logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
52m 51s

Bishops, Bullet, and Bobby Fischer: Dani...

Daniel Lona
About this episode

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)



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
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
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
May 2023
EP 84 | Will AI Replace Chess Coaching?
AI, the invisible grandmaster, is changing the game of chess. Join the ChessDojo sensei - IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, and GM Jesse Kraai - in talking about the impact of artificial intelligence in chess and life. 0:00 Intro 4:15 Can AI give meaningful chess feedback? 21 ... Show More
53m 13s
Jan 2025
Magnus Carlsen on the Fusion of Chess and Football: Men in Blazers 01/02/25
Five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen joins Rog for an in-depth conversation about his illustrious chess career and his lifelong passion for football. He shares invaluable fantasy football strategies and offers insights into the fascinating parallels between the chessboar ... Show More
30m 8s
Aug 23
EP 163 | Blitz Specialists
This Dojo Talks explores what makes some players stronger at blitz than others, contrasting calculation-based vs. intuitive styles, online vs. over-the-board skills, and the role of premoves, time management, and tricky opening repertoires. The sensei also discuss the rise of a “ ... Show More
1h 7m
Feb 2025
Vidit Gujrathi’s Wedding Announcement! Not Accepting Rishtas Anymore 💍 | It's Official!
What happens when a chess grandmaster makes the biggest move of his life—and it’s not on the board? 🤯 Vidit Gujrathi, India’s 30th Grandmaster, has checkmated every opponent, but has someone finally checkmated him? Born in Nashik, to doctor parents, Vidit’s chess journey began a ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2024
TIP657: Morgan Housel's Lessons to Build Wealth w/ Clay Finck
On today’s episode, Clay shares the most important lessons he’s learned from Morgan Housel.Morgan Housel is a partner at The Collaborative Fund. He's the New York Times Bestselling author of The Psychology of Money and Same As Ever. His books have sold over 4.5 million copies and ... Show More
1h 4m
Feb 2025
TIP699: Unlocking High-Growth Investments w/ Jason Donville and Jesse Gamble
In today's episode, Kyle Grieve chats with Jason Donville and Jesse Gamble about their investing philosophy, their emphasis on focusing on growth and value, their evolution from using ROE-focused metrics to the rule of 40 to identify great investing opportunities, how to use the ... Show More
1h 12m
Sep 10
Game Scoop! 824: Silksong Kept You Waiting, Huh?
Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop!, the ONLY video game podcast! This week your Omega Cops -- Daemon Hatfield, Peer Schneider, Sam Claiborn, and Justin Davis -- are discussing Hollow Knight: Silksong, Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots, Nintendo's design philosophy, Donkey Kong Bananza, Fa ... Show More
1h 13m