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 watching the Magnus-Nepo World Championship match, she committed to the game in January ‘22. At the time, she was rated well below 1000.Since then, she’s worked with two coaches, attended over half a dozen OTB classical tournaments, and follows weekly study plans.Now, her FIDE rating is already over 1200 and on the rise.Topping it off, Solveig launched a YouTube channel, Rookie Redhead, detailing some of her chess journey and lessons learned. (Link below.)In this interview, we discuss:Whether you can ever really feel like you’re good at chessThe value of breaking some “rules” of chess improvementThe struggle of feeling confident in your chess abilitiesMore From Solveig:Solveig’s TwitterSolveig's YouTube channelSolveig’s video with IM Andras Toth on confidenceSolveig’s coaches: WIM Sheila Barth Stanford and IM Petter Haugli>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)

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 USCF - and still rising!Plus, she’s attending OTB classical tournaments nearly every month and has a chess coaching business called, Chess Is Best.In this episode, we discuss: Stacia’s Top 8 Chess Improvement LessonsHow switching from d4 to e4 dramatically improved her chess - and why other club players should also play 1.e4Why tactics are by FAR the most important area of chess for improvement More From Stacia:Stacia’s Website Stacia’s YouTube channelStacia’s Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)

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 chess goals.The good news is that during these months, while my tactical vision waned, I eventually gained two key insights into how to manage a setback in my chess studies. I hope nothing ever slows down your chess progress…But if that happens, this episode may give you some camaraderie and helpful advice...>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)

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 then, he’s become an International Master.And, in recent years, he garnered two of the three norms needed in his pursuit of the Grandmaster title.Again, all on his own. No coach.Kassa’s chess journey is wildly impressive. Yet, as you hear him tell his story, it’s surprisingly relatable for a club player.In this interview, Kassa shares some superb improvement insights that he’s gained from over two decades in chess.Adult improvers: you can soak up a lot of wisdom from his lessons!Plus, Kassa delves into what impact he’s excited to make in his new position as Head of Community with Chess.com. Finally, Kassa offers what career(s) he would pursue if it had to be something other than chess.Follow Kassa on Twitter>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)

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 experienced nearly every major corner of the chess world.She’s also run tournaments, become a FIDE-certified arbiter, and in recent years built a unique chess business.Lena wants to make it easier for the chess community to connect. To find each other. And expand on their love for the game.So, she created a company called Outpost, which does exactly that.In this episode, we discuss Lena’s exciting chess journey, a key lesson she learned from years of coaching that’ll help adult improvers, and the details of her “LinkedIn for Chess” business.More From Lena: Outpost Chess websiteLena’s TwitterLena’s Instagram>> Join my official FREE club for The Chess Experience on Chess.com<< (PROMOTION)