Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement
149 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 108 ratingsA podcast dedicated to the journey of adult chess improvement. Each week a guest will join me to discuss what has worked for them, what hasn't worked as well, and the status of their journey.
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Episodes
Ep. 144 Adam (1875 USCF)
April 25, 2024 06:00 - 56 minutes - 52.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Adam. He’s a member of the weekly club I play at. Adam’s had an impressive run of late, gaining 170 points in about 5 months. He explained his simple process of playing rapid games, analyzing them, and doing lots of tactics. He also talked about fixing the mental side of chess such as slowing down, especially in critical moments. He attributes this mental change to a lot of extra wins. If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the ...
Ep. 143 Matt (1770 USCF)
April 18, 2024 06:00 - 56 minutes - 52.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Matt. Having played a bit as a child, we talked about his reintroduction to chess as an adult. Matt’s story is especially compelling since he has gained about 250 points in his 40’s only spending 1 hour a day on chess. Matt has a narrow study plan of playing games, reviewing his games, doing tactics, and working with his coach. It certainly seems to be paying off in a big way! If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following ...
Ep. 142 FM Dalton Perrine (2325 USCF)
April 11, 2024 06:00 - 58 minutes - 54.3 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with FM Dalton Perrine. We discussed his time as a scholastic chess player, high school player, and continuing to play as an adult. We discussed topics such as setting goals, coaching, playing as an adult and creating Chessable courses. You can find Dalton at: https://nextlevelchesscoaching.com/ If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following link: https://the-chess-gym.circle.so/checkout/the-chess-gym-membership?affiliate_code...
Ep. 141 Benji (1650 ECF)
April 04, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Benji. We talked about his own journey into chess, including the thriving London chess club scene. Then we talked about Benji’s work with mindfulness and chess. Benji gave a lot of useful suggestions about how tournament players can think about their situation and how breathing and other exercises can address these issues. We wrapped up with a conversation about how data science can interact with chess. Check out Benjamin’s Mindfulness Course: https...
Ep. 140 Spenser(1600 USCF)
March 28, 2024 06:00 - 58 minutes - 53.8 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Spenser. He’s a former scholastic player that has returned to chess as an adult. He heads up the impressive Richmond chess club. We talked about his progress with openings, endgames, and tactics. We discussed his coaching, and what it takes to run a successful chess club. If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following link: https://the-chess-gym.circle.so/checkout/the-chess-gym-membership?affiliate_code=c56e60 Use this l...
Ep. 139 GM Noel Studer
March 21, 2024 05:44 - 1 hour - 75 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with GM Noel Studer. We took a look at my games and progress in 2024. We examined my chess, my rating improvement, and my study plan. We also discussed Noel’s near course: Beginner Chess Mastery. If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following link: https://the-chess-gym.circle.so/checkout/the-chess-gym-membership?affiliate_code=c56e60 Use this link to purchase Noel Studers New Course Beginner Chess Mastery and Next Level Trai...
Ep. 138 GM Noel Studer
March 21, 2024 05:44 - 1 hour - 75 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with GM Noel Studer. We took a look at my games and progress in 2024. We examined my chess, my rating improvement, and my study plan. We also discussed Noel’s near course: Beginner Chess Mastery. If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following link: https://the-chess-gym.circle.so/checkout/the-chess-gym-membership?affiliate_code=c56e60 Use this link to purchase Noel Studers New Course Beginner Chess Mastery and Next Level Trai...
Ep. 138 Thomas (1400 Chess.com)
March 14, 2024 06:00 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Thomas. We spoke about OTB chess is Paris and his preference for OTB games. We focused on his struggles to play online and the anxiety that comes with those games. Thomas had a sudden ratings gain, and we discussed what motivated that jump. He also, gave us his list of the 5 best chess books. If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following link: https://the-chess-gym.circle.so/checkout/the-chess-gym-membership?affiliate_co...
Ep. 137 Rachel (1600 USCF)
March 07, 2024 07:00 - 55 minutes - 51.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Rachel. She’s a former scholastic player, who has returned to chess as a college student. We talked about how she studies chess, her preference for OTB chess, and the importance of coaching. We also discussed her desire to stay away from labeling progress with numbers. Rachel talked about her approach to streaming chess, and her lack of desire to play a lot of online chess. You can catch Rachel streaming at: https://www.twitch.tv/rachangel225 If yo...
Ep. 137 Rachael (1600 USCF)
March 07, 2024 07:00 - 55 minutes - 51.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Rachel. She’s a former scholastic player, who has returned to chess as a college student. We talked about how she studies chess, her preference for OTB chess, and the importance of coaching. We also discussed her desire to stay away from labeling progress with numbers. Rachel talked about her approach to streaming chess, and her lack of desire to play a lot of online chess. You can catch Rachel streaming at: https://www.twitch.tv/rachangel225 If yo...
Ep. 136 David (1100 Chesscom Rapid)
February 29, 2024 07:00 - 58 minutes - 54.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with David about his journey through life and chess. He talked about books and resources that helped him improve. We spent time talking about the value of process over rating goals. David also talked about his experiences with coaching and tournaments. If you want to join The Chess Gym and support the show use the following link: https://the-chess-gym.circle.so/checkout/the-chess-gym-membership?affiliate_code=c56e60 Use this link to purchase Next Leve...
Ep. 135 Andrew (1450 Lichess)
February 22, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Andrew. He’s about 1 year into his journey. He and his wife got into the game together as a way of being ready to help their daughter learn chess. Andrew has been bitten hard by the chess bug and we discussed his approach to learning and playing chess. He started with random books, some accessible and some well My System?!? Andrew talked about why he joined the Chess Dojo and playing in his first OTB events. We finished with a discussion about the sm...
Ep. 134 FM Nate Solon
February 15, 2024 22:32 - 1 hour - 77.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with FM Nate Solon. We talked a lot about the best ways to improve your skill at chess. We discussed my current training program, and where it could be improved. We also talked about the Chess Gym, and its role in my training. Nate provided a lot of useful insights. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1152624_t9sjlp49 Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store!...
Ep. 133 Neal-Bruce (1800 USCF)
February 08, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 94.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, the habit master Neal Bruce checks in. We talked about his return to and recent success with OTB chess. We discussed in depth his program, why he changed it, and why he got a coach. We also examined the question of if an adult can reach master, including Neal’s thoughts on the Chess Dojo episode. Neal talked about burnout, his dream tournaments, and gave some endgame book advice. This is a long, but great episode. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: h...
Ep. 132 Anna (1300 FIDE)
February 01, 2024 07:00 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Anna. We focused on her emphasis on OTB play. Anna plays 1 to 2 games every week OTB and spends a lot of time examining them. We discussed several book that Anna has used to improve her chess such as the Polgar 5334 book. Near the end we discussed Anna’s goals and strategy for bringing more women in to chess. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1152624_t9sjlp49 Be ...
Ep. 131 David (1580 Lichess)
January 25, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with David. We focused a lot on his ability to carve out 20-30 hours a week for chess. He believes that most people can make a lot more time, if they are willing to make sacrifices. We also discussed the benefits of the Chess Dojo and direct coaching. David talked about his favorite resources including Tactics Time, Everybody’s First Chess Workbook, and Learn Chess The Right Way 3: Mastering Defensive Techniques. It was an inspiring conversation with some...
Ep. 130 Chris (1700 Chesscom)
January 19, 2024 00:35 - 55 minutes - 51.3 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Chris. His journey has taken him from 800 to 1700 Chesscom in about 8 years. He got into chess by coaching kids as a beginner. He spent the next several years playing and working on tactics with the ultimate goal of not blundering! Chris provided a lot of tips on eliminating the dreaded blunder. Chris and I spent a lot of time talking about the value of coaching and how to choose a coach. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://next...
Ep. 129 Will (2000 Chesscom)
January 11, 2024 07:00 - 54 minutes - 50.7 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Will about his rapid ascent from 1000 to 2000 Rapid Chesscom. Will talked a lot about his focus on playing chess and examining his games. When asked questions like how did you learn strategy or endgames his answer was usually by playing games. The interview was a fascinating take on how just playing the game you love can be fun and help you gain piles of raing points! Most shocking may be that Will didn’t drill thousands of chess puzzles. He mainly f...
Ep. 128 Dr. Scull (1781 USCF)
January 04, 2024 07:00 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, we did something a little different. I turned the show over to I Jay Garrison and he interviewed me about my year in chess. It was a wild ride, dropping 200 points and then gaining them all back and more at the end of the year. We talked about my focus on turning knowledge into skill this year, the challenges of losing for months on end, and how great it feels to turn things around. I’ve vowed to continue not worry about ratings, but with 1800 on the horizon, it’...
Ep. 127 Eric (1100 Chess.com)
December 28, 2023 07:00 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Eric. He’s a father of a young child trying to carve out time for chess. We talked about his plan of about 1 hour of study per day. Eric said something shocking, he doesn’t do tactics. He did complete Everyone’s First Chess Workbook, but puzzles are not part of his daily training. Eric focuses mainly on playing rapid games. He did note a few books that helped his journey such as Silman’s Endgame Course and the Amateur's Mind. We spent quite a bit of...
