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!
Update: New Episodes & Upcoming Membership for The Chess Experience
After a brief break, the latest on the next episode's release. Plus, a little info on the upcoming membership for this podcast, The Chess Experience. If you don't want to miss its announcement, sign up here: Get the info here when The Chess Experience Membership releases.
Two Decades of First-Rate Chess Journalism with Peter Doggers
062 Few people have attended the world’s top chess tournaments. Or interviewed the most talented chess players on the planet, including legends like Garry Kasparov. But Peter Doggers has lived this life for nearly the past twenty years.In 2007, he launched the company Chess Vibes. At its peak, it was one of the world’s biggest online news sites for chess. It covered top events and offered in-depth journalism.Six years later, Peter sold Chess Vibes to Chess.com and became their Director of Content. Currently, he is Chess.com's Director of News and Events.In this interview, we discuss:What top chess player before his time Peter would have loved to interview.His favorite books for improvement that helped him rise to the level of 2292 FIDE and earn two IM norms.The strengths and weaknesses of modern chess journalism.More From Peter:The game that earned Peter an IM normPeter’s Interview with Kasparov at Fischer’s GravePeter’s Reporting on Whether FIDE Was Going BankruptKasparov Playing the King’s Gambit>>Join my official FREE Club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Adventures in Course Creating with NM Laura Smith
061 It’s not often a chess content creator is an everyday superhero who’s also a school teacher and mother of three. But that’s what makes NM Laura Smith so special. She gives much of her free time to helping others in chess, both as a coach, a Twitch streamer, and now…a brand-spankin’ new Chessable author!Laura was one of my first guests to appear on the show, and the first interview I ever recorded.So, I’m thrilled to have her back on the podcast to update the latest in her chess life.Her new course, Forcing Moves for Beginners, is now available and was a labor of love. (Link to the course is below.)In this episode, we discuss: Why solving “easy” tactics very fast is critical for club players.Laura’s new & deeper connection with the online chess community in the past year.An exciting forthcoming course collaboration between Laura and an esteemed, well-known chess coach.More From Laura:Laura’s new course, Forcing Captures for Beginners, on ChessableLaura’s Twitch channelLaura’s Twitter>>Join my official FREE Club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Building a Dynamic Chess Life with Solveig, aka Rookie Redhead
Diving head-first into chess as an adult beginner ain’t easy. Yet some folks do it incredibly well. And with inspiring dedication. That’s the adult improver story of Norway’s Solveig. After watching the Magnus-Nepo World Championship match, she committed to the game in January ‘22. At the time, she was rated well below 1000.Since then, she’s worked with two coaches, attended over half a dozen OTB classical tournaments, and follows weekly study plans.Now, her FIDE rating is already over 1200 and on the rise.Topping it off, Solveig launched a YouTube channel, Rookie Redhead, detailing some of her chess journey and lessons learned. (Link below.)In this interview, we discuss:Whether you can ever really feel like you’re good at chessThe value of breaking some “rules” of chess improvementThe struggle of feeling confident in your chess abilitiesMore From Solveig:Solveig’s TwitterSolveig's YouTube channelSolveig’s video with IM Andras Toth on confidenceSolveig’s coaches: WIM Sheila Barth Stanford and IM Petter Haugli>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Top 8 Chess Lessons From A Successful Adult Improver w/ Stacia Pugh
059 Need some inspiration on your chess journey from a fellow adult improver? This week’s guest is a powerhouse. Even though she didn’t begin chess until adulthood, Stacia Pugh has soared to 1800 USCF - and still rising!Plus, she’s attending OTB classical tournaments nearly every month and has a chess coaching business called, Chess Is Best.In this episode, we discuss: Stacia’s Top 8 Chess Improvement LessonsHow switching from d4 to e4 dramatically improved her chess - and why other club players should also play 1.e4Why tactics are by FAR the most important area of chess for improvement More From Stacia:Stacia’s Website (link forthcoming)Stacia’s YouTube channelStacia’s Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Overcoming Setbacks on Your Chess Journey
058 Ah! The dreaded “life got in the way” scenario. When it does, our chess progress stalls or suffers. In this journey update, I explain how a prolonged health problem threw a monkey wrench into my chess goals.The good news is that during these months, while my tactical vision waned, I eventually gained two key insights into how to manage a setback in my chess studies. I hope nothing ever slows down your chess progress…But if that happens, this episode may give you some camaraderie and helpful advice...>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
From Harlem to Grandmaster Goals with IM Kassa Korley
057 Becoming a titled player without a chess coach is no easy feat. Yet that’s exactly what Kassa Korley achieved. When he was 15, he became the youngest Black American to earn the NM title.Since then, he’s become an International Master.And, in recent years, he garnered two of the three norms needed in his pursuit of the Grandmaster title.Again, all on his own. No coach.Kassa’s chess journey is wildly impressive. Yet, as you hear him tell his story, it’s surprisingly relatable for a club player.In this interview, Kassa shares some superb improvement insights that he’s gained from over two decades in chess.Adult improvers: you can soak up a lot of wisdom from his lessons!Plus, Kassa delves into what impact he’s excited to make in his new position as Head of Community with Chess.com. Finally, Kassa offers what career(s) he would pursue if it had to be something other than chess.Follow Kassa on Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Expanding Connections in the Chess Community w/ WIM Lena Miladinovic
056 Coach. Titled player. Entrepreneur. These are just a few of the impressive achievements of WIM Lena Miladinovic. Hailing from Serbia, and becoming a 3-time national champion, Lena has experienced nearly every major corner of the chess world.She’s also run tournaments, become a FIDE-certified arbiter, and in recent years built a unique chess business.Lena wants to make it easier for the chess community to connect. To find each other. And expand on their love for the game.So, she created a company called Outpost, which does exactly that.In this episode, we discuss Lena’s exciting chess journey, a key lesson she learned from years of coaching that’ll help adult improvers, and the details of her “LinkedIn for Chess” business.More From Lena: Outpost Chess websiteLena’s TwitterLena’s Instagram>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Rapid Chess Growth with Jules Gambit
055 Quick rating gains. Thousands of new followers on Twitch. As she revived her love for chess, Jules Gambit has shown an impressive record of improvement. Not to mention she's made a splash in the chess streamer community - all in the same short period of time!In less than a year, Jules has seen a 600+ rating increase. And, at the recent US Amateur Team tournament, she achieved an OTB classical rating performance of 2000 USCF!Jules is a dynamic, engaging personality with a lot of insights and fun stories to share. Hope you enjoy this episode!More from Jules: Jules’ Twitch Jules’ YouTube Jules’ Twitter Jules’ Instagram>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Powerful Improvement Advice with IM David Pruess
054 This episode features one of the three "senseis" of Chess Dojo, IM David Pruess, for a deep dive on a variety of chess topics. Whether it’s discussing if the latest World Championship is worthy of our time, or what he still wanted to contribute to chess after decades of being in the game - you can count on David to bring depth and sharp analysis to our chat. Plus, as the co-founder of one of the best chess education platforms in the world, David offers great improvement insights for you in this episode, including:What would he do differently to improve faster if he started chess all over again?Why having a training partner is one of the best strategies for accelerating your chess skill that’s rarely taught or followed.Clear and straightforward advice on balancing fun with chess improvement.More From David Pruess and Chess Dojo:David’s TwitterChess Dojo’s Training ProgramChess Dojo’s TwitchChess Dojo’s YouTubeChess Dojo’s Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
World Chess Championship Preview with FM Carsten Hansen
053 The next World Chess Championship match is around the corner! While there’s no Magnus, there’s still plenty to be excited about. This preview episode is made for the club player or casual chess fan - meaning it’s accessible and easy to follow.I interview FM Carsten Hansen, one of the most prolific chess authors around, and in our discussion, he’ll help you: 1) understand what makes this a rare match-up, 2) the styles of each player and how they’ll clash, and 3) who’s expected to win and whyThe match begins Sunday, April 9th. But this episode will be worth listening to even several days after that to help you understand what’s happening. More From FM Carsten Hansen: Carsten’s chess books Carsten’s website Carsten on Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
What Makes A Good Chess Commentator With GM Jon Ludvig Hammer
052 How do we grow the game? A major way has been the huge popularity of live-streamed events with star players and world-class commentary. But whether that commentary is engaging and accessible to chess fans is critical to our game’s popularity.So, what should you look for in chess commentary?That’s a major theme that I discuss with GM Jon Ludvig Hammer in this week’s episode.Hammer has been a professional commentator for nearly a decade. He regularly works for TV 2 Norway. He’s also been a contributor for Chess.com and GM Hikaru Nakamura’s Twitch channel.Prior to his commentator career, Hammer reached Super GM status with a 2705 FIDE rating. And he was Magnus Carlsen’s second in the 2013 and 2014 World Chess Championships.In this episode, Hammer and I also discuss a key improvement topic:Do you need to play classical chess to become a better player? (We take different views!)Plus, enjoy an episode that’s more discussion-style instead of the usual interview format, per Hammer’s request.More from Jon Ludvig Hammer:Hammer’s Twitch channelHammer’s Twitter Hammer’s Chess.com educational contentPhoto Credit: The superb photo used for this episode comes from photographer and WFM Maria Emelianova. You can follow her on Twitch and Twitter.---- Please Leave a Positive Rating If You Enjoyed This EpisodeIf you enjoyed this or other episodes, please leave a 5-star rating on Spotify or Apple. Then, DM me on Twitter or email me (scroll to the bottom) and let me know you did. I'll reply personally with a thank you!----->> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
How to Study Endgames (for Club Players) with IM Yuriy Krykun
051 Like many areas of chess, it can be difficult to study endgames. There’s an ocean’s worth of books and courses on the subject. But where to begin? To help me simplify this subject for club players, I’m excited to bring IM Yuriy Krykun back on the show.For starters, Yuriy is renowned as one of Chessable’s top course creators (his Dynamic Italian course is one of my favorites!)Plus, from years of coaching amateur students, Yuriy understands well how to teach endgames in a practical way.In this episode, we discuss:How to boost your motivation to study endgames (if, like me, yours is low!)What’s a good percentage of your study time to spend on endgames? Should you focus on practical or theoretical endgames? Why you may not need to study endgames at all!More From Yuriy:Yuriy’s Chessable CoursesYuriy’s TwitterYuriy’s Coaching PageBooks Mentioned In This Episode:Capablanca’s 100 Best Endgames for ChessChess Endgames for Club Players>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Ep 50: Lessons & Lifestyle of a Pro Chess Player with IM Irina Bulmaga
050 We are finally back after a 6-week health hiatus! Today’s guest is the #1 rated woman in Romania: IM Irina Bulmaga. Irina is a professional chess player who is working full-time chasing the GM title as an adult.Another impressive stat?Irina has been in the FIDE Top 100-rated Women in the world since 2012.In a career full of amazing accomplishments, Irina has represented Romania in seven Chess Omplyiads since 2010.As a humble club player, I’m always impressed by those who are so good at chess they can make it a competitive career.So, in this episode, we chat about the lessons she’s learned in her many years of chess.Plus, we discuss what will it take for her to make the leap from IM to GM?More From Irina:Irina’s Chessable coursesIrina’s Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)
Quick Show & Health Update
Sorry for my absence the past few weeks. Here's why. (But I hope to be back very soon.)