Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke to Xander. He’s gained 700 points over the last year and a half. We talked about getting into tournaments, what he’s studied, and how math has helped his chess. Lately, Xander has made a big jump by memorizing games with attacking motifs. He has also been working on 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know. 

My Chessable Course!

https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/

Chessnut Link/Code: Code - KEVINSCULL

https://www.chessnutech.com?sca_ref=7643464.HueBIKWTYE

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This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke to Derek. He’s a 50’s chess player who has recently returned to the game after a 22 year hiatus. We talked a lot about what he is getting out of chess, and what his expectations are. We also chatted about his international travels with chess taking him to Scotland and the Reykjavik Open. Derek has won several tournaments, and we discussed the decision to play up or not. This is a great interview for anyone thinking about playing chess as we move on in years.

You can contact Derek at:

This week on Chess Journeys, it’s just me. I talked about a variety of topics such as why I came back to chess, what keeps me going, and am I happy with my decision to come back. I also discussed what I would change about my last 2 years in chess, resources that I’ve discovered in the last year, and some of my favorite chess resources. 

My Chessable Course!

https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/

Chessnut Link/Code: Code - KEVINSCULL

https://www.chessnutech.com?sca_ref=7643464.HueBIKWTYE

Get 2...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Trenton. He’s a college student looking to juggle life and chess improvement. Even though Trenton hasn’t been playing for long (2 years) he dropped quite a few gems in this episode. He talked about the challenge of losing to kids in tournaments, avoiding burnout, learning openings, and the value of a chess community.

Trenton’s Twitch: https://m.twitch.tv/trenttactical/home

My Chessable Course!

https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/

Chessnut Link/Code: Code - KEVINSCULL

https://www.chessnutech.com?sc...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke once again with friend of the show GM Noel Studer. We discussed my recent Senior tournament performance, tournament conditions, and Noel’s experience with youth tournaments. We also dove into Noel’s new/updated course The Simplified Chess Improvement System. As always Noel gave loads of advice for chess improvers. This is a can’t miss episode!

Be sure to check out Noel’s new course and use the code: chessjourneys20

The Simplified Chess Improvement System: https://courses.nextlevelchess.blog/courses/simplified-chess-improvement-system?ref=04f5d8

My Chessabl...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Kevin. He’s a new dad, film-maker, and writer trying to improve at chess. We had a great chat about using time wisely, how to analyze rapid games, the value of OTB chess, and the importance of identifying your goals in chess. We also discussed resources Kevin used to quickly rise to 1600 such as John Bartholomew’s Youtube series, Simple Chess, Jeremy Silman, and playing a lot of chess. It was a wonderful chat and be sure to check out Kevin’s substack Good Moves.

Kevin’s Substack Good Moves:<...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jay and Nicole Garrison about tactics. We went long discussing issues such as the importance of tactics, how to do them, and our favorite resources. We also included mini reviews of two recent resources: 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know and my Chessable course The Chess Journeys Tactics Workbook. I think this is a must listen for anyone wrestling with the question how much should I focus on tactics?

Chess in the Queen City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lBr6wOImJE

My Chessable Course!

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with National Master Craig Clawitter. The majority of the episode was spent taking lessons from kid chess players and applying them to adults. The biggest piece of advice from Craig is to stop putting pressure on ourselves to reach rating goals or other types of pressure. Most kids just play knowing that eventually they will get better. Failure is a normal part of childhood, and they take that approach to chess. We also discussed my new Chessable course: Chess Journeys Tactics Workbook: Turning Knowledge Into Skill. This is a great episode for...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Aidan from Don’t Move Until You See It. We talked about visualization, memory work, narrative vs. visual memories, aphantasia, and other related issues. Aidan took me through a sample blindfold exercise to demonstrate how different brains worked. We ended with an examination of my recent slump and focus on basic tactics. This episode is packed with helpful advice regarding our brains and how to unlock their full potential!

Aidan’s website: https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/

Chessnut Link/Code: Code - KEVINSCULL

https://www.chessnutech.com?sca...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Emily Plays Chess. Emily hasn’t been playing chess long, but she is all in! We talked about her improvement journey from discovering chess, streaming, tournaments, and resources. Emily discussed the challenges of balancing the learning opportunities with the stress of big tournaments. She also highlighted the social aspects of chess as an important part of her journey. She attributes her rapid climb from 300-1300 rapid to coaching, strategy work, playing rapid games, and most of all consistency.

Emily’s Twitch and Youtube:

https://www.twitch.tv/emil...