What role does chess play in our lives? That’s a recurring question on Perpetual Chess, and one that author Katie Kormanik explores in her new, personal memoir, Adventures of a Chess Girl. A former top scholastic player, Katie looks back at the competitive years of her early 20s and reflects on how chess became a refuge during a stressful and uncertain time. The game allowed her to travel widely and immerse herself in an eclectic social circle of strong players from around the world. Although Katie ultimately stepped away from competition, she still loves chess, and now fondly revisits those formative memories. We also discuss her experience self-publishing the book, as well as our thoughts on the new Queen of Chess documentary on Netflix.
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00:00 Introduction and Background
00:49 Exploring the Memoir: Adventures of a Chess Girl
Mentioned: All the Wrong Moves by Sasha Chapin
03:28 Chess as a Refuge and a place to build identity
08:14 The Role of Peer Influence in Chess
12:00- Does Katie have a love-hate relationship with chess?
16:09 Romantic Relationships and Chess Improvement
19:00- Gender dynamics in the chess world
22:05 Advice for Young Women in Chess
23:15 Introducing Chess to Children
25:59 The Journey of Self-Publishing a Book
You can find Katie’s self-publishing checklist within this article:
https://booksbywomen.org/the-case-for-self-publishing-and-why-its-easier-now-than-ever-before/
34:13 Reflections on Life Lessons and Risks
39:47 Our thoughts on the new Netflix Queen of Chess documentary
43:32 Parenting Styles and Nurturing Passions
45:00- Thanks so much to Katie for joining me! You can find out more about her and her book at:
https://www.chessgirlbook.com/
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