Around the World in 80 Chess Lessons is a long-form writing project by Andrew Rimmer. It documents a journey — virtual and sometimes physical — to receive chess lessons from coaches in eighty different countries.
Each lesson is an encounter: with a person, a place, a tradition, and a way of thinking about the game. The writing tries to capture not just what was taught, but what it felt like to learn it. The chess is real. The cultural context is researched. The reflections are honest.
This is a passion project. It is not a chess course, not a coaching service, not a content platform. It is one person's attempt to understand a game better by listening to the people who teach it, in the places where they teach it.
The writing is the product. If you enjoy thoughtful, slow, literary explorations of chess and culture, this is for you. If you want quick tips and opening traps, it probably isn't.
Andrew is a chess amateur and writer based in England. He has played chess for most of his life without ever getting particularly good at it — a situation this project is designed, in part, to address. He believes that the best way to learn something is to take it seriously without taking yourself too seriously.
If you're a chess coach who would like to be part of this project, or if you have thoughts, suggestions, or corrections, you can reach Andrew by email at hello@aroundtheworldin80chesslessons.com.