What role does chess play in our lives? That’s a recurring question on Perpetual Chess, and one that author Katie Kormanik explores in her new, personal memoir, Adventures of a Chess Girl. A former top scholastic player, Katie looks back at the competitive years of her early 20s and reflects on how chess became a refuge during a stressful and uncertain time. The game allowed her to travel widely and immerse herself in an eclectic social circle of strong players from around the world. Although Katie ultimately stepped away from competition, she still loves chess, and now fondly revisits those formative memories. We also discuss her experience self-publishing the book, as well as our thoughts on the new Queen of Chess documentary on Netflix.  Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com. Check out GM Simon Williams' new course here: https://www.chessable.com/lifetime-repertoires-stonewall-dutch/course/378958/ 00:00 Introduction and Background 00:49 Exploring the Memoir: Adventures of a Chess Girl Mentioned: All the Wrong Moves by Sasha Chapin 03:28 Chess as a Refuge and a place to build identity 08:14 The Role of Peer Influence in Chess 12:00- Does Katie have a love-hate relationship with chess? 16:09 Romantic Relationships and Chess Improvement 19:00- Gender dynamics in the chess world  22:05 Advice for Young Women in Chess 23:15 Introducing Chess to Children 25:59 The Journey of Self-Publishing a Book You can find Katie’s self-publishing checklist within this article: https://booksbywomen.org/the-case-for-self-publishing-and-why-its-easier-now-than-ever-before/ 34:13 Reflections on Life Lessons and Risks 39:47 Our thoughts on the new Netflix Queen of Chess documentary  43:32 Parenting Styles and Nurturing Passions 45:00- Thanks so much to Katie for joining me! You can find out more about her and her book at: https://www.chessgirlbook.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices