Chess Visualization with Aiden Rayner

Latest Episodes:

🧠 Minor Panic (Illegal Move Exercise) Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

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.

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

PGN for today's exercise:

c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 Nc6 4. Nf3 d6 5. a3 Be7 6. b4 Nf6 7. Bb2 0-0 *

And the answer is...
Black's move 5... Be7 is illegal because the d6-pawn is in the way.

🧠 Vienna Symmetry Mate (Game Exercise) Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Game Exercise: Close your eyes and follow along with an entire Chess game using the audio below. On each move, try to conceptualize the position clearly and understand how it has changed. Try to follow the game until the end to stretch the amount of moves you can see ahead.

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

PGN for today's exercise:

e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Qg4 d6 5. Qxg7 Nf6 6. Qxf7# 1-0

🧠🧠🧠 Rook Rebound (Position Exercise) Apr 26, 2026

Show notes

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!

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

FEN for today's exercise:
This puzzle comes from the catalogue of Lichess user GM Jepetto.
1r6/3R3p/6pk/8/2Rp1PP1/2pr3P/P7/6K1 b - - 0 1

And the answer is...
1... Rb1+ 2. Kf2 Rb2+ 3. Ke1

🧠🧠🧠 In Its Pocketses (Hybrid Exercise) Apr 25, 2026

Show notes

Hybrid Puzzle: 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.

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

FEN for today's exercise:
2nr1rk1/7p/p5p1/1p1p4/3B4/2PB1Q1P/q1P3P1/5RK1 w - - 0 1

PGN for today's exercise:
golim vs amarkdalen (Lichess, 2023)

Qg3 Rxf1+ 2. Kxf1 Rf8+ 3. Kg1 Qb1+ 4. Kh2 Qc1 *

And the answer is...

Bxg6 Qf4 (5... hxg6 6. Qxg6#) 6. Bf7+ Kxf7 7. Qxf4+

🧠🧠 Polgar vs Mecking (Game Exercise) Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

PGN for today's exercise:
[White "Judit Polgar"] [Black "Henrique Mecking"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4 e5 8. Nf5 g6 9. g5 gxf5 10. exf5 d5 11. Qf3 d4 12. O-O-O Qc7 13. Rxd4 exd4 14. Bxd4 Qc6 15. Qe2+ Kd7 16. Bxf6 Bd6 17. Qd1 Re8 18. Bh3 b5 19. Rg1 Bb7 20. g6 Kc7 21. Bg2 Qc4 22. Bxb7 Bf4+ 23. Kb1 Kxb7 24. gxh7 1-0

🧠🧠 Opposing Castles (Position Exercise) Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

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!

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

FEN for today's exercise:
8/1p2kp2/bR1R3P/8/5K2/8/3p3r/8 b - - 0 1

And the answer is...
1... Rxh6 2. Rxd2 (2. Rxh6 d1=Q) 2... Rxb6

🧠 A Magician's Own (Find the Blunder Exercise) Apr 22, 2026

Show notes

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?

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

PGN for today's exercise:

e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. h4 e6 5. Bd3 Bxd3 6. cxd3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. d4 Bb6 9. Nc3 Ne7 10. Nf3 Nbc6 *

And the answer is...

g4 Be4 6. f3 Bg6 7. h5 Bxh5 8. gxh5

🧠 Party on the Sixth (Position Exercise) Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

Today we have a bonus exercise for you! We'll get back to our regular schedule in a couple weeks when we're out of crunch time on the new website build. Enjoy the extra exercises in the meantime.

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!

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

FEN for today's exercise:
8/8/1knNKR2/p7/8/8/3r3P/8 w - - 0 1

And the answer is...

Nc4+ Kc5 2. Nxd2

🧠 Orangutango (Opening Exercise) Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Opening Exercise: The audio will lead you through a series of moves from the beginning of a game. At a certain point, one player will make a mistake and it’ll be your job to find the move to punish it.

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

PGN for today's exercise:

e4 c6 2. Bc4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Nf3 *

And the answer is...
4... dxc4

🧠🧠🧠 Sirkhay (Game Exercise) Apr 19, 2026

Show notes

To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization

PGN for today's exercise:
TheLuftvaffel vs sirkhay (Lichess blitz, 2025)

e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. d4 f5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bd3 Be7 7. Bg5 O-O 8. O-O c6 9. Re1 Ne4 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. Qc1 Qd6 12. Ne2 Nd7 13. Nf4 Rb8 14. c3 Kh8 15. a4 a6 16. b4 Nxc3 17. Nh5 Ne4 18. Ng5 Qg6 19. Nxe4 fxe4 20. Be2 Nf6 21. Qf4 Bg4 22. Nxf6 Bxe2 23. Rxe2 Qxf6 24. Qc7 Qxd4 25. Rb1 Qd3 26. Reb2 e3 27. Rb3 exf2+ 28. Kh1 f1=Q+ 0-1

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