Dark Squares

How Chess Saved My Life

De: Danny Rensch

Narrado por: Danny Rensch

Educated meets The Queen's Gambit in this extraordinary memoir by International Master and Chess.com co-founder Danny Rensch, who describes his upbringing in an abusive cult–and how chess ended up saving his life

Born into the Church of Immortal Consciousness, Danny Rensch spent his childhood navigating the isolated confines of a cult. Despite psychological manipulation, physical abuse, and neglect, he persevered. An international chess master and world-class commentator, Rensch’s remarkable journey led him to being the face of Chess.com, one of the largest online gaming platforms in the world.

With unflinching honesty, Rensch recounts his life, starting from the moment he discovered chess in the summer of 1995, all the way up to being at the center of the most explosive cheating scandal in chess history.

He chronicles the traumas of being “special” in a cult that forced separation from his mother. Mentored by an alcoholic, Russian chess master, he found solace alongside suffering in his obsession for an ancient game, and chess became his only escape. Rensch rose through the chess ranks until a medical emergency nearly took him out of the game forever. And it almost did, until Chess.com came along.

Deeply heartfelt, keenly reflective, and haunting, Dark Squares is the never-before-told story of Danny Rensch’s resilience, survival, and his enduring love for the game that saved him.

©2025 Danny Rensch (P)2025 PublicAffairs

Amazing book!

Danny’s story is amazing. It’s heartbreaking and encouraging. I couldn’t put it down. It is nothing short of incredible.

Stunning Memoir

I don’t know much about chess, so I went into this book blind but excited to read it. I couldn’t stop listening. Danny’s story of resilience in the face of so much personal neglect and abuse is inspiring. Despite having a heavier subject matter for the book, it is still infused with humorous personal stories, making the overall effect balanced and very engaging while deftly handling hard subjects. It’s a stellar book I’d recommend to anyone, whether you know anything about chess or not.

Heart breaking and overwhelmingly informative. Inspiring and thought provoking. Loved every minute.

Heart breaking and overwhelmingly informative. Inspiring and thought provoking. The interworking of a cult and the history of chess unfold.
Loved every minute

Amazing story, amazing narration

This is a great story of someone overcoming adversity, how dangerous a cult can be, how important family is, and a fascinating insight into a strange yet critical recent part of chess history. Danny also does a fantastic job with the narration, you can hear the heartbreak in his voice when he discusses some of the key moments in his life, making this an easy audiobook to recommend.

Great read

Wow! An amazing story—so easy to follow and engaging. Even though I didn’t grow up in a cult or play chess, I still found myself relating deeply to Danny’s journey. A fantastic listen and read!