World of chess

GM Hikaru Nakamura cooked up a storm at the Checkmate: USA vs India match. Was the reaction was over the top?

Celebrities and sports stars playing chess against grandmasters never ends well. Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc and Sir Lewis Hamilton found that out against GM Teimour Radjabov. Photo: Ferrari.

Sometimes chess just gives you a nice warm feeling inside. So it was when Bodhana Sivanandan faced U.S. Chess Hall of Famer James Sherwin at the 2025 UK Open Blitz Qualifier.

It happened. The BBC finally aired Chess Masters: The Endgame, a highly produced, slightly deranged attempt to turn chess into a hybrid of The Great British Bake Off, Survivor, and The Queen’s Gambit — minus the pills and wigs.

This is a short guide on how to go back to playing OTB, find opponents, and show emotions when winning or loosing.