WGM Dina Belenkaya: A Born Chess Entertainer, Her New Course, & Chasing the IM Title Artwork

The Chess Experience

Chess improvement as an adult is harder than it should be. Plus, the journey can sometimes feel too stressful and serious. This show aims to fix that by 1) interviewing experts who can offer clarity on the best ways to improve; and 2) giving you a heap of fun with “chess entertainment” shows that discuss chess culture, events, movies, etc. Most episodes feature a guest, but sometimes I'll do a solo show on a topic. This is all brought to you by me, Daniel Lona. I’m a dedicated chess amateur and the owner of Adult Chess Academy. After listening to this podcast, I want you to have a clearer idea of how to improve, and have a more fun, dynamic chess experience. Please follow the show so you don’t miss an episode!

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The Chess Experience

WGM Dina Belenkaya: A Born Chess Entertainer, Her New Course, & Chasing the IM Title

May 07, 2024 • Episode 90

090 With natural charisma and exceptional chess skills, Dina Belenkaya is perfect for this new era of chess. A serious student of the game all her life, she competed professionally and earned the WGM title in 2016. In 2020, Dina began her new career as a streamer and content creator...

Just two years later, her popularity soared. Dina delivered bold and funny interviews with the world’s top players at the FIDE Grand Prix, and the videos went viral.

Dina has a sharp wit and a sense of joy in her videos that are rarely seen even amongst other chess celebrities.

These days, she focuses on her chess YouTube channel, where she often plays super GMs in trash-talking blitz games. And, this year, she released her first course and online chess community: Russian Chess School.

We chat:

Will she continue to beat Levy (Gotham Chess) in Titled Tuesday?
Why her course is unique and groundbreaking in the chess world.
Her goal of earning the IM title and what she needs to achieve it.

People on this episode

Daniel Lona

Host