Chess improvement as an adult is harder than it should be. Plus, the journey can sometimes feel too stressful and serious. This show aims to fix that by 1) interviewing experts who can offer clarity on the best ways to improve; and 2) giving you a heap of fun with “chess entertainment” shows that discuss chess culture, events, movies, etc. Most episodes feature a guest, but sometimes I'll do a solo show on a topic. This is all brought to you by me, Daniel Lona. I’m a dedicated chess amateur and the owner of Adult Chess Academy. After listening to this podcast, I want you to have a clearer idea of how to improve, and have a more fun, dynamic chess experience. Please follow the show so you don’t miss an episode!
A Rapid Rise to 2000 with Adult Improver Kamryn Hellman
070 A small number of chess players make remarkably quick progress. Perhaps even fewer of those are adults. Which is why the achievements of this week’s guest, Kamryn Hellman, are so remarkable.
She started playing chess for the first time as an adult. And, in just a little over a year, Kamryn rose to a 2000 Rapid rating on Chess.com.
Because progress this fast is rarely seen by adults, we explore her journey and how she achieved it.
We discuss:
- Her top three “difference makers” for reaching a 2000 Chess.com rating in fifteen months
- Why competing in OTB classical tournaments was such a powerful factor in her improvement
- Was her approach to be a tactics machine or was there room for studying strategy and positional chess?
More from Kamryn: