Chess to return to TV after ‘over 30 years of waiting’ with Sue Perkins as host

Sue Perkins volition contiguous a caller chess contention amusement connected the BBC, the corp has confirmed.

The BBC antecedently broadcast chess tournaments done the amusement The Master Game, which aired successful the 1970s and 1980s, and saw commentary from erstwhile champions of the crippled arsenic it was hosted by Jeremy James.

Perkins, a erstwhile co-host of The Great British Bake Off, said her programme, with the moving rubric Chess Masters, volition spot “12 talented amateurs from crossed Britain are pitted against 1 different successful the world’s oldest game”.

The 55-year-old added: “It’s each astir psychology, strategy, astute thinking, and nerves of steel. Chess that is, not my occupation (which usually involves the opposite). I’m determination to assistance america recognize what’s going connected successful the players’ heads and marque consciousness of what’s happening connected the board.

“We’ve been waiting implicit 30 years to spot chess backmost connected our TV screens. Chess Masters volition marque that hold worthwhile.”

Chess manager and erstwhile The Traitors contestant Anthony Mathurin, and three-time British chess champion and grandmaster David Howell volition supply commentary for the show.

Howell said: “Chess has been a immense portion of my life, and I cannot hold to invitation viewers into the subtleties and intrigues of the game, arsenic good arsenic introducing them to the chess community.

“We person the cleanable enactment of contestants, reflecting the information that chess is simply a crippled for everyone.”

The eight-part bid comes aft a surge successful the popularity of chess amid the merchandise of the deed Netflix bid The Queen’s Gambit starring Anya Taylor-Joy.

It was announced past twelvemonth by the erstwhile authorities that 100 chess boards volition beryllium installed successful nationalist parks crossed the country.