Perpetual Chess Podcast EP 472- Author Katie Kormanik on How Chess Helped Shape Her Life, and Why She Left it Behind
Feb 17, 2026
Katie Kormanik, author and former competitive chess player who wrote Adventures of a Chess Girl, reflects on how chess shaped her identity and served as refuge during her formative years. She recounts tournament life, friendships with top players, and the coming-of-age arc of her memoir. She also talks about self-publishing the book and reactions to the Queen of Chess documentary.
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Chess As A Lifeline In Early Adulthood
- Chess became an emotional refuge during Katie Kormanik's early adulthood when she was broke and uncertain after college.
- She describes living on $400, eating rice and an apple, and using chess as an anchor while deciding on grad school.
Journal Stack Rebuilt The Memoir's Detail
- Katie kept a daily journal since age seven and used it to reconstruct scenes and dialogue for her memoir.
- She had long Word documents with dated entries (one 600-page file from 2014) that preserved texts and conversations she later quoted.
Write Chess For Outsiders To Show The Feel
- Katie aimed the book primarily at non-chess players to explain tournament life and the game's immersive emotional experience.
- She wanted readers to feel what six-hour games and low-time pressure feel like, not just read opening theory.
