Dark Squares
A cult leader, a child prodigy and the chess revolution
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Dark Squares
Narrated by:
Danny Rensch
Buy Now for $26.99
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Narrated by:
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Danny Rensch
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By:
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Danny Rensch
About this listen
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 investigation into 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 with chess - an ancient game which became his only escape.
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 Daniel Michael Rensch (P)2025 Headline Publishing Group Limited
Critic Reviews
A fantastic read! Danny Rensch's story is inspiring, fascinating, and at times heartbreaking. His wild ride from a difficult and traumatic childhood to becoming one of the most influential people in the history of chess will keep you turning pages way past bedtime. Compelling and unique, a deep dive into the chess world through the eyes of someone who is at the center of it all! (Ben Mezrich, NY Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires, Bringing Down The House, and Dumb Money)
Great men overcome great obstacles - and I haven't been this inspired by an underdog story in a long time. Taken from his mother, raised in a cult, Danny rose to the very pinnacle of the chess world - and then the business world. A must read. (Bobby Hall (aka Logic), #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Supermarket)
Dark Squares is a powerful memoir and a testimony to why an ancient boardgame still has a place in our modern world. With a home life as troubled as the one Danny Rensch experienced, the complexities of the chessboard were more than a mere distraction. Chess is not life-even a world champion can admit that. But, as in Rensch's case, it can certainly save one. With his work at Chess.com and with this beautiful book, he is well on the way to paying back his debt to our beloved game. (Garry Kasparov, 13th World Chess Champion)
Dark Squares is a heart-breaking, hilarious, ultimately transcendent story of one man's journey out of chaos and dysfunction. Danny Rensch's vehicle for escape was not anger or hate, but rather finding what he loved - chess - and turning it into his superpower. Thank you, Danny Rensch, for making my Christmas shopping easier. (Jeannette Walls, author of the two million copy bestseller The Glass Castle)
The author writes of victories in his personal life, too, overcoming marital problems and escaping the influence of the cult. A chess professional's winning memoir. (Kirkus Reviews)
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