The Chess Experience
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 frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 52 minutes
- Episodes
- 133
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
IM Dean Ippolito - Tales of a Premier Chess Coach & How To Manage Rating Deflation
For two decades, IM Dean Ippolito has been one of America’s top coaches. Throughout his career, he’s coached several scholastic talents to national titles. Plus, he’s authored six chess books. Dean’s…
FM Mike Klein: Building the Next Generation of Chess Players
068 You may know him as best as “Fun Master” Mike, the face of ChessKid. For the past decade, Mike has been the Chief Chess Officer of ChessKid, the scholastic version of Chess.com. His mission has b…
How To Maximize Your Time For Chess Improvement w/ GM Noël Studer
067 How should you spend your chess time if you want to improve? The problem for adult improvers isn’t always about having too little time or energy to get better. Often, the challenge is knowing ho…
South Africa's Chess Star: WIM Jesse February
This week features South Africa’s most charismatic chess streamer and commentator:
WIM Jesse February. Jesse has had an impressive tournament career that’s still going strong as she works toward the…
On the Rise: Streamer & Adult Improver, WCM Alexandra Prado
065 WCM Alexandra Prado is a strong amateur player with a fast-rising chess Twitch channel. Rated 1859 FIDE, she has a renewed interest in competing in OTB classical.
Plus, she’s aiming for the Woma…
A Reenergized Tournament Career with WGM Anna Zatonskih
064 For the past two decades, WGM Anna Zatonskih has been a powerhouse among women chess players in America. She is a 4-time US Women’s champion (06’, 08’, 09’, and 11’.) Plus, she’s been a member of…
A Trio of Talents: Grandmaster, Educator, & Commentator w/ GM Daniel King
063 In the best possible way, Daniel King is a “triple threat” of chess: A GM professional competitor who’s played against some of the world’s best…A commentator who delivers GM-level analysis that’s…
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 …
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 l…
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 t…
Building a Dynamic Chess Life with Solveig, aka Rookie Redhead
060 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 watch…
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 USC…
Overcoming Setbacks on Your Chess Journey w/ Daniel Lona
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 …
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 th…
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 experience…
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 th…
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 o…
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 f…
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 c…
How to Study Endgames (for Club Players) w/ 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 player…