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[chessmasterkimdem]

Two Songs. One Truth About Getting Better at Anything.

Writing my memoir The Grandmaster I Never Became taught me more about chess than chess did. And somewhere in the middle of writing it, two…

somewhere in the middle of writing the memoir, two songs happened.  they’re called Every Move Counts and One Move to Mastery. both on Bandcamp under KimDem.  there’s a Medium piece about what they actually say and why they exist alongside the book, if you’re curious.  medium.com/@kerimcalvelodemirkol 

[chessmasterkimdem]

chess didn’t make me a grandmaster. but it made me someone who can sit with a hard problem for five hours and not fall apart. someone who understands that a bad result is information, not a verdict. someone who shakes hands after the worst game of the year and goes back to the board. that might be more useful than the title. full essay on medium -- medium.com/@kerimcalvelodemirkol (part of a memoir launching august 2026.)

[chessmasterkimdem]

"The grandmaster I never became was worth every single loss." -- Every Move Counts, KimDem (Pieces · 01) kimdem.bandcamp.com #chess #music #memoir #teenmemoir #quote #ambition #grandmaster #chessmindset #booklaunch #kimdem

[chessmasterkimdem]

I Set a Goal at 12 to Become a Chess Grandmaster by 16. I’m 16 Now.

Here’s what happened instead.

[chessmasterkimdem]

Staying is a skill. The board teaches it. So does the room you return to after losing the game you should have won. -- The Grandmaster I Never Became  •  launching August 2026 #chess #resilience #memoir #teenmemoir #discipline #ambition #chessmindset #booklaunch #quote #writing

[chessmasterkimdem]

Every Move Counts

← Back to Home Kerim Demirkol  ·  Every Move Counts  ·  2026 Every Move Counts A song about chess, loss, and what actually grows in the spac

They said kid, you’ve got a long way to goI said good — I’ve got a long way to show

Every Move Counts - Single by KimDem on Apple Music

Album · 2026 · 1 Song

[chessmasterkimdem]

wrote something on medium and released two songs - all related!

I set a goal at 12 to become a Chess Grandmaster. I’m 16 now. The title didn’t come. But seven countries, fifteen coaches, and one hotel room breakdown in Serbia later — here’s what actually happened.(this is an excerpt from a memoir i’m publishing in august.)

[chessmasterkimdem]

wrote something on medium and released two songs - all related!

I set a goal at 12 to become a Chess Grandmaster. I’m 16 now. The title didn’t come. But seven countries, fifteen coaches, and one hotel room breakdown in Serbia later — here’s what actually happened.(this is an excerpt from a memoir i’m publishing in august.)

[chessmasterkimdem]

“Chasing a title and becoming the person who deserves one are two completely different journeys.” — The Grandmaster I Never Became • Launching August 2026