Just hours away from the start!

As the Candidates Tournament approaches, GM Daniel King presents a series of video profiles examining each of the eight participants. With more than three decades of professional experience, King brings a measured and informed perspective, drawing on his background as a player, author and long-standing commentator on major chess events.

In this collection, each contender is assessed in turn, with attention given to their recent form, stylistic tendencies, and potential vulnerabilities. The Candidates Tournament, held every two years, remains one of the most demanding events in the chess calendar: a double round-robin format spanning fourteen classical games. It is a competition in which consistency is paramount, and where the eventual winner earns the right to challenge the reigning World Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, later in the year.

Powerplay 26: Checkmate Challenge — essential knowledge

Checkmate. That's the aim of the game. There are numerous ways to checkmate the enemy king, but there are common patterns that recur over and over again, and having these at our mental fingertips is essential for when we want to finish the game.

The field includes established elite players such as Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, alongside in-form challengers who have recently demonstrated their strength on the international stage.

With the opening round scheduled for Sunday, we are now just hours away from the start of play. This series serves as a timely introduction, allowing viewers to familiarise themselves with the competitors before the tournament begins. As the event unfolds, King will continue his coverage with daily highlights, selecting and analysing key games from each round.

Individual profiles

Hikaru Nakamura

Fabiano Caruana

Wei Yi

Mastering Chess Strategy Vol.1-3

Become a master of chess strategy – get Robert Ris’s complete bundle now at a special price!
Become a master of chess strategy – get Robert Ris’s complete bundle now at a special price!

Anish Giri

Javokhir Sindarov

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu

Reversed Sicilian Power - Win with 1.c4 e5!

In this course, IM Nico Zwirs presents the Reversed Sicilian as a powerful and practical weapon for White
In this course, IM Nico Zwirs presents the Reversed Sicilian as a powerful and practical weapon for White. The core idea is simple: players who already play the Sicilian with Black can leverage their existing knowledge to build a dynamic and effective setup with White.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 2.d3 Sidelines

Andrey Esipenko

Matthias Bluebaum

Power Play 27 and 28 - The King's Gambit and Tactic Toolbox

Glorious sacrifices, unexpected tactics and checkmating attacks. The King's Gambit is one of the oldest and most romantic openings in the game of chess. These DVDs contain all you need to know to play the King's Gambit.