Danny is a major figure in the chess world: a child prodigy and multiple national champion who lost it all when his eardrums exploded at twenty years old after years of medical neglect. He is now the face of Chess.com and as such ''one of the most recognisable figures in the online gaming and esports industry''. But in this book Danny is going to reveal his deepest, darkest secret in public for the first time: he was raised in a cult. What does it mean to reckon with a gift that remains inextricably linked with a horrible experience that almost destroyed your life? Danny has never shared before that he grew up in the Church of Immortal Consciousness (aka the Collective). The Collective was emotionally, physically, sexually, and psychologically abusive towards its members, no matter their age, operating with false hierarchies, assigning its members all a spot on the totem pole, most of them near the bottom. But Danny had something special: Steven Kamp, the leader of the Collective, was obsessed with chess. And Danny was a child prodigy. Danny began excelling at chess, winning tournaments, traveling the world, and making a name for himself. As Danny''s star rose, the cult leaders began to rip Danny away from his mother, telling him that she wasn''t as worthy a person as he was. And then, just as Danny was reaching new heights, his eardrums exploded, grounding his international chess career. Now basically bedridden, he''d lost everything. How does a game like chess change the way you think about life, and how does that contribute to your ability to survive? Dark Squares is an extraordinary memoir of a unique life and talent that will forever change how you think about the power of games.

Autorentext
Danny Rensch is an international chess master, world-renowned chess broadcaster and commentator, and Chief Chess Officer for Chess.com. Rensch was a seven-time all-American chess player and a national scholastic chess champion on multiple occasions. He became the youngest chess master in Arizona history and today lives in Utah with his wife and four children.

Klappentext

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 centre 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.

Zusammenfassung
A memoir of being raised in a cult, from former chess prodigy and current chief chess officer at Chess.com.