruction embedded naturally in real games, blunders, and commentary.The conversation then shifts to Aman’s first Chessable opening course, the London System repertoire, covering why system openings are realistic for most improvers, how his London is differentiated, and why practical, human-centered choices sometimes beat “engine purity.” Finally, he discusses commentating elite speed chess events, the role of the evaluation bar for spectators, and the direction of chess content into the future.

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