A global TV show for chess

Key Highlights:

• A global chess TV property airing in 156 markets across 53 networks;
• A modern and dynamic take on chess, featuring top players, exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage, and a fresh storytelling approach;
• More than a tournament stream—this is a full-scale media property;
• The World Chess Show promotes Chess Arena, the official online chess platform, ensuring its recognition in every market;
• Sponsorship opportunities built into the series, offering a projected 12:1 media ROI.​

What Is Happening?

With nearly a billion fans worldwide, chess has finally secured a major television property that reflects its cultural and competitive importance. The World Chess Show, supported by World Chess PLC, is the definitive chess TV series—bringing the game to a broad global audience, making it engaging, accessible, and impossible to ignore.

The series showcases chess’s biggest stars, intense rivalries, and iconic moments, blending elite competition with compelling storytelling. It is positioned to expand chess’s reach beyond dedicated players to a mainstream, intelligent audience that appreciates drama, strategy, and innovation.

Why World Chess Is Behind This Show

World Chess PLC operates ChessArena.com, the official FIDE online chess platform, allowing players to gain recognized ratings and titles. The company understands better than anyone that chess has moved beyond the niche and is now a global phenomenon, with its own stars, drama, and vast commercial potential.
Sponsorship and Media Opportunities

The World Chess Show presents a premium marketing opportunity for brands targeting an affluent, intelligent audience:

• Prime-time slots on 53 networks in 156 markets;
• Multiple integrated sponsorships and advertising slots;
• A highly engaged, international audience;
• A projected 12:1 return on investment for sponsors and advertisers.

Ilya Merenzon, CEO of World Chess, commented: “This isn’t just a TV show—it’s a turning point for chess as a global sport. Chess has long been underrepresented in mainstream media, despite its massive following. The World Chess Show changes that, making chess more accessible, engaging, and proving once and for all that it belongs in prime time.”

The First Episode of the World Chess Show

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 ageing 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.