Ep. 126 Forest (1930 USCF)
December 21, 2023 07:00 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Forest, the 11 year old that has been dominating our local chess club of late. The goal of the episode is to figure out how children get so good at chess. Forest didn’t surprise me with his statement that he doesn’t read books, but I was surprised to hear that he doesn’t use many online resources either. Forest mostly takes lessons, plays tournaments, rapid games on chesscom, and has done a lot of tactics. He is currently working on slowing down and ...
Ep. 125 Cameron (1250 Chesscom Rapid)
December 14, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Cameron about his chess. He’s made a lot of progress from about 500 to 1250 Chesscom. We talked about the different steps in his journey from reading Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess to Gotham Chess’s Bootcamp to his most recently completed book the Amateur’s Mind. Cameron talked about his focus on playing longer rapid games and doing deep analysis of those games. He outlined a 3 phase process of analysis. Cameron also talked about topics such as OTB ches...
Ep. 124 Alex (1600 Lichess Rapid)
December 07, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Alex. We spoke about his journey into chess as a parent of two children. Alex quickly found Chessable and worked on Everyone’s First Chess Workbook. He also listed several openings courses that were helpful as a beginner. We reflected on his time working with coach Shivam, who I had a great time working with as well. We wrapped up by discussing his experience with the Chess Dojo. He appreciates the structure, accountability, and sparring exercises in...
Ep. 123 Erik (2000 Lichess Rapid)
November 30, 2023 07:00 - 57 minutes - 53.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Erik. We focused on his journey from 1000 - 2000 lichess (his lifelong goal). He spoke of his initial forays into chess focusing on openings. He also reflected on his experiences with coaching, OTB chess, and rating anxiety. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1152624_t9sjlp49 Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can support the show and look a...
Ep. 122 Nick (1475 Rapid Chesscom)
November 23, 2023 23:32 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Nick. He’s a busy man with a career, spouse, and children. We spent a lot of time discussing how to fit chess improvement around your life. Nick reflected on different parts of his journey from videos, coaching, opening work, and many tactics puzzles. Nick has made tremendous progress in less than two years (Around 700 points!) He’s a great model for juggling Check out Nick's blog: https://whimsnickal.co.uk/ Use this link to purchase Next Level Tr...
Ep. 121 Ben Johnson - Perpetual Chess Podcast Host (NM)
November 16, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with NM, podcaster, and author Ben Johnson. We reflected on his recent chess journey. But we spent most of the time talking about his new book: Perpetual Chess Improvement. We discussed a wide range of topics such as the process of writing, early reviews, reasons for writing a book, imposter syndrome, and my thoughts on the book. Ben provided a lot of insights about the book including why he focused on readability and breadth over depth. If you are intere...
Ep. 120 Dennis (NM)
November 09, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Dennis about his journey from beginner to master. We focused primarily on the struggles he faced from 1800-2200. Dennis faced confidence issues, ratings plateaus, and the pandemic derailing his final steps to master. Dennis referenced a few resources such as Chess Structures and puzzle rush. He worked a lot with friends during his journey and spent a lot of time playing. Dennis is yet another example that adults can make master! Use this link to pur...
Ep. 119 Max (2140)
November 02, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Max about his last two years in tournament chess. He’s played over 200 rated games since the pandemic. We talked about the challenges of fatigue during tournaments, playing sharp openings, and underrated kids. Max talked about his process for trying to break 2200, and his goal of reaching it by the end of the year. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1152624_t9sjlp4...
Ep. 118 Megan (1850 USCF)
October 26, 2023 06:00 - 55 minutes - 51.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Megan. We focused extensively on her amazing achievement of playing rated tournaments in all 50 states! She talked about her favorites, challenging moments, and her motivations for taking on such a challenging task. In the second half of the show, we discussed Megan’s chess improvement plan. Most shocking is her move to engineless chess! She also talked about using Evaluate like a GM and playing more blitz. Use this link to purchase Next Level Train...
Ep. 117 Jordan (1400 lichess)
October 19, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jordan. He’s an academic that discovered chess during the chess boom. In two years, he’s made a lot of rating progress, gaining 400 points. Jordan attributes most of his improvement to tactics training and playing. He’s also been influenced by some chess adjacent works such as Flow and the work of Carol Dweck. After listening to this one, you might be interested in hosting a chess foreign exchange student! Sponsor for the show: Chessbook At https:/...
