Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement

Chart trend

Position in the Hobbies chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#63#125JunJulAugSep

#15

all-time peak

255

days in the top 50 since Aug 2025

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Ep. 291 Don (1350 USCF)

#22 trending · Hobbies

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Don. He’s been having fun with chess since his first experiences in the 1970’s. We talked about the challenges of finding playin

Sep 10
1 h 03 min

Ep. 290 CM Dr. Can (Chessable, Youtube, Podcaster)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with CM Dr. Can Kabadayi. Dr. Can does it all in chess. He applies his work as a cognitive scientist to his chess teaching. We discus

Sep 3
1 h 12 min

Ep. 289 Mike (2000 USCF)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Mike. Mike loves to play chess, compete, and travel. Retirement has allowed him to do all of these things in chess. He talked ab

Aug 27
1 h 08 min

Ep. 288 Q’wayne (1780 Lichess)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Q’wayne. He talked about resources that have helped me along his journey. We discussed the Jamaican chess scene and the goal of

Aug 20
39 min

Ep. 287 Bonus Episode: Pacific Coast Open Recap

This week, I'm recapping the Pacific Coast Open. It took place in early August 2026. It was one of my few great tournament successes. Hopefully, you enjoy the positivity

Aug 17
28 min

Ep. 286 Jess (1771 USCF)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Jess about her journey from 1500 to nearly 1800 in just this summer alone. We discussed her training, which includes mostly stud

Aug 13
55 min

Ep. 285 Summer of Chess with Jay Garrison (1900 USCF)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with friend of the show Jay Garrison about our chess summers. Jay’s was full of interesting activities like the Naroditsky Memorial T

Aug 6
1 h 08 min

Ep. 284 Bonus Episode: Happiness, Ratings, and Titles

In this bonus episode, I discuss ratings, their, role and how we deal with them. I suggested some proposals to adjust the current system. I also discussed titles, and my

Aug 3
29 min

Ep. 283 Joel Returns (1800 USCF)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Joel. He is a returning guest from episode 23 (4.5 years ago). We talked about where he was then, rated about 1600, and what he

Jul 30
1 h 15 min

Ep. 282 Mark (1796 USCF)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Mark. We talked about the challenge of balancing family and chess improvement. We discussed his concise training plan. Mark talk

Jul 23
54 min

Ep. 281 Diego (1700 USCF)

This week on Chess Journeys, I spoke with Diego. He had a quick rise from 1200-1700 in two years of OTB play. However, lately his career is making chess improvement and p

Jul 16
1 h 22 min

Ep. 280 Bonus Episode: Pacific Southwest Open Tournament Recap

This week on Chess Journeys, I recap my time at the Pacific Southwest Open. I went 2/5 against tough competition. Good times were had. Calculations errors happened. Attac

Jul 13
27 min

Ep. 279 Luca Returns (2000 USCF)

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

Jul 9
1 h 06 min

Ep. 278 Flashback: IM Tatev Abrahmamyan Ep. 41

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

Jul 6
25 min

Ep. 277 Kirsten (1400 Chesscom)

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,

Jul 2
54 min

Ep. 276 Bonus Episode: Senior Open 2026 Tournament Recap

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 tou

Jun 29
28 min

Ep. 275 Gene (1800 USCF)

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

Jun 25
1 h 03 min

Ep. 274 Bonus Episode: How I Learned to Stop Fearing the IQP

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 con

Jun 22
18 min

Ep. 273 IM Junta Ikeda

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

Jun 18
1 h 21 min

Ep. 272 Bonus Episode: Memorial Day 2026 Tournament Recap

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:

Jun 15
30 min

Chart positions

Where Chess Journeys: Tales of Adult Improvement ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 12, 2026).

#42 ▲ 13 Hobbies US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

I discovered this podcast only a week ago and have already listened to the first 25 episodes. I spend tons of time driving for work and I crave to learn about chess in that Los Angeles traffic. This fills the niche—more about how various people approach learning than about theory itself. I’m a relatively low rated adult so this is the perfect in-road to improvement. It motivates me to practice after work, and constantly gives me ideas about how to proceed. Kevin is the perfect host—funny, relatable and thoughtful all at once.

Jeb_C · Nov 2025

Love your podcast and hearing relatable stories of folks on their chess journey like me. I bought the chessnut pro using your code tonight. I play in a lot of the unrated clubs around LA and hope playing longer time controls on the chessnut will prepare me for OTB rated games some day.

Jason1256 · Apr 2025

This is a brilliant podcast which makes the world of amateur chess - the realm that most chess players inhabit - fully to life. At the urging of my grandson, I took up online chess in the wake of the pandemic and it has become my passion, displacing golf. Disclosure: I am not an “adult improver”, as I turned 80 last month. I suppose you might call me an “elderly improver”. I had to chuckle when the host complained of slowing calculation speed after age 47. Believe me, it slows to a crawl if you live into your 80’s. The beauty of chess is that it doesn’t matter, there are always opportunities to explore the depths of this wonderful game.

easyjay39402 · Aug 2024

This show is underrated simply bc if nothing else just from listening you learn so much about the chess world including different books, strategies, and ways to learn and what the community is like and how it feels to go to a tournament. If feels good to hear the stories of how people may have gotten discouraged or persevered through a tough time in their journey. It creates a shared connection for all of us and allows us to grow and learn together plus you learn a lot about the different philosophies and theories in chess that people develop and it can help you develop your own theory for your own practice.

Jameslkiop · Feb 2024

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.