Category: Blog

This 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…

This 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…

This 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…

This 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…

This 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…

This 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.…

This 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…

This 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…

This 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…

This 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…