Ep. 116 Tim (1300 ChessCom, 800 USCF)
October 12, 2023 06:00 - 59 minutes - 55.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Tim. He picked up chess about 2 years ago and has focused much of his journey on learning chess strategy. We talked a lot about the last 6 months where he decided to get more serious despite only having about 5 hours a week for chess improvement. He reflected on his first major tournament, getting a chess coach, accepting the need to study tactics, and his approach to opening preparation. Tim shared his appreciation for videos from John Bartholomew a...
Ep. 115 Christian (1800 USCF)
October 05, 2023 06:00 - 56 minutes - 52.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Christian. He’s gone through a number of phases in his chess journey, including recently coming back to chess improvement. We talked a lot about his time taking lessons with the recently deceased legendary writer and coach, Jeremy Silman. Christian talked about what the lesson were like focusing on psychology and positional chess. Christian provided a few book suggestions including Secrets of Chess Tactics by Dvoretsky. Christian also detailed his pr...
Ep. 114 Will (1600 Chesscom)
September 28, 2023 05:16 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Will. We had a great conversation about his journey from 600 - 1600 Chesscom. Will was initially inspired by videos and his desire to defeat his friend. Now Will is motivated by enjoying the journey and putting in the work. Will noted that he made substantial improvement by changing his thinking process. He cited Aagaard’s 3 questions and the Chessable course Calculation: A Complete Guide for Tournament Players. Will also discussed his focus on visua...
Ep. 113 Sam (1300 USCF)
September 21, 2023 06:00 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBUse this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1152624_t9sjlp49 Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can support the show and look amazing in the process. https://chess-journeys.creator-spring.com/ I’ve been streaming somewhat regularly on https://www.twitch.tv/drskull_tinygrimes If you would like to be a guest on Chess Journeys, contact me on Twitter or fill out the following Google Form: https...
Ep. 112 FM Nate Solon
September 14, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with FM Nate Solon. We talked about a wide range of topics such as coming back to tournament chess, winning the ALTO, adult only tournaments, writing books and course, and my tournament chess woes. Nate provided a lot of useful ideas for chess improvement and the “hidden skills” in chess. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1152624_t9sjlp49 Be sure to check out the Che...
Ep. 111 Jon (1339 CFC)
September 07, 2023 06:00 - 57 minutes - 53.3 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jon. He’s an avid adult improver who picked up chess with Pogchamps 1. We talked about his journey from casual player to dedicated improver. Jon’s had a steady climb and has a great attitude. We talked about the value of tournament chess, the challenge of winning games in tournaments, the value of tactics, and many other topics. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-training?affcode=1...
Ep. 110 Tess (2200 Lichess)
August 31, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Tess. We had a fascinating conversation about her chess journeys. Tess started out by playing 10,000 rapid games in a short amount of time. Essentially, she was the human form of Alpha Zero. Tess spoke of the different periods of her improvement and what helped her most. We also discussed topics such as tournaments, women in chess, and adult improvers. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next...
Ep. 109 Chris (1500 Lichess)
August 25, 2023 03:43 - 59 minutes - 55.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Chris. He’s a busy mechanic trying to balance his career, family, and chess improvement. He picked up the game in 2022, and has made a lot of progress towards his goals. We talked a lot about his approach to chess study. Chris focuses most of his time studying using books such as the Soviet Chess Primer and the Polgar mates book. Chris attributes much of his success to joining the Chess Dojo and working with a coach. Use this link to purchase Next ...
Ep. 108 GM Jesse Krai
August 17, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with GM Jesse Krai. We discussed his chess career, starting at 12 and not making GM until well into adulthood. We spoke a lot about the challenges of improving as an older adult and the joy of senior tournaments. We discussed Jesse’s method of analyzing one’s own games. We also talked about the value of coaching and training programs like the Chess Dojo. Jesse's analysis notes: https://chessbase.in/news/How-to-analyze-your-own-games-by-Jesse-Kraai Use t...
Ep. 108 GM Jesse Kraai
August 17, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with GM Jesse Kraai. We discussed his chess career, starting at 12 and not making GM until well into adulthood. We spoke a lot about the challenges of improving as an older adult and the joy of senior tournaments. We discussed Jesse’s method of analyzing one’s own games. We also talked about the value of coaching and training programs like the Chess Dojo. Jesse's analysis notes: https://chessbase.in/news/How-to-analyze-your-own-games-by-Jesse-Kraai Use ...
Ep. 107 Jesse (1700 USCF)
August 10, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jesse. He’s an avid adult improver who plays at the same club as me. We talked a lot about his rapid improvement journey from 1400 to nearly 1700. His journey included many bumps and rating drops. We talked about the books that had the most impact including Silman’s Reassess Your Chess, endgame work, and tactics study. Jesse also talked about taking breaks from the improvement side of chess when he starts to feel burnt out. These breaks help him come...
