Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement

This week on Chess Journeys I bring in Kirk. Kirk and I talked about his systematic approach to juggling work, family, and chess improvement. We also discussed the issue of working through rating slumps and stagnation. Kirk suggested that not focusing on improvement was the answer for him. Kirk also suggested blending a variety of types of content to help improvement.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I’m joined by Jessi Shakarian. She’s new to chess, first learning the moves this year! Jessi shares with us the experience of a new chess player and the impact that chess has had on the rest of her life. We discuss a wide variety of topics such as the value of ratings and coaches. Be sure to check out Jessi’s blog at https://jshakarian.medium.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I’m joined by Rainer Franke, a fellow adult improver. Rainer has a wide range of ratings from 1478 on LIchess to 361 over the board USCF. We talk about his progress and process including setting schedules, the mental side of chess, and Rainer’s favorite resources. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Dr. Patzer and I discussed his chess journey. We talked about his mindmap and understanding one's priorities and making goals based on them. We discussed the pain of not making progress on your rating even though every other metric points to improvement. I think Dr. Patzer's journey will resonate with many adult improvers, and he provided endless great suggestions.  https://patzersreview.blogspot.com/ - Check out Dr. Patzer's Book Reviews Dr. Patzer's Mind Map Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week I am lucky to have a most distinguished guest, Ben Johnson. Ben hosts two amazing chess improvement podcasts, Perpetual Chess and How to Chess. We talk about his chess journey and his new found commitment to improve at chess. We discuss strategies, hurdles, and a whole lot more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first episode, I talk with Jim, an adult improver who has been working hard on his chess during the pandemic. He has clear goals and regularly updates the "state of his game." He is thoughtful and introspective about the process that he has been using for adult chess improvement.  If you want to be a guest on the show, reach out to drscull on Chess.com or tinygrimes on lichess.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices