BBC confirms return of chess to TV after 30 year hiatus

Chess has not been seen on the BBC for more than 30 years.

Chess tournaments were previously broadcast through a TV show called The Master Game, which aired in the 1970s and 1980s.

The programme featured commentary from previous champions of the game and was hosted by Jeremy James.

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Chess to return to the BBC for first time in more than 30 years

Now, after a more than 30 year hiatus the BBC is set to bring chess back with former Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins to present a new show called Chess Masters (working title).

The new show will see “12 talented amateurs from across Britain are pitted against one another in the world’s oldest game”.

Perkins added: “It’s all about psychology, strategy, smart thinking, and nerves of steel. Chess that is, not my job (which usually involves the opposite).

"I’m there to help us understand what’s going on in the players’ heads and make sense of what’s happening on the board.

“We’ve been waiting over 30 years to see chess back on our TV screens. Chess Masters will make that wait worthwhile.”

Former Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins will present the new chess show on the BBC. (Image: Jane Barlow/PA Wire) Chess coach and former The Traitors contestant Anthony Mathurin, and three-time British chess champion and grandmaster David Howell will provide commentary for the show.

Howell said: “Chess has been a huge part of my life, and I cannot wait to invite viewers into the subtleties and intrigues of the game, as well as introducing them to the chess community.

“We have the perfect selection of contestants, reflecting the fact that chess is a game for everyone.”

The eight-part series comes after a surge in the popularity of chess amid the release of the hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit starring Anya Taylor-Joy back in 2020.

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It is said to be the fastest growing sport in the world, with an estimated six million people regularly playing chess in the UK.

Chess also boasts a number of high profile celebrity fans including Will Smith, Madonna and Leonardo de Caprio.

Chess Masters will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, but a start date it yet to be revealed.