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.

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 both as a player and a coach.

In this episode, we chat about his journey from a Ph.D in cognitive science to becoming an in-demand course creator and popular chess YouTuber.

Can also offers some great insights for chess improvement. He shares his unique “CLAMP” method for preventing blunders – a systematic framework to help you identify Checks, Loose Pieces, Alignments, Mobility Restrictions, and Passed Pawns.

We also discuss the most popular video from Can’s YouTube channel and his new show, called The Chess Congnition Podcast.

More From Can:

• Chessable Courses
• YouTube Channel
• Twitter
• Instagram

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)

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 uncertain whether they’re worth it. And so has my guest, FM Nate Solon.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The many challenges of OTB classical events, like creating difficult situations for proper eating, sleeping, and recovery.
• ​​The identity component of "serious chess players play OTB classical" creates unnecessary pressure.
• Potential solutions like shorter time controls, more desirable tournament experiences, or online classical competitions.

FM Nate Solon is a coach, Chessable course creator, and author of a popular weekly newsletter, Zwischenzug. Here are links to all of that:

More From Nate Solon:

• Article: I Don’t Like Chess Tournaments
• Article: What Would a Fun Chess Tournament Look Like?
• Chessable Courses
• Weekly Newsletter: Zwischenzug
• 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)