The James Altucher Show

A Note from JamesThis might be the most insane chess story I’ve ever heard—not even really a chess story, but a cult story. It’s wild, intense, and ultimately inspiring. Danny Rensch grew up in a cult in Arizona. At just 10 years old, the cult leader noticed his chess ability, took him away from his parents, and he wouldn’t see his mother again for a decade.I first heard Danny’s story when we met at Norway Chess a year and a half ago. Over dinner, he told me pieces of what would become his book Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life. I worried later that I’d pushed him into podcast mode before he was ready, but Danny said he was actually grateful for the chance to practice sharing his story out loud. Now, with his book out, he’s ready to open up fully.Episode DescriptionDanny Rensch, Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com and author of Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life, shares the extraordinary story of how growing up in a cult shaped his childhood, his chess career, and his path to resilience.From being separat