logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2022
1h 12m

The Romanian-American Powerhouse: WGM Sa...

Daniel Lona
About this episode

043 Born in Romania. Daughter of two International Masters. The young chess star, WGM Sabina Foisor, moved to America as a young adult and conquered the women’s chess scene by winning the 2017 US Women’s Championship.

In this episode, we discuss: 

  • What it’s like growing up in a chess family with high expectations for success.
  • The emotional journey of preparing & competing for the 2017 US Women’s Championship while her mother became seriously ill.
  • Improvement questions on pawn structures, the “right time” to trade queens, and creating an opening repertoire that excites you.
  • The surprising career Sabina would’ve attempted if not for chess.

--------
Want to join my
exclusive community for adult chess improvers?
Check out all the membership benefits here.

---------
More from Sabina:

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)

Up next
Apr 2025
Pod Update: Brief Break
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. 
41s
Apr 2025
CM Can Kabadayi: How to Prevent Blunders and Why He’s a Top Coach for Club Players
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 bot ... Show More
1h 7m
Apr 2025
Are There Too Many Drawbacks to OTB Tournaments? A Chat w/ FM Nate Solon
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 ... Show More
54m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2018
Chess Grandmasters
What does it take for a woman to excel in the ruthlessly competitive, male-dominated world of chess? Kim Chakanetsa meets two outstanding female players from Hungary and China to find out. Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player of all time. As a child prodigy she broke ... Show More
27m 7s
Feb 2024
Memory in Chess
On today’s show, we are joined by our co-host, Becky Hansis-O’Neil. Becky is a Ph.D. student at the University of Missouri, St Louis, where she studies bumblebees and tarantulas to understand their learning and cognitive work.   She joins us to discuss the paper: Perception in Ch ... Show More
48m 39s
Nov 2023
EP 99 | GM Hikaru on The Chess Economy
GMHikaru joins GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy in today's episode of DojoTalks where GM Hikaru Nakamura talks about professional chess life and joins the Sensei in a discussion of professional chess economics. Interested in improving? Check out the Dojo T ... Show More
1h 12m
Apr 2024
EP 114 | 2024 FIDE Candidates Recap
Join the training program - https://dojoscoreboard.com Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojolive Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop Dive into the drama and surprises of the FIDE 2024 Candidates! Join us for live breakdowns and deep dives into each game. Subscribe for m ... Show More
59m 9s
Feb 2024
277. What Happened Last Weekend: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun & We DID!
Glennon, Abby and Amanda take you behind the scenes into the magic of their recent adventure at Brandi Carlile and Catherine Carlile’s GIRLS JUST WANNA Weekend in Mexico.  Discover:  Glennon’s triumphant – gyrating – return to the stage (and why it scared her nephew);  The breath ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2023
This 69th Episode Gets Frisky w/Eliza Peach & Peter Bread
It's giving *69* y'all. Welcome back to Chins & Giggles and this week we have a Skinny Squad reunion moment! Let's catch up with Eliza Peach and Peter Bread and you know it's going to be wild. What happened at Karina's very personal appointment? What do they really think of the L ... Show More
1h 15m
Feb 2024
#143 - der Straßenverkehr
Conversation Club, apply today: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/sTFToucYoTcGp7FF9⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Membership: https://expertlygerman.com/learn-german-podcast/ My mission is to help people worldwide learn German and get to know the German culture. 📚 Weekly Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://expertlyg ... Show More
26m 21s
Feb 2024
Episode 28 - Calcutta Cup Preview, France Faulter & Zach Mercer on his England Exile
Massive weekend coming up in the Six Nations this week with the Calcutta Cup, Ireland looking to remain on course for the Slam, and France looking to recover some form. PLUS we’re joined by a number 8 who’s been tearing up trees for years but is seemingly stuck in England Exile… ... Show More
1h 13m