Community, Balance, and Socializing in Chess and Poker

This week the Adult Improver Series returns with an extremely insightful guest. Dan Bock is a North Carolina-based software engineer and dad, who finally got serious about chess improvement in 2021. At this time, Dan began to compete frequently, utilize digital flashcards, and make a conscious effort to make friends in the chess world in order to help make his hobby more fulfilling. Dan’s results have been rare and inspiring, as he has seen USCF rating rise from the high 1500s to the high 1900s (USCF) in the last 3 years. As Dan explains, while he is very directed in his decisions of how to approach chess study, he does not put in outlandish an number of hours of study per day. He is very focused on what actually decides the outcomes of his own games, and has made constant progress by keeping that as his North Star. I find Dan’s story very inspiring and am excited to see his continued progress! 

You can find the Adult Improver Spotify Playlist here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=29035838af4d4345

0:00- You can find more information about the National Open here:

https://www.vegaschessfestival.com/national-open/

The live “My System” podcast with GM Alex Fishbein will be on Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 PM. 

Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link:

https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro

0:02- When did Dan decide to get serious about chess improvement? How did he know how to approach studying? 

Mentioned: Chess Journeys Episode 93 with Dan:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Xg3JotQTg4NoThsn9pPhw?si=14bfea1e50df4df5

Mentioned: Dan’s post 11 Things I did to Take my USCF Rating from 1547 to 1976 

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/p/11-things-i-did-to-take-my-uscf-rating

09:00- Why did he decide to emphasize OTB chess for improvement? 

10:45- How does Dan use checklists to help his thinking processes?

Mentioned: Dr. Nick Vasquez’s post discussing checklists:

https://nickvasquezmd.substack.com/p/simpler-chess-ask-questions

16:00- Patreon mailbag question: How does Dan suggest spending one hour per day on chess?

Mentioned: Anki flashcard app:

https://apps.ankiweb.net/

23:00- Aside from using digital flashcards, what else would Dan recommend? 

Mentioned: Dan’s Post: “What Really Decides Games at the 1900 Level?” 

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/p/what-really-decides-games-at-the

28:00- How did Dan cure his time-trouble addiction?

33:00- What is Dan’s approach to openings, and especially the Dubov Italian?

Mentioned: Chessbook.com, CM Han Schut and GM Jan Gustaffson’s Chessable courses on the Dubov Italian 

https://www.chessable.com/dubovs-explosive-italian/course/80152/

https://www.chessable.com/gustafssons-aggressive-1e4-part-1/course/207313/

41:00- Does Dan still work without a coach? 

42:00- Dan and Ben’s improvement takeaways from the FIDE Candidates

45:00- We discuss Dan’s approach to the Italian Opening

Mentioned: TheOnoZone’s Blog:

https://lichess.org/@/TheOnoZone/blog/learning-to-learn/Xg3xJ4qX

Ono’s HowtoChess interview:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fKVmwuQZkWV9orWqnnchF?si=090bccbf5a284f85

52:00- What does Dan look for when choosing a chess tournament? 

Mentioned: My Two Favorite Chess Tournament

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/p/my-two-favorite-chess-tournaments

56:00- How does Dan balance socialization with chess study at tournaments? Does Dan exercise during tournaments? 

58:00- Closing thoughts!

Mentioned: How to Reassess Your Chess 

1:00:00- 

Subscribe to Dan’s blog here:

https://chessimprovementlab.substack.com/

Follow him on X here:

https://x.com/boldmovebydan

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