x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement

Dr. Kevin Scull

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.

leisure hobbies

All Episodes

01:04:56

Ep. 101 Elaynah (1600 Chesscom Rapid)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/06/29

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Elaynah. She’s a new but dedicated chess improver. She’s made rapid progress from about 400 - 1600 Chesscom rapid in around a year. She spoke about her journey including focusing on not blundering, endgames, tactics, and master games. We explored with detail her first tournament, the National Open in Las Vegas where she crushed the beginner sections. Elaynah also streams chess 5 days a week. Be sure to check her stream out at:

en-us

01:12:26

Ep. 100 Dr Scull (1675 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/06/22

This week on Chess Journeys, the focus is on my year in chess and a recap of the National Open. Guest of the show Jay Garrison joined me and shared his wisdom on many of the subjects. We focused on tournament prep, tournament performance, who I met at the tournament, ratings dips, what I worked on this year, my goals for next year, and handling setbacks. Hopefully, you enjoy the show! Use this link to purchase Next Level Training:

en-us

01:01:12

Ep. 99 Hannah (1300 Chesscom)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/06/15

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Hannah. She started chess with the Queen’s Gambit in 2021. Since then she’s been able to raise her rating at least 500 points, mainly by playing a lot of chess. Hannah found a club early in her journey and has been able to play mostly unrated OTB games. This inspired her to study tactics and some endgames. Also, look out for her story about phone smashing! Use this link to purchase Next Level Training:

en-us

01:06:38

Ep. 98 (Paul 2245 FIDE)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/06/08

This week, I spoke with Paul. He has a fascinating chess journey. In his 20’s, Paul achieved master and was knocking on the door of the FM title. Thirty years later and some health setbacks, Paul is trying to recapture his previous strength and perhaps even build upon it. We talked about a wide variety of topics such as his training methods, the challenge of living up to one’s rating, the psychology of going to a chess tournament again, and of course his victory over GM Bisguier. It was a

en-us

01:03:33

Ep. 97 (Brad 1700 Chesscom Rapid)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/06/01

This week, I spoke with Brad. We have similar lives, but he has had a much sharper ratings gain. We talked about his focus on playing over studying. Although he has enjoyed Gotham Chess videos and courses, as well as Naroditsky’s speed runs. Brad also recommended a few books such as Amateur to IM. We talked quite a bit about Brad’s first OTB tournament and his experiences with coaching. Use this link to purchase Next Level Training:

en-us

01:09:14

Ep. 96 Nick (1715 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/05/25

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Nick. He’s a founding Chesspunk member and Chessable beast. He’s gained about 175 points in the last year. We focused on what he’s changed including studying master games, switching to the Ruy Lopez, doing less opening work, joining the SayChess accountability training group, and taking breaks. It was an enlightening conversation from someone who was able to do what we all desire, gain those precious ratings points! Use this link to purchase Next Level

en-us

01:20:18

Ep. 95 GM Noel Studer

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/05/18

This week, I had the honor of interviewing the first GM to appear on Chess Journeys, Noel Studer. We started out by discussing his path to GM. Then we talked extensively about adult improvement. We discussed topics such as the importance of tactics, how to do tactical training, the Steps program, age, and his course Next Level Training. For listeners of the show there is a special one week discount of 20% off for anyone interested in purchasing the course. Use this link to purchase Next Level

en-us

00:46:10

Ep. 94 NM Philemon

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/05/11

This week on Chess Journeys, I had the honor of talking to Philemon. He is the rare person that climbs from new player to master as an adult. Phil shared the secrets to his success: love the process, immersion (putting in the time), and well timed breaks. Phil provided several resources that he used to improve such as The Art of the Attack, My System, Silman, and Tal’s Life and Games. Philemon is certainly an inspiration to adult improvers everywhere, and I hope you enjoy the episode! Be sure to

en-us

01:12:58

Ep. 93 Dan (1850 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/05/04

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Dan. We focused on his comeback to chess in 2021. In about a year he gained almost 300 rating points! Better yet, his approach to improvement was fairly simple. Dan focuses mainly on analyzing his games, categorizing blunders, eliminating blunders, controlling time issues, and turning knowledge into skill. I hope you will find this episode as exciting as I have! Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can support the show and look amazing

en-us

01:11:29

Ep. 92 NM Matt (Chessgoals)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/04/27

This week on Chess Journeys, I had the pleasure of talking to Matt. We spoke briefly about his journey as a child and adult. Most of the interview was spent discussing his thoughts on adult improvement. His conclusions are motivated by data analysis. His most shocking assertion is that adult improvers should spend less time studying and more time playing! We also went over the advanced program from his improvement website Chessgoals. It was an insightful interview that has certainly made me rethink

en-us

01:11:18

Ep. 91 Solveig (1260 FIDE)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/04/20

This week on Chess Journeys, I had the pleasure of connecting with Solveig. She started chess just over a year ago, but has dove in head first. We talked about her first months in chess, tournaments, video recommendations, and the value of coaching. Solveig discussed her nervousness around going to tournaments and the intense emotions they cause. Be sure to check out Solveig’s Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@RookieRedhead Twitter Contact - https://twitter.com/RookieRedhead Solveigh’s

en-us

01:11:42

Ep. 90 Graeme (1270 fide)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/04/13

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Graeme. He recently relocated to Brazil, and we discussed using chess as a key to fitting into a new community. Graeme also talked about his journey in chess as a Queen’s Gambit joiner. We discussed coaching, OTB tournaments, nearly quitting chess, goals, and book recommendations. Graeme recommended Silman’s Complete Endgame Course and 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players. Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can support the show and

en-us

01:13:21

Ep. 89 Iris (1500 Chesscom Rapid)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/04/06

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Iris. Iris picked up chess during the pandemic, and has fallen in love with the game. We spoke extensively about her first over the board tournament experiences, the value of coaching, and how she jumped from 1000 to 1500 in a short amount of time. Since Iris is a librarian, I made sure to get some book recommendations and she chose How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and the Steps program. Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can support the

en-us

01:24:41

Ep. 88 IM Kostya Kavutskiy

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/03/30

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with IM Kostya Kavutskiy. We focused on three main topics: his chess improvement journey, endgame studies, and the Chess Dojo. It was refreshing to hear Kostya’s journey sounds so similar to other adult improvers that I’ve talked to. Wrestling with time and many holes to fill is such a challenge even for an IM. We talked a lot about the value of Endgame Studies and the contribution of his work Chess Studies 101. Be sure to check out Kostya’s amazing Chessable

en-us

00:58:01

Ep. 87 Sholom (USCF 1060, Rapid 1300)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/03/23

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Sholom. He’s a dedicated OTB chess player. We talked a lot about the joys of OTB chess. We also focused on how to keep one when your rating is improving much. Sholom shared some book recommendations such as SayChess’s Ratings Ladder books and the Polgar Mates book. We spent extra time talking about the ALTO events run by the Charlotte Chess Center. It’s an event I’m looking to attend as soon as possible. Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store

en-us

01:15:14

Ep. 86 Cody (USCF 1830, Peak 2000)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/03/16

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Cody. We played together 20 years ago during my first run. I always knew him as a tactical player then and he still is today. When I knew Cody he was around 1700, but he was able to peak at over 2000! He provided a lot of tips about books, rating gain, and rating loss. Until his last tournament, he had lost 150 points in 6 months. He shared his response to the situation. We also discussed our performance and takeaways from the Western Class Championships. Be

en-us

01:01:25

Ep. 85 Kristan (2000 Lichess)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/03/02

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Kristan about her journey and rapid chess development. She started as an adult at the bottom of the online chess ladder. In 2 years, she was able to jump to 2000 Lichess! Kristan talked about her process which involves experimentation, opening work, tactics, and playing. We also talked about her experiences with OTB play. Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can support the show and look amazing in the process.

en-us

01:17:33

Ep. 84 Nick (1900 Lichess)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/02/23

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Nick. We talked about his rapid climb with the Steps method. But then also his lengthy plateau. We discussed topics such as focusing on basic tactics for success, finding one’s best learning method, and the value of coaching. Nick specifically recommended Step 2 Thinking Ahead as an important resource for working on visualization. He also recommended Hellsten’s pawn structure videos on Chesscom. Be sure to check out the Chess Journeys Merch Store! You can

en-us

00:59:50

Ep. 83 Peter (1500 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/02/17

This week on Chess Journeys, I am joined by Peter. He’s an adult improver that picked up the game as a child and played in high school but put it aside for 20 years. After coming back to the game, he had a quick rise to 1300, and then a slower rise to 1500. However, since then, he has been stuck in a plateau, or possibly, a pit of despair. We talked a lot about his struggles with losing, learning to appreciate the game, the benefits of coaching, and what has worked for me. It was a fascinating dive

en-us

01:02:36

Ep 82 Aiden (1500)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2023/02/09

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Aiden. He’s an adult improver who has been able to create a business geared towards chess improvement. We talked about his journey as a chess player. Aiden talked about his initial struggles and then his rapid acceleration after focusing on visualization. The interview got quite personal as I discussed my own brain and aphantasia. I really appreciate Aiden’s approach of leaning into how your brain works to help your improvement. I think you will find it to

en-us

261 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

詭哭郎嚎

郎祖筠 & FMTaiwan製作團隊

Ron en Erik Podcast

Ron en Erik

Poor Man"s Pinball Podcast

Poor Men Ian and Drew

WeAreChange on Odysee

WeAreChange