BBC Revives Chess on TV with New Show “Chess Masters”

The BBC is set to bring back the excitement of chess to television screens with a new show called Chess Masters, scheduled to air in 2025. This revival comes decades after the success of the popular TV show The Master Game, which captivated audiences between 1976 and 1983.

Chess Masters will feature players of different ages and backgrounds competing in rapid games to claim the title of Chess Master. The show aims to make chess entertaining and accessible to all, tapping into the recent surge in the game’s popularity fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, The Queen’s Gambit series, and popular streamers like Levy Rozman and Hikaru Nakamura.

Produced by Curve Media and commissioned by BBC’s Factual Entertainment division, Chess Masters promises to showcase the strategic and smart-thinking aspects of chess in a competitive and engaging format. The show’s emphasis on inclusivity will see players from all walks of life showcasing their skills and battling it out for the ultimate title.

IM Malcolm Pein, the English Chess Federation’s Director of International Chess, humorously noted the evolution of chess into a cool and widely appealing activity, citing references to chess in popular culture like Taylor Swift’s lyrics. The BBC’s decision to bring back chess to TV reflects the game’s universal appeal and its ability to transcend boundaries of age, sex, language, and culture.

With Chess Masters set to hit screens next year, viewers can look forward to a thrilling and insightful journey into the world of chess, where strategy and skill take center stage in a battle for supremacy. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new show that promises to reignite the passion for chess among audiences of all ages.