A 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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Ep. 30 Szefru - Fruzsina (WFM)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Fruzsina. She’s a WFM with WIM and WGM norms, who streams and teaches chess. We discussed Fruzsi’s chess story including her childhood success, her success as a streamer, and her current decision regarding chasing norms. Fruzsina gave some tips regarding how to best use coaches, how chess helps kids, and some specific book recommendations. We also talked about the difference between learning as a child and an adult. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at www.chessable.com/chessjourneys If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30. Be sure to visit Fruzina’s stream at: https://www.twitch.tv/szefru
Ep. 29 Chris Wainscott (1700 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Chris Wainscott. He’s 48, an adult improver, co-founder of the Chesspunks Twitter community, tournament director, and prolific writer. We discussed his goal of reaching 2200 and the process he is taking to achieve it. Perhaps most interesting is his up and down rating, which peaked at nearly 1900 before landing today at just over 1700. Chris is an avid Chessable user, and we discussed his streak of 600 days. We also talked about the many resources that Chris has used, and he recommended a myriad of games collections. His favorite being Tal-Botvinnik 1960. You can check out Chris’s Blog at http://ontheroadtochessmaster.com/ As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at www.chessable.com/chessjourneys If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30.
Ep. 28 Dr. Skull (1650 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, guest host Neal Bruce interviews me, Dr. Skull. I reflect on my chess origin story and returning to the game a year ago with high expectations. This is a challenging episode for me, as I process the disconnect between spending 500 hours on chess this year and making no ratings gains. Neal does a great job as my therapist, and I hope our conversation is helpful to others struggling with plateaus. We also discussed the resources that I used this year including books, chessable courses, and coaches. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at www.chessable.com/chessjourneys . If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30.
Ep. 27 Andrew (2300 Chess.com Blitz)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Andrew. He’s 24, has a career, and is obsessed with chess. Andrew’s had tremendous growth over the last 2 years. He started by getting whomped by his 800 roommate, but now has a current peak of 2300. Impressive stuff indeed! We talked about a wide range of topics such as videos, books, and his love of chess. My biggest takeaway from the interview is that Andrew hasn’t used plans to guide his progress. Instead, Andrew does what he enjoys. Sometimes that means studying, other times that means playing chess. If Andrew isn’t in the mood for chess that day, he doesn’t force it. He isolated two books as having the biggest impact: My System by Nimzowitsch and Silman’s Amateur’s Mind. He also spends a lot of time on Chessable with books such as the Woodpecker Method and 100 Endgames you must know. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at www.chessable.com/chessjourneys . If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30. You can check out Andrew’s informative post on Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/qo8odn/improving_as_an_adult_learner/
Ep. 26 Tim (2100 chess.com, 1800 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys I am joined by Tim. In many ways this is a selfish podcast, as I specifically invited Tim to talk about his method of breaking out of a plateau at 1600. Tim and I talked a lot about his journey and the plateaus that he has faced. Tim defends his hot take that reading chess books isn’t necessary until 1600! Tim spends a lot of time working with Chessable for openings and did a thorough Woodpecker Method, which he attributes to a big ratings jump. We discussed other topics such as his thoughts on coaches, the psychology of OTB tournaments, and the importance of calculation. Chessable Endgame Course is https://www.chessable.com/timeless-technique-strategic-endgames/course/42898/ As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at chessable.com/chessjourneys. If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30.
Ep. 25 Coach David Mencik (1850 FIDE)
This week on Chess Journeys, I am joined by David Mencik. He’s a busy academic, coach, and adult improver. David and I discussed his approach to developing as a player and helping other adult improvers as a coach. David shared his origin story, his study plans, his favorite resources, and his coaching style. Most enlightening were his 3 takeaways for how students can get the most from their coaching. David also outlined his method for endgame improvement, which involves, Averbakh’s Essential Endgame Knowledge,Shereshevky’s Endgame Strategy, and Hellsten’s Mastering Endgame Strategy. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at chessable.com/chessjourneys. If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30.
Ep. 24 Kevin Perera (1368 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Kevin. He has a busy life and career, but he’s a dedicated adult improver. We had a wide ranging conversation focusing on coaching, resources, and heroes. Kevin is bringing an interesting approach to his improvement, identifying heroes that match his style. Kevin plays through their games and tries to meld together information from Pachman, My System, and Krammik. It’s a fascinating approach that has me thinking who are my “chess heroes?” Kevin also reflected on his thoughts on coaches. He’s worked with many coaches and finds it important to blend the advice of many experts, rather than just one. Kevin forgot to mention one important piece of his journey during the podcast, he met his best friend Blake over a chess board back in 2014! Chess building friendships is wonderful! As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at chessable.com/chessjourneys. If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30.
Ep. 23 Joel (1670 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Joel. He’s a dedicated adult improver and father of four, so time is limited and precious. We talked about a wide variety of topics such as the importance of actually playing chess, even if it is just blitz. Joel shared his favorite resources, his study methods, and his reasons for employing a coach. Joel has spent a lot of time on tactics, reaching a 3000 chess dot com puzzle rating! Joel also uses Chessable extensively. His streak is at 1489! Be sure to check out his Youtube videos at: https://www.youtube.com/c/DadLifeChess. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable page at chessable.com/chessjourneys. If you are considering using Aimchess, please use the code drscull30.
Ep. 22 Zach (1700 Chess.com Rapid)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Zach, a former Magic the Gathering player who has returned to his first love chess! We talk about his origin story and his time as first board for his high school team. Zach outlines his process for improvement, which features 6 week focused studies. Zach recommends a lot of books and Chessable courses including Yusupov’s orange books, Kostya’s Endgame Studies course, and a number of tactics courses. We also talked about the psychology of “official” tournaments and whether or not OTB chess is “real” chess. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, thanks to Chessable for sponsoring this episode, you can check them out at chessable.com/chessjourneys.
Ep. 21 Jeremy Kane (NM 2300 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with NM Jeremy Kane. We spoke about the challenges of pursuing chess improvement while raising a family, especially with an infant! Jeremy shared his thoughts on books that helped him, annotated game collections, and the reality of studying chess as a non-professional. We also discussed his forthcoming book The Next to Last Mistake. We focused on the challenges of remaining vigilant and resilient in the face of difficult or even losing positions. As well as, the process of writing a book without an IM or GM title. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Be sure to check out Jeremy’s book! https://www.amazon.com/Next-Last-Mistake-Improve-Determination/dp/057883829X
Ep. 20 Neal Bruce (2100 Lichess)
This week I’m joined by the one and only Neal Bruce. Neal is well known for his propensity to murder books and turn them into notecards. Today, we talked about his past, present, and future chess journeys. We talked about how much time he has for chess, how small habits have transformative power, and his chess goals. We also talked about the creation of the #chesspunks community on Twitter. As always, you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys.
Ep. 19 Luca / Chessatlas (2000 Lichess)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Luca, author of the blog Atlas (https://chessatlas.net/atlas/). We spoke about his adult improvement journey. We discussed his regime before his current work sabbatical and what he is doing with his extra time. Luca laid out his approach including working through Yusupov’s chess books, the Woodpecker method, and playing longer games. You can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys.
Ep. 18 Kostya Kavutskiy (IM International Master 2469 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with IM, coach, and content creator Kostya Kavutskiy. We discussed his journey as an adult improver, his recommendations, and the Chess Dojo. Kostya provided a wide range of helpful advice including how to play through annotated games, the secret recipe to chess improvement, and the best way to learn endgames. Be sure to check out Kostya’s recently released Chessable Course: Endgame Studies 101. Also, be sure to catch the regular streams and videos released by the Chess Dojo.
Ep. 17 Kevin J. (1500 USCF)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with another Kevin. We discussed how he uses his 10 hours a week of study time. We had a discussion about the value of opening plans over lines. Kevin also shared with me his Woodpecker style tactics project as well as his newest notecard project. We also discussed his first over the board experiences and what it’s like living in the St. Louis chess capital of the U.S. If you'd like to support the show you can head over to https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys.
Ep. 16 Daniel Lona (1400 Chess.com Rapid)
This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Daniel. After playing in middle school and a 27 year hiatus, Daniel was inspired by the Queen’s Gambit to return to chess. Daniel is dedicated to chess, putting in 3-4 hours daily. Over the last 10 months, he’s raised his rapid rating from 1000-1400. We discussed his return, his habits, OTB chess, and the value of coaches. Daniel recommends Chessable, Irving Chernev's Chess: Move by Move and several of Dan Heisman's books.