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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.

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All Episodes

01:07:47

Ep. 41 Tatev Abrahamyan (WGM)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/04/21

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with WGM Tatev Abrahamyan. The bulk of our conversation focused on chess psychology. We talked about the challenges of feeling confident with only limited time for improvement. Tatev also talked extensively about the role of coaches in her own life and suggestions for others as they choose a coach. We also talked about her newest project the Bryght Labs chessboard. You can find more information here: https://bryghtlabs.com/products/chessup-pre-order-slate As

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01:14:49

Ep. 40 Rene (1700)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/04/14

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Rene. She’s a music conductor who fills her time with chess study and play. We talked about a wide variety of topics such as time control, structuring (or not structuring one’s times), and her love of end games. We spent the most time talking about her relationship with her coach IM Igor Foygel. Rene has worked with Igor for 3 years, and he has made a large impact on her journey. As always you can support the show at

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01:02:07

Ep. 39 Jesse (1250 Rapid Lichess)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/04/07

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jessie. He’s a tech worker in San Francisco trying to balance work and chess. He had a great conversation primarily focus on the issue of burnout and the psychological aspects of chess. Jessie has already burned out twice and gives advice for avoiding future burnout. We also talked about the value of coaches and OTB chess vs. online chess. As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable

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01:21:21

Ep. 38 Omar Returns! (900)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/03/31

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Omar, otherwise known as Chess Von Doom. That’s right Omar is back. If you missed him the first time around, be sure to check out episode 10 to hear about the beginning of his journey. For today’s conversation, we picked up with his recently completed second tournament. Omar reflected on his mindset and the ups and downs of tournaments. We also discussed his decision to dive into Andras Toth’s new Chessable course: The Beginner’s 1. E4 Repertoire and the

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01:03:42

Ep. 37 Michael (1600 Rapid)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/03/24

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Michael. He’s a father of 4 (2 young children) that returned to chess a year ago. We talked about his study habits, resources, and tournament experiences. We discussed complimenting our chess study by squeezing out smaller moments during the day for shorter types of chess learning like tactics training. Michael is currently going through the Yusopov series and loving it, as well as Silman’s Complete Endgame course. We wrapped up the show by talking about the

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00:56:56

Ep. 36 Amy (1000)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/03/17

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Amy. She’s a professor, musician, and avid chess player. We talked about a variety of topics such as her introduction to chess via a scholar’s mate delivered by her husband. We discussed her daily/weekly chess routine, and how she juggles a full life and chess. Amy talked about her chess improvement techniques, which includes no chess books! As always you can support the show at https://www.patreon.com/ChessJourneys. Also, be sure to check out my Chessable

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01:09:55

Ep. 35 Noah (1900 CFC)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/03/10

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Noah. He’s a 23 year old full time student/worker, who carves out time for adult improvement. Noah has had one of those journeys we all aspire to, breaking 1800 after a year of serious chess and not stopping there. We talked about the different phases of his journey and the changes that he made when hitting plateaus. Noah recommended Daniel Naroditsky videos, Silman’s Reassess Your Chess, and other valuable resources. We also talked about the value of

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01:05:45

Ep. 34 Megan (1900)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/03/03

This week on Chess Journeys I spoke with Megan. She’s a data engineer and member of the Chesspunk community, those dedicated to adult improvement. We talked about her journey in chess starting in 2015 with a rating around 700 and peaking at over 1900 a few years later. Megan shared with us her approach to chess improvement with a focus on tactics and annotating her games. Megan also talked about the value of having two coaches, and how much they’ve added to her game. We also discussed her frequent

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01:02:47

Ep. 33 Simon (1900 FIDE)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/02/24

This week on Chess Journeys I spoke with Simon. He’s an academic with two children, who is trying to find time to improve at chess. We talked about the struggles of wanting to read books but not having the time or energy to do so. Simon talked a lot about his process of watching videos that helped him understand the thinking process of great players. We discussed intuition vs. calculation and the important role that intuition plays. Simon plays one classical game a week, watches a lot of videos, and

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01:15:47

Ep. 32 Muskee Books (2000 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/02/17

This week on Chess Journeys I spoke with Muskee Books. We spoke about his 13 years playing competitive chess. Muskee has endured the ups and downs, and the joys and heartache of chess. Muskee reached a high of 2100 before falling back under 2000. However, recently he won a tournament. We talked about persevering through long plateaus and even rating dips. Muskee talked about his process, which included going over many game collections. As always you can support the show at

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01:15:35

Ep. 31 Stacia Pugh (USCF 1700)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/02/10

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Stacia Pugh. It was an inspiring and fascinating conversation with the most obedient student that I’ve ever met. We discussed her massive ratings gain from 1000 - 1791. But we spent more time on her slide back to 1500, as Stacia rebuilt her game from the ground up. We discussed why she did it, how bad it felt, and how she persevered despite the setback. She is truly a Phoenix who is currently rising out of the flames of that disaster with a goal towards

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00:49:01

Ep. 30 Szefru - Fruzsina (WFM)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/02/03

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Fruzsina. She’s a WFM with WIM and WGM norms, who streams and teaches chess. We discussed Fruzsi’s chess story including her childhood success, her success as a streamer, and her current decision regarding chasing norms. Fruzsina gave some tips regarding how to best use coaches, how chess helps kids, and some specific book recommendations. We also talked about the difference between learning as a child and an adult. As always you can support the show at

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01:25:56

Ep. 29 Chris Wainscott (1700 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/01/27

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Chris Wainscott. He’s 48, an adult improver, co-founder of the Chesspunks Twitter community, tournament director, and prolific writer. We discussed his goal of reaching 2200 and the process he is taking to achieve it. Perhaps most interesting is his up and down rating, which peaked at nearly 1900 before landing today at just over 1700. Chris is an avid Chessable user, and we discussed his streak of 600 days. We also talked about the many resources that Chris

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01:19:33

Ep. 28 Dr. Skull (1650 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/01/20

This week on Chess Journeys, guest host Neal Bruce interviews me, Dr. Skull. I reflect on my chess origin story and returning to the game a year ago with high expectations. This is a challenging episode for me, as I process the disconnect between spending 500 hours on chess this year and making no ratings gains. Neal does a great job as my therapist, and I hope our conversation is helpful to others struggling with plateaus. We also discussed the resources that I used this year including books,

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01:05:10

Ep. 27 Andrew (2300 Chess.com Blitz)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/01/13

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Andrew. He’s 24, has a career, and is obsessed with chess. Andrew’s had tremendous growth over the last 2 years. He started by getting whomped by his 800 roommate, but now has a current peak of 2300. Impressive stuff indeed! We talked about a wide range of topics such as videos, books, and his love of chess. My biggest takeaway from the interview is that Andrew hasn’t used plans to guide his progress. Instead, Andrew does what he enjoys. Sometimes that means

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01:14:43

Ep. 26 Tim (2100 chess.com, 1800 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2022/01/06

This week on Chess Journeys I am joined by Tim. In many ways this is a selfish podcast, as I specifically invited Tim to talk about his method of breaking out of a plateau at 1600. Tim and I talked a lot about his journey and the plateaus that he has faced. Tim defends his hot take that reading chess books isn’t necessary until 1600! Tim spends a lot of time working with Chessable for openings and did a thorough Woodpecker Method, which he attributes to a big ratings jump. We discussed other topics

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01:23:01

Ep. 25 Coach David Mencik (1850 FIDE)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2021/12/30

This week on Chess Journeys, I am joined by David Mencik. He’s a busy academic, coach, and adult improver. David and I discussed his approach to developing as a player and helping other adult improvers as a coach. David shared his origin story, his study plans, his favorite resources, and his coaching style. Most enlightening were his 3 takeaways for how students can get the most from their coaching. David also outlined his method for endgame improvement, which involves, Averbakh’s Essential Endgame

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01:15:38

Ep. 24 Kevin Perera (1368 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2021/12/23

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Kevin. He has a busy life and career, but he’s a dedicated adult improver. We had a wide ranging conversation focusing on coaching, resources, and heroes. Kevin is bringing an interesting approach to his improvement, identifying heroes that match his style. Kevin plays through their games and tries to meld together information from Pachman, My System, and Krammik. It’s a fascinating approach that has me thinking who are my “chess heroes?” Kevin also

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01:20:03

Ep. 23 Joel (1670 USCF)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2021/12/16

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Joel. He’s a dedicated adult improver and father of four, so time is limited and precious. We talked about a wide variety of topics such as the importance of actually playing chess, even if it is just blitz. Joel shared his favorite resources, his study methods, and his reasons for employing a coach. Joel has spent a lot of time on tactics, reaching a 3000 chess dot com puzzle rating! Joel also uses Chessable extensively. His streak is at 1489! Be sure to

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01:08:19

Ep. 22 Zach (1700 Chess.com Rapid)

Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ·

2021/12/09

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Zach, a former Magic the Gathering player who has returned to his first love chess! We talk about his origin story and his time as first board for his high school team. Zach outlines his process for improvement, which features 6 week focused studies. Zach recommends a lot of books and Chessable courses including Yusupov’s orange books, Kostya’s Endgame Studies course, and a number of tactics courses. We also talked about the psychology of “official”

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261 results

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