chessfeels: conversations about chess, psychology & mental health

JJ talks about their year in chess that was and wasn't, which turns into a conversation with Julia about grief, loss, and self-knowledge. JJ references their essay on substack, which begins here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-180266870Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

do you hear that? the board is trying to talk to you. Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

The gang gets a phone call.

We're back! JJ and Julia have made several recordings in the past year, and are finally ready to start rolling them out. Here's the first one, it's about humility. Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

The teacher (JJ) becomes the student when their coach (CM Vjekoslav Nemec, aka @Chessentials_) joins JJ and Julia to talk about the emotional highs and lows of playing competitively, particularly when one's identity is wrapped up with being a chess player. Then the coach (Vjeko) becomes the patient when their (unofficial) therapist (Julia) gets to the bottom of why their lows feel so low. Check out the Chessentials blogSee if Vjeko has blocked you on TwitterBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

It's been a while! JJ and Julia check in to tell everyone where they've been and where we (you! and us!) are going next. Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

JJ and Julia return to a fan favorite topic: adhd. This time, instead of hyperfocusing on their personal experiences with adhd, they hyperfocus on adhd testing, diagnosing, and, of course, what your opening choices say about your neurodiversity. Listen to our original adhd episodeBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

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JJ and Julia interview Maya Marlette, a student of JJ's with a really cool chess backstory and an even cooler day job. Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some moneyListen to Maya's podcast, Twilight Phase

Julia and JJ switch hats now that JJ is cured. They discuss how to find and keep motivation for chess studying when time and energy are in short supply. Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

Julia and JJ interview their old family friend, Isaac "Ike" Haxton. They catch up on Haxton's illustrious poker career, his less illustrious chess career, and everything in between. About Isaac: "Born in New York City, the young-looking 32-year-old Haxton (who bears a slight resemblance to Harry Potter) was raised in Syracuse by his psychiatrist mother and English professor father. His father introduced Haxton to various games of skill when Haxton was a young child. In fact, Haxton was playing chess at four years of age and, by age ten, was an avid and competitive Magic: The Gathering player.Haxton attended Brown University and majored in computer science. However, poker was far more appealing, and Haxton—like many successful pros—swapped college for poker. At the age of 18, Haxton began to visit Verona, New York’s Turning Stone Casino. He started at $3/$6 limit Hold’Em before quickly increasing his stakes. At the same time, Haxton embraced online poker with his first $50 deposit on Ultimate Bet." sourceJJ is taking new students, if you're trynaBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

A true festivus! (We have a lot of problems with you people!) We also miss you terribly. Today Julia and JJ explore the very depths of h3ll (US chess tournaments).

We're back! Very proud. We respond to a number of questions from our dedicated fans, solving both chess and mental health in the process. Also, re audio quality, Julia didn't have her mic on her, which somehow meant that JJ's audio quality was worse. It will be better next time and we're going to start releasing episodes every two weeks. Buy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

You already know.Check out our recommended courses on chessableBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

Happy one year anniversary of Julia and JJ starting a podcast! To celebrate, we dig deep into the archives and share the prodigal return of the "convince me" series. Listen as the dynamic duo discuss: Mittens, the dumbest rules in chess, chessboxing, human chess coaches, and whether you're underrated.Check out our recommended courses on chessableBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

Julia and JJ talk about one of their favorite chess books, as well as what makes a good chess book and how to read a chess book.Check out our recommended courses on chessableBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

Julia and JJ are joined by the most wholesome man in chess content creation. Try to keep up as the trio talks about everything from the evolution of John's career as an educator to his dating life to his teaching philosophy to his own pet openings. An example of JB-approved patience from one of JJ's recent gamesJohn Bartholomew's Chess Fundamentals seriesJohn Bartholomew's 1. d4 Repertoire on ChessableWhat John's reading now (Mutiny on the Bounty)Learn the Sicilian KanIn-vest in your chessJohn's recommendation for 2000-ish playersBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

Julia and JJ are pleased to invite you to the first ever Stouffers' Masters' tournament, modeled off of the...idiosyncratic...Airthings Masters' double elimination format across multiple divisions. You can register here, but spots are limited, so make your application SHINE. You can bribe us for spots or beneficial pairings here.

Julia and JJ revisit an earlier conversation about the dangers of setting results-oriented goals, such as the 'annual rating goal' that plagues chess improvement circles every January. Then, Julia helps JJ set a ratings goal for the year in a way that avoids these traps.Check out our recommended courses on chessableBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some money

See our full gift guide on JJs substackCheck out our recommended courses on chessableBuy our really good merchTell us you love us by following us on twitterShow us you love us by giving us some moneyBook lessons with JJ