Electronic Press Kit
DAN SHAPIRO
Author | Chess Lover
"Decoding Genius: The Unexpected Lessons of After-School Chess Club"
BIO
INTRO / SHORT BIO
Dan Shapiro is the author of Decoding Genius: The Unexpected Lessons of After-School Chess Club (coming summer 2026). After seeing how chess impacted his son during COVID, he began exploring how the game builds thinking skills like focus, decision-making, and resilience in kids.
FULL BIO
Dan Shapiro is the author of Decoding Genius: The Unexpected Lessons of After-School Chess Club, a book that explores what chess can teach us about focus, resilience, memory, strategy, creativity, confidence, and the development of the mind.
The idea for the book began during COVID, when Dan saw how chess helped his son build confidence, sharpen his decision-making, and find an activity that truly fit the way he thinks. What started as a personal family experience became a much larger exploration of why chess has been connected to genius, strategy, and high achievement for more than 1,500 years.
Through Decoding Genius, Dan makes the case that chess is not just a game for prodigies or future grandmasters. It is a practical, low-pressure tool that can help kids and adults practice the skills they need far beyond the board, including patience, focus, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and the ability to recover from mistakes.
BOOK INFO
What if genius has been hiding in plain sight?
For the child who thinks differently, chess may be the arena that finally fits. In Decoding Genius, Dan Shapiro shows how chess helps kids build focus, confidence, resilience, creativity, and decision-making beyond the board.
But the lessons go far beyond childhood. Decoding Genius is also for readers chasing a mental edge — people who want to think more clearly, perform under pressure, stay sharp, and understand how memory, strategy, patience, and preparation shape better decisions.
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“A deeply personal, historically grounded introduction to the allure of chess.”
– KIRKUS REVIEWS
“(Decoding Genius) intriguingly takes the positive effect that chess has had on the author’s son and uses it as a catalyst to find ways in which the game could help others.”
– INDIE READER
WEBSITES & SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
- – WEBSITE https://www.decodinggeniusbook.com
- – INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/decoding.genius/
- – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573249325231
- – LINKED IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/~dan-shapiro/
STORY ANGLES & QUESTIONS
(For Interviews & Articles)
STORY ANGLES
– Why chess may be one of the closest things to a “brain gym” for kids
– The real benefit is not intelligence, it is grit, resilience, and a sense of agency
– How chess teaches kids to make decisions, take ownership, and recover from mistakes
– Why many kids today feel passive and how chess helps them take action and build confidence
– The connection between chess and real world skills like focus, discipline, and thinking ahead
– Simple ways parents can introduce chess without pressure or experience
IN THE PRESS
Dan Shapiro and “Decoding Genius” have been featured in:
