logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
54m 5s

Behind the Mic: Daniel Lona Interviewed ...

Daniel Lona
About this episode

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!):

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)

Up next
Apr 29
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 23
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 8
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
Jan 2025
EP 139 | Who Decides The World Championship? ft. GM Jacob Aagaard
The sensei are joined by GM Jacok Aagaard to discuss who decides the world championship. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo  Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club  Play Chess - ... Show More
2 h
Jul 2024
EP 119 | What Does it Take to Succeed in Senior Chess
Join the training program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojolive Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop GM Jesse Kraai, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, and IM David Pruess talk about the world of senior chess, the 2024 U.S. Senior Chess Championship, and w ... Show More
1h 6m
Mar 2025
Book Recap #38- Discussing 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know with Kevin Scull
The Perpetual Chess Book Review series, Chess Books Recaptured is back, to discuss a new tactics primer that has been getting a lot of buzz, 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know by FM Frank Erwich. My guest co-host is Kevin Scull, the host of the Chess Journeys podcast, and a dedi ... Show More
24m 47s
Feb 2024
EP 107 | The Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge
Join the training program - https://dojoscoreboard.com Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojolive  Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop  IM David Pruess, IM Kostya Kavutskiy, and GM Jesse Kraai talk about Magnus Carlsen's tournament, the Freestyle Chess GOAT Challenge, th ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 2024
Ep470 - Levy Rozman | GothamChess: The Internet's Chess Teacher
Levy Rozman aka GothamChess, the creator behind the most subscribed-to chess channel on YouTube, discusses his New York Times bestseller “How to Win at Chess: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond.” Filled with practical and easy-to-follow tips for improving your game, the ... Show More
59 m