Ep. 106 An Examination of Dr. Scull’s Chess with GM Noel Studer
August 03, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 70.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I am joined by GM Noel Studer. Noel examined my last 30 games and we discussed the state of my game. I think this is a great episode for anyone wondering how to examine their own game, especially in times of rating loss and turmoil. With Noel’s help we were able to abandon ideas like reworking my opening repertoire or diving deep into rook endgames. Instead, we came up with a plan focusing on doing tactics in a specific way. Be sure to check out Noel’s FREE eboo...
Ep. 105 Joe Bruin (1875 USCF)
July 27, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 69.2 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Joe Bruin. He’s a prolific streamer that I’ve run into at the last two OTB tournaments that I attended. We talked a lot about playing chess for fun without expressly trying to improve. Joe has seen massive rating gains at points in his life without studying. He mostly played and streamed a lot of chess. We discussed the joy of playing and socializing with chess without being obsessed with ratings and rating gain. It was a bit of a different conversat...
Ep. 104 GM Jacob Aagaard
July 20, 2023 06:01 - 1 hour - 77.1 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with the one and only GM Jacob Aagaard. We discussed a wide range of topics such as his chess career, coaching, and adult improvement. Most importantly I asked him if a 40 year old adult could achieve the NM title. We also talked about how adults should go about improving. He expanded on a variety of ideas such as going slow and building good habits. GM Aagaard dropped many valuable gems in this one. Be sure to check out Killer Chess Training at: https...
Ep. 103 Dawn (1100 Lichess)
July 14, 2023 06:00 - 58 minutes - 54.5 MBThis week, I spoke with Dawn. She’s a new chess player who picked up the game in her 60’s. We talked a lot about the challenges of having a low rating while still being excited to talk about chess. Dawn suggested a few books such as Everyone’s First Chess Workbook and Susan Polgar’s Learn Chess series. Dawn and I talked about how to analyze games, fears of going to a tournament, and the value of coaching. It was a lively and inspiring conversation. Be sure to check out Dawn’s blog at: http...
Ep. 102 Michael - Noseknowsall (1900 USCF)
July 06, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 75.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I talked to Michael, better known as Noseknowsall. He’s had a steady climb over 8 years of chess. We talked primarily about the books that helped him climb, the Chess Dojo, and other areas that helped his improvement. Michael credits much of his success to Jeremy Silman’s Reassess Your Chess. But Michael also recommends many other books such as Silman’s Complete Endgame Course and Strategic Chess Exercises by Bricard. To get 25% off the first month of the Chess...
Ep. 101 Elaynah (1600 Chesscom Rapid)
June 29, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Elaynah. She’s a new but dedicated chess improver. She’s made rapid progress from about 400 - 1600 Chesscom rapid in around a year. She spoke about her journey including focusing on not blundering, endgames, tactics, and master games. We explored with detail her first tournament, the National Open in Las Vegas where she crushed the beginner sections. Elaynah also streams chess 5 days a week. Be sure to check her stream out at: https://www.twitch.tv/e...
Ep. 100 Dr Scull (1675 USCF)
June 22, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 67 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, the focus is on my year in chess and a recap of the National Open. Guest of the show Jay Garrison joined me and shared his wisdom on many of the subjects. We focused on tournament prep, tournament performance, who I met at the tournament, ratings dips, what I worked on this year, my goals for next year, and handling setbacks. Hopefully, you enjoy the show! Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/next-level-tra...
Ep. 99 Hannah (1300 Chesscom)
June 15, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MBThis week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Hannah. She started chess with the Queen’s Gambit in 2021. Since then she’s been able to raise her rating at least 500 points, mainly by playing a lot of chess. Hannah found a club early in her journey and has been able to play mostly unrated OTB games. This inspired her to study tactics and some endgames. Also, look out for her story about phone smashing! Use this link to purchase Next Level Training: https://nextlevelchesscourses.teachable.com/p/n...
Ep. 98 (Paul 2245 FIDE)
June 08, 2023 06:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBThis week, I spoke with Paul. He has a fascinating chess journey. In his 20’s, Paul achieved master and was knocking on the door of the FM title. Thirty years later and some health setbacks, Paul is trying to recapture his previous strength and perhaps even build upon it. We talked about a wide variety of topics such as his training methods, the challenge of living up to one’s rating, the psychology of going to a chess tournament again, and of course his victory over GM Bisguier. It was a fa...