BBC TO REVIVE HUGE CHESS SHOW AS POPULARITY SOARS THANKS TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

BBC bosses are rebooting their chess coverage with a new series in which highly skilled players battle it out to be crowned Chess Master.

The game - brought to life for millions in recent years by hit Netflix drama The Queen’s Gambit - is currently the fastest-growing sport in the world and, in February, was the most downloaded app for iPhones. Now BBC bosses are hoping to recapture the magic they achieved with The Master Game, which ran for seven series from 1976 to 1983. The new competition format, Chess Masters, will air across eight episodes on BBC2 next year and feature passionate players aged from eight to 80 going head to head in a series of rapid chess games.

Camilla Lewis, executive producer for Curve Media, said the series will give amateur players the chance to compete against the best. Saying the project had been “a joy” to develop, she explained: “We are delighted to be making this warm, inclusive and clever series, where the emotional as well as strategic stakes are high. There is untapped talent out there and the audience will get unique insights into the psychological and practical gameplay of this age-old but highly accessible game played by all cultures and by people of all kinds.”

The English Chess Federation is thrilled that the much-loved game, which has six million regular players in the UK, will soon be back on the box. Federation director Malcolm Pein said: “The chess community has waited over thirty years for the game to return to our screens and everyone is hugely excited.”

He said that chess has never been so popular. “When Taylor Swift waxes lyrical about chess openings in her latest album, you know chess has become cool. The world’s oldest game has evolved into a 24/7 365 activity as well as a big money e-sport that has appeal across the generations. The way chess almost uniquely crosses all boundaries of age, sex, language and culture convinced me that our national broadcaster is its natural home.”

More than 600 million adults play regularly across the world, and the game counts Anthony Joshua, Madonna and Will Smith among its celebrity fans. The Master Game was presented by Jeremy James in the 70s with expert analysis provided by Leonard Barden and later Bill Hartston.

At the time the show was described as “radical” for its innovative use of a glass chess table and chess pieces with symbols stuck to their bases. A display board to the left of the screen showed the moves, while the players’ thought processes were provided by a voice-over.

BBC factual entertainment commissioning boss Catherine Catton said Chess Masters would bring viewers something unique. “In a market of competitions that celebrate physical feats we’re really excited to back an idea that foregrounds strategy and smart thinking.”

The Queen’s Gambit, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as chess prodigy Beth Harmon, set the record for Netflix’s most-watched drama after 62million households tuned in across the first month after its release in October 2020. Despite being a one-off series, with no new episodes, it still drew 46million viewing hours in 2023.

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2024-04-23T18:07:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd