Watching the World Championship
The greatest chess player might not be playing – but the greatest one-on-one showdown is well underway in Singapore. Like Magnus Carlsen, we can watch the drama unfold.
Here’s a quick summary of a few of the viewing options…
Hosted by the slick and shiny John Sargent, the chess24 stream features arguably the two GOAT commentators in GOAT female chess queen, Judit Polgar, and GOAT bullet pun machine, Daniel Naroditsky. Well-suited for strong players, but the inclusion of Sargent and the talent of Naroditsky make this an entertaining option for all. This stream features live video footage.
Carlsen’s new venture features former Champions Chess Tour queen Kaja Snare as host, with support from GM Jon Ludwig Hammer. A great option for lower-rated players and beginners, the commentary Hammer explaining the moves using a real board. Notation and fancy chess speak is banned and Kaja, a journalist not a chess player, assists a mainstream TV production feel. A downside is the lack of live video footage, which the studio environment seeks to compensate.
IM Sagar Shah’s powerhouse stream features an all-Indian panel packed with personality, volume, and partisan support. His co-hosts include IM Tania Sachdev – most famous for losing two games to me when she was about six years old.
English duo GM David Howell and IM Jovanka Houska revive their past commentary partnership, with assistance from former world champion Vishy Anand. The latter provides SuperGM-level insight but Houska is a capable host and Howell is acclaimed at all levels for his ability to explain the complexities of chess in a manner palatable for players of any standard.
Fancy some peace and quiet? This stream simply features the live video feed of the players alongside the moves on a 2D display board. No evaluation bar, no commentary, no nonsense. The best option to watch the games whilst at work ;-)
Recaps and Highlights
If you aren’t able to watch the live action from 9am each day, there are plenty of shorter video recaps. In addition to the chess24 recap, you can find daily summaries on the YouTube streams of Ben Finegold, Hikaru Nakamura, Arturs Neiksans, Jozarov, and, via the Take Take Take channel, Magnus Carlsen and Levy Rozman (aka GothamChess).