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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

WIM Svitlana Demchenko - Insights on Imbalances and Her Dynamic Chess Life

January 08, 2025 • Daniel Lona • Episode 111

111 She does it all. WIM Svitlana Demchenko is a course creator, coach, streamer, and high-level chess competitor. Born in Ukraine and a long-time Canadian citizen, Svitlana proved herself early in chess, becoming a five-time Canadian girls champion. In more recent years, she’s competed in the Chess Olympiad three times as part of the Canadian women’s team.

She’s also published several fantastic opening and strategy courses for ChessBase. And, each week, she streams chess on Twitch.

Finally, rounding out her chess activities, is a regular video show called Smart Moves, where Svitlana coaches an amateur player. In the process, she focuses on key topics that’ll help any club player improve their chess.

In this episode, we discuss:

The undervalued topic of imbalances in chess and why club players should probably spend more time on this concept.
How Svitlana juggles her pursuit of a medical career and a robust chess life.
Her chase for the WGM title.
Her thoughts on the World Championship event and Gukesh as the new champ.

More From Svitlana:

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