EP 441- WCM Hannah Sayce: The 24-year old Twitch Streamer on the Key Factors Behind Her Rapid Rise to the WCM Title

In just a few years, 24-year-old Australian Twitch streamer Hannah Sayce went from playing casual online games during lockdown to earning the Woman Candidate Master (WCM) title and competing in international tournaments. Her post-lockdown rise has taken her from below 1000 to a 2300 Chess.com blitz rating. In this conversation, Hannah shares the highs and lows of her chess journey and the strategies behind her rapid improvement. Key turning points included learning to slow down at the board and forcing herself to embrace endgame study despite her resistance. Hannah’s rapid progress is inspiring to young girls and adult improvers alike—and it was fun to hear her story. Timestamps of topics discussed are below. Thanks to our sponsor, Chessable.com! If you sign up for Chessable Pro in order to unlock discounts and additional features, be sure to use the following link: https://www.chessable.com/pro/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=benjohnson&utm_campaign=pro And you can check out their new offerings here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/ https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/partners 0:02- What is Hannah’s approach to streaming and prepping for Titled Tuesdays. Mentioned: 7:00- Overcoming the Nerves of OTB chess 12:00- We discuss Hannah’s chess improvement philosophy as originally laid out in her popular YouTube video, How I Went from 700 to 2200 in 2 Years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCBGNjddiTE Specifically she touched these 7 themes: Play longer time controls Developing calculating skills Decision journal Analyze your games Practice your tactics Calculate before you move Study master games 18:00- How Hannah will work on her endgames Mentioned: Notjowol on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/notjowol 20:00- Why does Hannah stream the lessons that she gets? 21:00- Hannah’s current chess goals 22:00- How did Hannah get into chess? 24:00- Hannah’s advice for girls getting into chess 28:00- Hannah’s favorites chess books and authors Mentioned: Modern Chess Openings, IM Jeremy Silman, GM Yasser Seirawan 30:00- Hannah’s favorite Chess Youtubers: Mentioned: IM Eric Rosen, GM Daniel Naroditsky, GM Ben Finegold, Hanging Pawns 32:00- What is the chess scene like in Melbourne? 33:00- Hannah’s favorite OTB tournament Mentioned: The Rilton Cup 35:00- Hannah’s post-university plans and non-chess hobbies 39:00- Thanks to Hannah for joining the show! Here is how to follow her continued progress: Hannah’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anichessgame/?hl=en Hannah’s Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hannahsayce Hannah’s Chess.com : https://www.chess.com/member/hannahsaycestreams YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hannahsayce1 If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community for access to ad-free episodes and other perks, you can do so here: https://www.patreon.com/c/perpetualchess Check out special offers for free trials and/or discounts from our partner websites including Chessmood, ChessDojo, and Chess.com via the link below: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices