The Chess Experience 443k1e

The podcast is taking a short break for the month of May 2025. It will return in early to mid-June. We'll be back soon! If you want to me in the meantime about an episode or anything chess-related, you can do so here.

123 He went from beginner to 2150 FIDE in just four years. And that’s without receiving any coaching! Later, he became one of Chessable’s most popular course creators, recently winning Author of the Year in 2024. CM Can Kabadayi is a rare and impressive chess talent: he excels both as a player and a coach. In this episode, we chat about his journey from a Ph.D in cognitive science to becoming an in-demand course creator and popular chess YouTuber. Can also offers some great insights for chess improvement. He shares his unique “CLAMP” method for preventing blunders – a systematic framework to help you identify Checks, Loose Pieces, Alignments, Mobility Restrictions, and ed Pawns. We also discuss the most popular video from Can’s YouTube channel and his new show, called The Chess Congnition Podcast. More From Can: Chessable Courses YouTube Channel Twitter Instagram How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

122 You hear the positives of competing in OTB classical events all the time (including from me on this podcast). And their improvement benefits are undeniable. However, they have some serious downsides: money, time, and energy, just to name a few. To the point where I’ve become uncertain whether they’re worth it. And so has my guest, FM Nate Solon. In this episode, we discuss: The many challenges of OTB classical events, like creating difficult situations for proper eating, sleeping, and recovery. ​​The identity component of "serious chess players play OTB classical" creates unnecessary pressure. Potential solutions like shorter time controls, more desirable tournament experiences, or online classical competitions.  FM Nate Solon is a coach, Chessable course creator, and author of a popular weekly newsletter, Zwischenzug. Here are links to all of that: More From Nate Solon: Article: I Don’t Like Chess Tournaments Article: What Would a Fun Chess Tournament Look Like? Chessable Courses Weekly Newsletter: Zwischenzug Twitter How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

121 Latvian GM Arturs Neiksans earned his Grandmaster title relatively late. At age 28. But that didn’t stop him from becoming a force in the chess world.Not only did he climb to an impressive 2631 FIDE rating… But even outside of competition, Arturs developed a dynamic career as a coach to top youths, a premier Chessable course creator, and a YouTuber with awesome chess content. In our interview, we discuss: How he helped promising young talent become GMs while working as head coach at the historic Riga Chess School. His approach to making even his most robust opening courses accessible to club players. Why he likes to play provocative openings like the Dutch and Scandinavian to take opponents out of their comfort zone. Building a YouTube channel with popular bootcamps and reviews of classic games. Does a club player need to worry about which Silician makes the most sense to play at their level? More From Arturs: Chessable Courses YouTube Channel Twitter Facebook How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

120 Daniel Lona is interviewed by guest host Omar Mills, fellow club player, in the second part of a special episode celebrating The Chess Experience podcast's third anniversary. Three years ago, Daniel Lona launched The Chess Experience with a simple yet unique mission: to create chess content by and for adult improvers - a rare thing in the chess world at that time.  In this episode, he discusses: What makes chess "real"? Is a 3-minute blitz game fundamentally the same as a 5-hour classical battle? Finding a balance between growing chess through Esports vs preserving traditional formats. Daniel’s #1 chess wish (and all of his answers to the rapid-fire questions he asks his guests.) PLUS: Get a chance to win Omar Mills' new Chessable course (with full video) this week: "Chess Destiny: Lessons from an Adult Improver and His Coach.” Get info on how to enter to win by following Daniel Lona on Twitter. How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

A quick schedule update. Alas, no episode this week due to being very sick :(  But we'll return on Tues, March 25th with the second part of me being interviewed by Omar Mills for the 3rd anniversary of this show.  Then on April 1st, I'll have GM Arturs Neiksans as a guest!  Finally, I do these quick updates so that you never wonder "Hey, what happened to the show?" Lol. See you soon. And thank you for your patience.

119 Daniel Lona celebrates the third anniversary of hosting The Chess Experience by sitting in the guest chair, interviewed by previous guest and adult club player Omar Mills. Three years ago, Daniel Lona launched The Chess Experience with a simple yet unique mission: to create chess content by and for adult improvers - a rare thing in the chess world at that time. Now, with over 100 episodes and countless insights from his guests shared, Daniel talks about the journey, philosophy, and future of his podcast. In this episode, he discusses: Why the podcast has had a goal of 50% women guests since Day 1.  The uniqueness of a club player as a host, bringing questions that resonate with amateur players but rarely get asked in chess media.  Daniel’s top four dream guests for the show.  Plans to expand the podcast into a YouTube channel to grow the show and create exciting, new content formats. Submit a comment for Daniel on something you’ve enjoyed about this podcast. He may read it in the next episode (or a future one!): Website form Twitter DM Instagram DM Follow Omar on Twitter How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

118 GM Susan Polgar is a once-in-a-lifetime talent. She became the first-ever woman to earn the GM title by rating and norms. By age 15, she became the highest-rated female chess player on the planet. In 1996, she became the Women’s World Champion and the first-ever player to earn the Triple Crown: holding the world title in all formats: blitz, rapid, and classical. Not only that…But she did so against relentless obstacles from sexist chess federations who did not want a woman to succeed the way she did. In this episode, we discuss her many competitive achievements, her unique upbringing in Hungary with her father and sisters, and why it led to their success. We also cover Susan’s incredible influence on the game in her post-competitive chess career. For decades, Susan has worked tirelessly to raise the profile of professional chess in America, and to grow the game for women and girls throughout the world. We discuss all this through the topics raised in her new and thrilling autobiography, Rebel Queen. More From Susan: Susan's new book, Rebel Queen. Susan’s website Twitter Instagram Facebook How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

News updates for this week: 1) GM Susan Polgar is coming to the show very soon! 2) You can submit a question for Susan by ing my Patreon hip (deadline to submit Q is 2/27 at 1pm CT.) 3) Because I’m prepping so much for that interview, there won't be a show this week. 4) Videos of my pod interviews will be coming soon on my new YouTube channel. See you all soon!

117 Hailing from Cuba, and now one of the top American women players, WGM Thalia Cervantes is a chess powerhouse. For the past four years, she’s been invited to and played at the elite US Women’s Chess Championship. And her competitive pursuits are nowhere near finished. Thalia is working diligently with a coach to earn her IM title, with one norm already achieved. She’s also just released her first Chessable course, called, “Building an Attacking Intuition in Chess,” a subject we explore at length in the second half of the episode. We also discuss: How a club player can develop an attacking intuition through pattern recognition. Thalia’s thoughts on her performance at the 2024 US Women’s Chess Championship (and how she prepares for these events.) The highlights of her early years in the thriving Cuban chess culture and the importance of Capablanca. Her plans post-college and what goes into earning the IM title. More From Thalia: Chessable Course: Building an Attacking Intuition in Chess Instagram How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon called “Podcast Perks” and get benefits like:  Submitting questions to guests A shout-out of your name on the pod Vote on future topics/guests  Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show DM me any month for a brief chat on chess or episodes Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

116 What a chess career! GM Boris Avrukh cracked the World Top 50 in 2005  and achieved a peak rating of 2668. He has coached the world’s best players like Fabiano Caruana, Vladimir Kramnik, and Wesley So. And he even got to be the last person to ever play the legendary Mikhail Tal. Of course, Boris has had an exemplary competitive career representing Israel in six chess Olympiads and winning the World U12 Championship in 1990. In addition to years of coaching the world’s best and club players alike, Boris has also written countless opening books and published five Chessable courses. Boris and I talk at length about his course called “Resourceful Chess: Defense & Counterplay,” which will give you some excellent advice on how to play better defense. We also discuss: Why it’s important to recognize key defensive patterns. His experience coaching Fabiano Caruana. Why Boris choose to highlight Hans Niemann for defensive play in his course (and whether he did so knowing he’d be controversial.) More From GM Boris Avrukh Chessable Courses Website YouTube Twitter How You Can the Pod: this show’s Patreon, called “Podcast Perks,” and get a ton of benefits like: submitting questions to guests, a shout-out of your name on the pod, a DM convo w/ me each month about chess or latest episodes, and more! Podcast Perks here. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

115 She learned the game at 19. The next year she became a titled player with an 1800+ FIDE rating. Then, several years later, WFM Perpetual Ogbiyoyo founds an organization to spread chess to girls and women throughout Nigeria.  Now, she’s expanded her connection to the chess world by moving to New York City. In this episode, we talk about her incredible journey, including:  How she rose from complete beginner to Woman FIDE Master in one year. A window into the culture and community of chess in Nigeria. Why she created the organization Promoting Queens and its mission to empower girls everywhere through chess. Her aspiration to become the first Nigerian woman Grandmaster. How You Can the Pod: You can greatly help this pod with a “pizza slice” donation. Much time and expense goes into creating this show. And, I’d be very grateful if you could this endeavor which aims to give you the best in chess interviews. Leave a brief note with your donation and I’ll respond personally to you. Donate here. Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad) More From WFM Perpetual Ogbiyoyo Promoting Queens website Twitter

114 Leaping 400 rating points in classical, rated chess as an adult in just two years? That requires a huge effort and rare dedication. Two qualities that describe well this week’s guest, fellow adult club player, Nicholas Sloan. Specifically, in a relatively brief period, Nick went from 1400 USCF to 1849 USCF. And it’s all part of his plan to earn the National Master title - something that he wants to prove is possible for us adults. But exciting progress doesn’t come easy. Nick advocates consistency, discipline, and a willingness to face your chess weakness. In this episode, we discuss: The top 3 reasons Nick was able to make such massive and fast progress in his USCF rating. Why he doesn’t believe “one size fits all” training programs are that effective. Why he has preferred self-guided learning to studying under a coach. More From Nick: YouTube Channel Substack Newsletter Bluesky Twitter Instagram How You Can this Podcast: this pod by g up for my Patreon called, “Podcast Perks.” Get exclusive voting on guests, a shout-out of your name on the pod, a DM convo w/ me each month about chess or episodes, and more! Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

113 Rarely do grandmasters focus on helping club players and beginners. But when they do it’s rare and exciting. Their extra skill and understanding of the game deliver insights that even other titled players may not possess. That’s what GM Josh Friedel offers as a course creator and coach. And it can be heard throughout this interview. Of course, Josh has had an impressive chess career. Competitively, he tied for 6th place at the US Chess Championship in 2009 and competed at the World Cup. He has ed along this hard-earned chess knowledge for decades by coaching club players. And for nearly as long, he’s been creating courses, most recently for Chessable on common mistakes in the opening and middlegame. In this episode, we chat: Common middle-game mistakes and how to avoid them. Josh’s unique qualities as a coach that separate him from the pack. Why is it so difficult to convert a won position - and how to get better at it. GIVEAWAY: To win Josh’s Chessable course on avoiding middlegame mistakes, follow Daniel Lona on Twitter for details and updates (for the week of 1/21/25 only.) More From Josh: Chessable courses Twitter YouTube How You Can the Pod: Patreon: this pod by g up for my Patreon called, “Podcast Perks.” Get exclusive voting on guests, a shout-out of your name on the pod, a DM convo w/ me each month about chess or episodes, and more! Or you can… >> this pod by grabbing a chess.com hip which will help you improve your chess & defeat your enemies. A small portion will fund this pod - and every bit helps! Just click this link. >> Neither? How about checking out Daniel's chess.com profile? Witness his countless, embarrassing blitz losses. He even accepts some friend requests. (Ad)

112 Would you move to a new city for chess? Few have that level of commitment to the game. But our guest this week did exactly that…Adult improver Sydney Strauss moved to New York City this past year to pursue her relatively new ion for chess. After learning the game just two years ago, she fell in love with it and began studying and playing every day.  The following year, Sydney knew she wanted to take her pursuit to the next level and be fully immersed in chess through clubs, tournaments, and friends. New York City, with its venerated Marshall Chess Club and thriving chess scene, provided her with that experience. In a brief time, Sydney has now reached an inspiring USCF rating of 1382. This episode explores her story, why chess has impacted her life so greatly, and what her future ambitions may be within the game. Plus: will she get a chess tattoo" Get the following: A monthly DM with me about anything chess-related or the podcast A shout-out of your name thanking you on a future episode Connect to the pod&apos;s community through episode discussions w/ me & other listeners Exclusive voting on future guests, topics, and direction of the show More! Click here to the Patreon for The Chess Experience! ---- >> the podcast by upgrading your Chess.com hip - just click this link and choose any of the options.<<

111 She does it all. WIM Svitlana Demchenko is a course creator, coach, streamer, and high-level chess competitor. Born in Ukraine and a long-time Canadian citizen, Svitlana proved herself early in chess, becoming a five-time Canadian girls champion. In more recent years, she’s competed in the Chess Olympiad three times as part of the Canadian women’s team. She’s also published several fantastic opening and strategy courses for ChessBase. And, each week, she streams chess on Twitch. Finally, rounding out her chess activities, is a regular video show called Smart Moves, where Svitlana coaches an amateur player. In the process, she focuses on key topics that’ll help any club player improve their chess. In this episode, we discuss:  The undervalued topic of imbalances in chess and why club players should probably spend more time on this concept. How Svitlana juggles her pursuit of a medical career and a robust chess life. Her chase for the WGM title.  Her thoughts on the World Championship event and Gukesh as the new champ. ------ NEW! I&apos;ve just launched a Patreon hip for the show called, "Podcast Perks." Get the following: A monthly DM with me about anything chess-related or the podcast Exclusive voting on future guests, topics, and direction of the show A shout-out of your name thanking you on a future episode Connect to the pod&apos;s community through episode discussions with me and other listeners Exclusive behind-the-scenes updates about the show the show&apos;s ongoing production of new episodes Click here to the Podcast Perks patreon for The Chess Experience! ---------------------- More From Svitlana: Courses on Chessbase SmartMoves YouTube Playlist Twitch Twitter Instagram

110 Today’s guest is the inspiring and talented WGM Maria Gevorgyan. Few have managed to become a national chess champion, let alone do it five times. But Maria has! In addition to becoming the women’s chess champion of Armenia multiple times… Maria is now taking all that she’s learned from her competitive career and helping her students as a chess coach. These days, she is the head coach at the Abu Dhabi Chess Academy for women and girls. In this interview, we discuss: Is blitz a helpful tool for improvement or just a fun way to play the game? How an accidental illegal move by Maria was missed at the tournament where she earned her the WGM title! The #1 book recommendation that Maria believes every club player should read.  More From Maria: Twitter Instagram Coaching with Maria (DM her about lessons) Book recommendation: My System by Aaron Nimzowitch  >> my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)

A quick update on this month&apos;s (12/24) release schedule. The holidays make it a little more difficult to schedule guests, so I&apos;ll be only releasing two episodes this month. The next will be on Tuesday, December 17th. The other will be on the 31st. But if you&apos;d like to hear me share a little more detail (and a fun teaser at the end) play the 90-second update :)   We&apos;ll be back to the normal, weekly episodes starting the first week of January. Thank you SO much for your of the podcast!

109 The World Championship should be a fascinating one! GM Ding Liren is the reigning world champ. While he’s an extraordinary talent, his rating and performance have backslid this past year. And, sadly, Ding has been struggling with psychological issues... Meanwhile, India’s brightest chess talent and Ding&apos;s opponent, GM Gukesh Dommaraju, will be the youngest player to ever compete in the World Championship at 18 years old. Gukesh, though he’s been stellar in his recent competitive performances, will have to face a lack of experience at the highest level. To help explore and illuminate the different issues at play, FM Carsten Hansen returns to the podcast for another World Championship preview. Carsten is one of the most prolific chess authors around we discuss the unique challenges for each player, whether their styles will be a factor, and clues to look for in the early games to help you know who may win the match. The event begins on November 25th, 2024… BUT…this episode will be worth listening to even several days later to help understand the match and gain some fascinating chess insights. More From FM Carsten Hansen:  Carsten’s co-authored book: A Century of Chess Carsten’s chess books  Carsten on Twitter >> my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)

Our guest this week is a self-taught FIDE Master, coach, and popular course creator hailing from the Netherlands: Midas Ratmas. Midas has built his chess career around helping club players and beginners. As such, he’s developed a special talent for teaching chess to players at this level. Midas has already published over a dozen Chessable courses covering areas like the opening, tactics, and strategy - with many more on the horizon. In this episode, we talk about: The 3 ways he makes opening courses more accessible and easier for club players to manage.  Why beginners - and maybe even club players - should learn the strategies that stem from each of the individual chess pieces.  How he plans to achieve his goal of earning the IM title. Straightforward advice on endgames & calculation from his courses. Midas’s Chessable course page >> my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)