Chess Masters: The End Game - Sue Perkins Interview
Sue Perkins hosts this high-stakes chess contest, following twelve rising stars of the UK’s booming chess community. Across eight episodes, passionate and highly skilled players from all backgrounds will battle it out across a series of brainteasing puzzles and intense eliminators before one will be crowned Chess Champion. As the players face off over the board, UK Grandmaster and three-time British champion David Howell provides expert commentary, alongside chess coach and former Traitors contestant Anthony Mathurin.
Chess Masters: The Endgame will air on Monday 10 March at 8pm on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two.
Interview with Sue Perkins
What can you tell us about the series?
It’s been over 30 years since chess was on our TV screens, and a lot has changed in that time. It’s gone from being a beloved board game to an online phenomenon. It’s also become sexy (thank you, The Queen’s Gambit). In this show, twelve of Britain’s rising stars of the chess world are pitted against one another in the world’s oldest game of strategy. What I love about this series is how much we get to see of the psychology and gamesmanship behind the moves. It’s as much about human nature as it is about the placing of pieces across a checkered board. Viewers who are experienced chess players will be able to analyse the specifics of the games, but newcomers will also get an entertaining taste of how brutal and fun these epic battles can be. To see what the brain is capable of under such pressure is a beautiful thing.
What do you love most about chess?
I love that you can get lost in it. I have attention issues, which makes long games difficult, but in ten-minute matches I find I can become completely absorbed. It’s a kind of strategic, singular mindfulness. You’re not just playing your opponent, you’re testing yourself; your limits, your memory, your mental stamina.
What makes chess so special and why is it one of the oldest games?
There’s a reason Chess has endured for centuries. It’s easy to learn the basics, but it takes a lifetime to master. It’s about derring-do. It’s about ego. It’s about study and concentration, but it’s also about the sudden surprise of the moment. It’s also a game that anyone can play, anywhere in the world, either online or at home. It’s for everyone.
Chessmasters: The Endgame starts Monday on BBC Two and iPlayer.
