Chessmasters: The Endgame: What time is it on and how to watch – Best TV on tonight

Chessmasters: The Endgame starts tonight!

In what could become UK television’s next cult hit, Sue Perkins hosts this thrilling chess competition, spotlighting twelve of the UK’s rising chess stars.

How does Chessmasters: The Endgame work?

Over the course of eight episodes, these passionate and skilled players from diverse backgrounds will compete in challenging puzzles and high-stakes eliminations, with one ultimately being crowned Chess Champion.

What time is Chessmasters: The Endgame on? And what channel?

Chessmasters: The Endgame starts tonight at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer. There are 8 episodes in the series, each lasting 30 minutes.

Who are the commentators on Chessmasters: The Endgame?

As the contestants clash on the board, UK Grandmaster and three-time British champion David Howell offers expert commentary, joined by chess coach and former Traitors contestant Anthony Mathurin.

Anthony Mathurin says: “Chess is life! It teaches and transfers many valuable life skills. The choices and possibilities are endless hence the game has survived for centuries. Chess knows no boundaries. The board is the ultimate leveller. The game is for everybody!”

David Howell says: “Chess has been my life, and I can’t wait to share this world with the British public. Hopefully we’ll be able to break some stereotypes along the way and show that chess is fun, exciting, and – most importantly – a game for everyone!”

Sue Perkins says “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”.

Read a full interview with Sue about the series, here.