Dark Squares

“A winning memoir.” —Kirkus

“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 New York Times bestseller The Glass Castle

“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

“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 (a.k.a. Logic), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Supermarket

"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, Dark Squares is a deep dive into the chess world through the eyes of someone who is at the center of it all.”—Ben Mezrich, author of Bringing Down the House