Dark Squares:A cult leader, a child prodigy and the chess revolution

Born into the Church of Immortal Consciousness, Danny Rensch spent his childhood navigating the isolated confines of a cult. Despite psychological manipulation, physical abuse and neglect, he persevered. An international chess master and world-class commentator, Rensch's remarkable journey led him to being the face of Chess, one of the largest online gaming platforms in the world. With unflinching honesty, Rensch recounts his life, starting from the moment he discovered chess in the summer of 1995, all the way up to being at the centre of the investigation into the most explosive cheating scandal in chess history. He chronicles the traumas of being 'special' in a cult that forced separation from his mother. Mentored by an alcoholic Russian chess master, he found solace alongside suffering in his obsession with chess - an ancient game which became his only escape.