Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Luca. He is returning to the podcast after a successful year of improvement. Since we last spike, he has gained over 100 points and crossed 2000! We discussed the value of identifying your errors in games and correcting them. We talked about the importance of regular calculation work. We discussed his working with coaches. Luca had a lot to say about adult...

I talked to Tatev Abrahmamyan back in April of 2022 episode 41. This conversation was fascinating as she was trying to juggle the realities of having a full time job and trying to be a chess professional. She expressed many doubts about she recent progress and trying to find time for chess improvement. In August of 2025, Tatev broke through with an amazing tournament scoring a GM norm and crossing...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Kirsten. We spoke about her love of chess and trying to find the time for improvement. Kirsten went from 400-1400 in two years, but recently has hit a plateau. She provided several resources suggestions including books and videos. We discussed finding OTB opportunities, and we spoke a bit about the LA and Santa Monica chess scene. Kirsten discussed teachin...

This week on Chess Journeys, I provide a tournament recap of my recent 2026 Senior Open in Chicago, Illinois. It was my best event in a while. This is a rare positive tournament recap. Chessbook: chessbook.com/?ref=kevin Chessiverse Code: DrSCULL20 Check out my new Substack: https://substack.com/@drscull My Chessable Course! https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowled...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Gene. He has recently returned to chess yet again after a hiatus. We talked about what he is doing differently this time around such as goals, openings, coaching, and thought process. He gave several book recommendations such as the Amateur’s Mind and Kasparov’s Successors. Gene talked about the importance of tactics and his recent use of CT-Art. We spent...

In this week's bonus episode I discuss the dreaded IQP. I talk about my fear of it and the problems it caused me. I discuss the process I took to overcome my fears. I conclude with what I now know about the IQP. Hopefully this episode will help you address any of your chess fears. Chessbook: chessbook.com/?ref=kevin Chessiverse Code: DrSCULL20 Check out my new Substack: https://substack.com/@drscu...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with IM Junta Ikeda. We had a conversation about his own chess journey and adult improvement. This episode is full of specific advice for improving your game. Junta offered several book recommendations. He talked about connecting your improvement to your own games. We also discussed some of his amazing Substack posts. This is a great interview full of advice fr...

This week I made a recap of my recent Memorial Day tournament. There are highs and lows and everything in between. Chessbook: chessbook.com/?ref=kevin Chessiverse Code: DrSCULL20 Check out my new Substack: https://substack.com/@drscull My Chessable Course! https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/ Chessnut Link/Code: Code - KEVINSCULL htt...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Landyn. He’s recently gained 300 points in a few months by playing a lot of tournaments and studying. We talked about the woodpecker method and checkmates pattern for improvement. We also discussed his attempts to reignite the eastern Kentucky tournament scene. Landyn laid out the path to becoming a tournament director and getting events going. We also tal...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Chuck. He wears a lot of hats in the chess world. He runs the San Diego Chess Club, organizes many big events, and plays in over 200 rated games per year! We covered many topics such as his chess journey and books he likes. Chuck talked about the challenges and joys of organizing large events. We discussed the kid takeover of chess and some possible option...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Misha. He plays with me on Tuesday nights at the Santa Monica Bay Chess Club. We covered his improvement journey from 1000 to 1900. We covered many topics such as emotions in chess, the story of the game, and structured study. Misha provided book and tool recommendations. We talked about the value of ratings. We ended by discussing his expanded role at the...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with GM Noel Studer. As always, Noel came ready to share the good stuff. We talked about his newest project, real chess training. It’s a weekly set of calculation exercises. Noel gave extensive, actionable improvement advice. He focused on doing the critical stuff, calculation, tactics, and playing. It’s always such a great reminder for me to get feedback on my...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Carl. We covered a lot of ground such as taking breaks, the value of tactics, OTB play, and ratings. We had an extended conversation about Chessbook, and how Carl uses it and Chessable. Carl did a deep dive into rating improvement for adults, which we discussed. Spoiler, it’s not as dire as you might think. Overall, this was a wide ranging positive look at...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Bill. We talked about his climb from 1000-2000 on Chesscom. We discussed his tendency to go too deep and then take breaks from chess. Bill spoke passionately about coaching children, and the success of his chess team. It was a fun chat about enjoying chess improvement despite many demands on Bill’s time. Chessiverse Code: DrSCULL20 Check out my new Substac...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Martin. He played OTB chess as a child and young adult. Then as life got busy, he moved to correspondence chess, where he achieved the IM title. He came back to OTB chess in 2016. He’s also a programmer and his current project is Chesspuzzle.net. The site focuses on chess improvement and training through tactics, calculation, evaluation, and endgames. Be s...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Steve. He’s trying to juggle a demanding career with chess improvement. We talked about his improvement journey, tournament success, and move to correspondence chess. Steve shared how correspondence chess works and helps his in live chess. He gave a lot of useful suggestions for how he improved, recent success, and the role correspondence chess can have in...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Sangeeta. She was the Washington State Champion as a girl, returned to chess as an adult, and has begun directing scholastic tournaments. We talked about the pain of losing and her improvement journey. Sangeeta talked about reaching her goal of 2000. We discussed her time as a kid, kids today, and how she handles them at tournaments.  Chessiverse Code: DrS...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Ev. He’s gained over 700 points in the last few years. We talked about book recommendations, Youtube channels, and coaching. Ev extolled the benefits of taking breaks from tournament chess, despite his love for it. Some of Ev’s favorite books are Simple Chess and Learn Chess Tactics. We discussed our experiences with the Woodpecker Method. This was a fun c...

This week on Chess Journeys, I bring you the recap of my recent trip to Virginia to play in the DMV Adult Only tournament. I had a great time and met a bunch of wonderful people. Let’s support adult tournament, they are a great time! Chessiverse Code: DrSCULL20 Check out my new Substack: https://substack.com/@drscull My Chessable Course! https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-tu...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Glenn. He’s done it all in chess as a player, parent, coach, and tournament director. We spent a lot of time talking about tournament directing and his stories. We also discussed his improvement journey and his strategies for maintaining his rating in a world of rating deflation. We ended the interview with a great conversation about being a chess parent. ...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Ono. Since I last spoke with him on episode 12, he’s become a chess professional. We spoke about what he’s learned from chess coaching, and he provided many useful resources for learning. We talked about adults and the challenges they face learning chess. One extolled the virtues of focusing on openings to better understand middle games. It was a great cha...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with GM Mauricio Flores. We had a great conversation about his journey and adult improvement. We discussed the difference between prodigies and adults, useful resources, and many tips for improvement. GM Flores talked about his new tool ChessmindAI. Of course, we covered his amazing book Chess Structures, which most of you already own. We discussed his claim th...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Lloyd. He runs the Balanced Rook Chess Club in Colorado Springs. We talked extensively about developing a healthier interaction with chess that goes beyond ratings. The Balanced Rook is a social chess club that sees players many ages and ratings having fun in a less anxious environment. We discussed his success as a child playing chess, his retirement, and...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Owen, otherwise known as Blunder Man on Youtube. He’s made remarkable improvement both online and OTB in the last few years. We talked about books he’s used and the importance of openings. We discussed the adjustment to OTB play. Blunder Man talked about his strategies for content creation.  Be sure to check out his Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com...

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Ian. We discussed his journey from new player to 1700. Ian provided a number of useful resources including books and videos. Ian is an advocate of the Woodpecker method, attributing his big gains to it. We also discussed a range of topics such as tournament snacks, goals, and the value of specific checklists.  Chessiverse Code: DrSCULL20 Check out my new S...