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Daniel Lona

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!

The Chess Experience

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 contact me in the meantime about an episode or anything chess-related, you can do so here.

Pod Update: Brief Break

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 Passed 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 CoursesYouTube ChannelTwitterInstagram
How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

CM Can Kabadayi: How to Prevent Blunders and Why He’s a Top Coach for Club Players

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 TournamentsArticle: What Would a Fun Chess Tournament Look Like?Chessable CoursesWeekly Newsletter: ZwischenzugTwitter
How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

Are There Too Many Drawbacks to OTB Tournaments? A Chat w/ FM Nate Solon

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 CoursesYouTube ChannelTwitterFacebook
How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

GM Arturs Neiksans: From Late-Blooming GM Who Reached 2600+ to a Premier Coach & Course Creator

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 Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

Bishops, Bullet, and Bobby Fischer: Daniel Lona Interviewed By Omar Mills, Part II

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.

Schedule Update: Sick Delay, Part II of Anniversary Interview, & GM Arturs Neiksans

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 contact formTwitter DMInstagram DM
Follow Omar on Twitter

How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

Behind the Mic: Daniel Lona Interviewed By Omar Mills on 3 Years of The Chess Experience - Part I

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 (hardcover) • ...
or KindleSusan’s websiteTwitterInstagramFacebook
How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

GM Susan Polgar: A Chess Legend on How She Broke Barriers & Elevated the Game

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 joining my Patreon membership (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!

Updates: Schedule Update & Video Pod Episodes

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 ChessInstagram
How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

How to Build Attacking Intuition w/ WGM Thalia Cervantes Landeiro

092 It’s rare to see an adult chase a title and work full-time as a chess content creator. With passion and confidence, that’s exactly what this week’s guest, Elaynah, is doing with her chess life. 

It's an inspiring journey because, only two years ago, she was an absolute beginner who was beaten easily by her cousin at a Christmas party.

Now?

She’s rated 1800 Chess.com Rapid and has 22K followers for her chess Twitch channel - with both of those numbers quickly rising!

In this episode, we chat:

 • Her interest in getting chess media to focus more on adult improvers.
 • What it’s like having IM Kostya Kavutskiy, of the Chess Dojo, as her coach.
 • Why she expanded her chess content beyond streaming and into podcasting.
 • Her plans to reach 2000 Chess.com Rapid this year. 

More From Elaynah: 

TwitchTwitterInstagramPodcast
How You Can Support the Pod:

Join 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 join the Patreon for The Chess Experience.

Or you can…

>>Support this pod by grabbing a chess.com membership 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)

Elaynah: All In With Chess - Chasing a Title & Rising Content Creator

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