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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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jan. He’s an adult improver with a career and horses to care for. He makes time for chess on his own time. We discussed his improvement approach which includes spending however much time he feels like spending with chess, studying with the Chess Dojo, and getting coaching through his Youtube channel: Chess …
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Evan. He’s a returning guest that is pursuing master. Evan shared how his own improvement process has changed in the last 2 years, and provided a lot of advice for chess improvers. He outlined a system for examining critical position, extolled the virtues of Johnathan Rowson’s books, praised endgame studies…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Nicholas. He’s a busy family man who gained 500 rating points in the last two years. We talked a lot about his main strategy of cycling tactics. He tried the 7 circles / woodpecker method many times during his life. But in the last 2 years, he has finished it twice. Both times resulted in large rating gains…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Marc. He’s an adult improver trying to juggle life and chess. We had a great conversation about chess improvement. This included his suggestion of emulating a player, less opening theory, and listening to how better players process chess. Marc also explained his theory that our ratings are not a measure of …
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Paul. He’s a lawyer with a family trying to juggle his life and chess improvement. We talked about his approach to improvement which has included opening work, tactics, Silman’s endgame course, and rapid games. Lately, Paul has started a new project, examining classic games. He uses a new approach that he c…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Julio. He’s a middle school math teacher, adult improver, and newly minted senior. We talked about his massive ratings gains over the last 2 years, nearly 700 points. In fact, Julio gained 400 points in the last month!! We discussed his training regime, success at the senior open, and the chess program that…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Hooman. He’s a medical student that got into chess as a stress reliever. Hooman has seen massive rating gains in a short period. We talked about his improvement journey which is mostly instructional videos, playing a lot of rapid games, and some Chessable work. He talked about playing for the university tea…
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Ep. 155 Joe (1600 Lichess Classical)
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Joe. We talked a lot about his years long struggle to break through the beginner levels of chess. He felt frustrated by his lack of progress. We talked about his 5 step plan for improvement that has resulted in a lot of ratings success. His process focused on filing holes, learning basic chess strategy, bas…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with John. He’s a 47 year old pastor trying to juggle life, family, and chess improvement. He spoke about his journey and resources that he found most useful. John highlighted Chess Tactics from Scratch and the Polgar mates book as two helpful resources. We also discussed a variety of topics such as agism in che…
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Ep. 153 Shannon (1300 Rapid Chesscom)
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Shannon. During the last 20 years, he’s picked up chess a few times. However, in the last year, at 50, he’s improved about 400 points. We talked about the different sources he uses, the importance of openings in his improvement, and the impact of being 50 on one’s development. Shannon has studied a lot but …
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with CM Sandro, otherwise known as LionChess. We focused on his chess journey, pursuing the FM title, and his coaching journey. Sandro credits most of his improvement to the small habit of 5 intense puzzles a day and one rapid game. Especially intriguing is his coaching approach which involves levels based on le…
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Ep. 151 Kamryn (Youtuber) (1526 USCF)
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Kamryn, otherwise known as Kamryn Heidi on Youtube and Twitch. We talked about her journey since out last chat (ep. 73). Kamryn has continued to see ratings gains in blitz, bullet, and USCF. We also discussed our experiences at the National Open in Las Vegas last weekend. We both had an amazing time and had…
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Ep. 150 Omar (ChessVonDoom) Returns Again Pt. 3 (928 USCF)
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Omar, otherwise known as ChessVonDoom. We talked about his journey/addiction with playing chess. We discussed a wide range of issues from obsession, coaching, chess celebrity, thoughts of quitting chess, and chess commentary. It was a wide ranging episode with Omar’s positivity on full display. Use this lin…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jay Garrison about his meteoric rise from 1901 to 1907 in just 2 years! It was a great conversation about the pains of the pits of despair. Over a 2 year span, Jay hit his floor of 1700 twice, and he reflected on the pains it caused. Jay talked about his process, rethinking his process, and eventually overh…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Dylan. He’s a high school teacher, parent, and dedicated chess improver. In a few years, Dylan has gained a lot of ELO on Lichess. But we talked about his comparably low USCF rating. Dylan talked about resources that helped him on his journey such as Naroditsky, Chess Brahs, and Hanging Pawns videos. He als…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Ingvar. He’s the assistant tournament director of the Reykjavik Open, FIDE trainer, and FIDE arbiter. We talked about his massive jumps in the early 2000’s and his quest to reach IM today. Ingvar recommended three books that he credits for a quick 300 point jump, especially Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy.…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Noah. Noah has gained about 500 points in the last year. We spent a lot of time discussing tactics training, and how Noah applies learning science to his approach. We talk talked about over the board chess, reading chess books, and his opening experiment. Spoiler alert, Noah has only worked out a black repe…
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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Nichol. Nichol picked up chess just over a year ago and has already played 77 tournaments!! We spoke about her experiences as a tournament player, as an adult women at tournaments, and the Charlotte Chess Center. We also discussed her training, coaching, and ratings goals. Nichol is certainly an inspiring b…
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This 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, especial…
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This 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 wo…
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This 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 j…
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This 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 addre…
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This 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 a…
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This 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/checko…
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This 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…
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This 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 st…
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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 Gym and support the show use t…
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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 chess. He started with random books, some accessible and some …
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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 useful insights. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training:…
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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 on the Chess Dojo episode. Neal talked about burno…
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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 we discussed Anna’s goals and strategy for bringing more women in to ches…
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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. David talked about his favorite resources including Tactics T…
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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 of tips on eliminating the dreaded blunder. Chris and I…
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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 fascinating take on how just playing the gam…
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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 focus on turning knowledge into skill this year, the challenges of losing …
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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 part of his daily training. Eric focuses mainly on pla…
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This 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. Fo…
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Ep. 125 Cameron (1250 Chesscom Rapid)
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This 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 longe…
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This 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 wit…
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This 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.teacha…
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This 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…
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Ep. 121 Ben Johnson - Perpetual Chess Podcast Host (NM)
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This 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 tho…
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This 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…
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This 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 t…
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This 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 i…
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This 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 Dwe…
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This 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 c…
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This 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 psycholo…
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This 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…
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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 amazing in the process. https://chess-journeys.creator-spring.com/ I’ve been streaming somewhat regularly on https://www.twit…
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