The World Chess Show has arrived. Broadcast in 155 countries, airing on 53 channels, and produced by World Chess, this is the TV show about chess—the rivalries, the egos, the existential crises over time controls, and, of course, Magnus Carlsen doing his things.

The inaugural episode wastes no time getting messy:
Freestyle Chess explodes onto the scene, with Chess960 destroying opening prep and leaving grandmasters to fend for themselves. Javokhir Sindarov, a last-minute qualifier, wrecks the narrative by casually dismantling Carlsen.
The Great Time Control Debate: We ask top players to pick between Classical, Rapid, or Blitz. The answers range from Anish Giri’s existential musings on aging to Jorden van Foreest’s full embrace of Blitz chaos (“just let the hand move”).

Gukesh D and Magnus Carlsen dominate the conversation without even trying, their reputations so overwhelming that every player either worships them or studies them like a science experiment.

Ding Liren fights to defend his title after a brutal losing streak, while Gukesh D attempts to become the sport’s youngest world champion.

This isn’t just a chess show—it’s chess as a global spectacle. The debates are fierce, the stakes are real, and for the first time, the world gets a front-row seat to the drama behind the moves.
Welcome to The World Chess Show. Game on.