We are thrilled to announce that Danny Rensch — International Master, Chief Chess Officer at Chess.com, and co-founder of the platform — will be our kick-off speaker in January for BCA’s 2026 Speaker Series.
At a Glance
- Went from being a child prodigy in a religious cult to building a 225 million dollar player empire
- International Chess Master
- Co-Founder of Chess.com
- Chess mindset translated for leadership. Through chess, Danny teaches decision-making, pattern recognition, long-term thinking, and handling pressure — skills that mirror the challenges of executive leadership.
- Walk away inspired, challenged, and thinking differently about your own growth
Danny’s life story is nothing short of extraordinary: as he recently revealed in his memoir Dark Squares: How Chess Saved My Life, he spent much of his early life growing up in a remote, abusive cult — and yet he rose from that adversity to become one of the most respected figures in the global chess world.
From being Arizona’s youngest-ever national chess master to helping build and lead Chess.com — now the world’s largest online chess platform with over 200 million registered users — Danny’s journey is a profound testament to resilience, reinvention, and the human capacity to turn pain into purpose.
But beyond the chessboard, Danny embodies a powerful message: that the discipline, strategy, and creativity demanded by chess are not just for games — they are tools for navigating life’s toughest challenges, reinventing oneself, and transforming uncertainty into opportunity.
He will draw on his experience building Chess.com from scratch, launching it in 2009, and helping scale it into a major global platform while staying grounded in the values of teaching, community, and growth
Danny’s journey — from chaos to champion, from isolation to global community-builder — reflects the very themes we value: identity, growth, purpose, and the courage to reinvent oneself.
By inviting him to open our 2026 series, we’re setting a powerful tone: that our challenges don’t define us, but can be the foundation for our purpose; that strength can be built from vulnerability; and that strategy and creativity — whether on a chessboard or in life — can guide us through uncertainty.
We anticipate a moving, powerful, and deeply personal keynote from Danny. Whether you love chess or simply appreciate stories of resilience and reinvention, this is a talk you won’t want to miss
Watch this video to learn more about Danny
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