Dark Squares: A cult leader, a child prodigy and the chess revolution
‘A powerful memoir’
Garry Kasparov
‘Heart-breaking, hilarious, ultimately transcendent’
Jeannette Wall
‘Compelling and unique’
Ben Mezrich
‘I haven’t been this inspired by an underdog story in a long time’
Bobby Hall (aka Logic)
Danny Rensch was born into the isolated world of a cult. As a child, he was separated from his mother, never sent to formal school and forced to live with the cult leader. But amid the psychological manipulation and physical abuse, Danny discovered he was also a chess prodigy.
An absolute underdog, this villiage kid became one of the highest-ranking underage players in the country. Eventually, however, the neglect at home caught up with Danny when a major injury left him bed bound for months. His burgeoning career as one of the game’s most exciting talents was over. Once more at the mercy of the cult, the future looked bleak. Then, Danny discovered Chess.com and everything changed.
Now, Danny is an International Chess Master and the face of one of the largest online gaming platforms in the world. Both Chess.com and Danny have played a crucial role in bringing this ancient game into the modern world. That’s until, in 2023, Danny is called upon to adjudicate the most explosive cheating scandal in chess history, and both he and the game he loves are threatened all over again.
Garry Kasparov
‘Heart-breaking, hilarious, ultimately transcendent’
Jeannette Wall
‘Compelling and unique’
Ben Mezrich
‘I haven’t been this inspired by an underdog story in a long time’
Bobby Hall (aka Logic)
Danny Rensch was born into the isolated world of a cult. As a child, he was separated from his mother, never sent to formal school and forced to live with the cult leader. But amid the psychological manipulation and physical abuse, Danny discovered he was also a chess prodigy.
An absolute underdog, this villiage kid became one of the highest-ranking underage players in the country. Eventually, however, the neglect at home caught up with Danny when a major injury left him bed bound for months. His burgeoning career as one of the game’s most exciting talents was over. Once more at the mercy of the cult, the future looked bleak. Then, Danny discovered Chess.com and everything changed.
Now, Danny is an International Chess Master and the face of one of the largest online gaming platforms in the world. Both Chess.com and Danny have played a crucial role in bringing this ancient game into the modern world. That’s until, in 2023, Danny is called upon to adjudicate the most explosive cheating scandal in chess history, and both he and the game he loves are threatened all over again.
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!
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.
Dark Squares is a powerful memoir and a testimony to why an ancient board game 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.
Dark Squares is a heartbreaking, 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.
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.