EP 471- Dr. Kevin Scull on Adult-Only Tournaments, Plateaus and Progress

Is it possible to continue to get better at chess once you hit your 50s? The Adult Improver Series returns, and that’s one of the central questions I explore with today’s guest, long-time friend of the pod and fellow chess podcaster Dr. Kevin Scull.

Kevin is the host of the popular Chess Journeys podcast, where he interviews adult chess improvers on a weekly basis. In our conversation, he shares insights drawn from hundreds of interviews, as well as from his own dedicated pursuit of tournament chess.

We discuss:

How Kevin managed to reach a new all-time rating high of over 1800 USCF in his early 50s

The social and competitive benefits of adult-only tournaments

Whether struggling to remember your games afterward means you’re hopeless at chess

As you’d expect, Kevin also shares a wealth of chess resource recommendations and practical improvement tips, and reflects on nearly five years of producing Chess Journeys.

Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series Website:

https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/adultimprover

Perpetual Chess Adult Improver Series Spotify Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/75Uoqz2BoRt2IiTCeOfuky?si=ab7ba68225fb43dc

0:00- Thanks to Chessable, check out Kevin’s course here:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/

0:01- Kevin joins the pod. How did he achieve a new rating high of 1800+ USCF in his early 50s?

0:08- Why Kevin particularly enjoys adult and senior-only tournaments

18:00- Kevin’s recent chess improvement realizations

Mentioned: Karpov’s Strategic Wins by IM Tibor Karolyi

23:00- The benefits of having a coach

Mentioned: NM Gopal Menon

https://lichess.org/streamer/vitamixbrand

28:00- More chess improvement secrets!

Mentioned: 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know

The Carlsbad Pawn Structure Revisited

Chess Structures

32:00- Is Kevin hopeless at chess because he can’t remember his games?

Post-

Am I bad at chess or our brains really that different?

https://drscull.substack.com/p/am-i-bad-at-chess-or-are-brains-really

Playing a Chess Tournament without Calculating

https://substack.com/@drscull/p-185151203

43:00- What is new with the Chess Journeys Podcast and Kevin’s Streaming?

Check at Chess Inception at Chesspuzzle.net

https://chesspuzzle.net/Inception

47:00- Patterns that Kevin sees in successful improvers

50:00- What has Kevin learned from watching his daughter pursue chess?

53:00- Kevin’s review of IM Danny Rensch’s Dark Squares

54:00- How to recalibrate expectations as you get older

56:00- The value of studying random positions

Thanks to Kevin for joining me!

Blog/substack here:

https://substack.com/@drscull/posts

Chess Journeys Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1kNbZLQE6JvbAyfOlv7ZNY?si=4b82e81608c24743&nd=1&dlsi=1afd66a98e904dc7

Chessable course:

https://www.chessable.com/chess-journeys-tactics-workbook-turning-knowledge-into-skill/course/268850/

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