Chess Masters release date confirmed – as BBC brings chess back to TV screens

The series kick starts on Monday 10th March at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer.

Three-time British chess champion and grandmaster David Howell will be keeping an eye on proceedings and providing expert commentary alongside expert chess coach and former Traitors contestant Anthony Mathurin.

"I'm so excited to be hosting Chess Masters, where 12 talented amateurs from across Britain are pitted against one another in the world's oldest game," Perkins said of her new role.

She continued: "It's all about psychology, strategy, smart thinking, and nerves of steel. Chess that is, not my job (which usually involves the opposite). I’m there to help us understand what’s going on in the players’ heads and make sense of what's happening on the board. We’ve been waiting over 30 years to see chess back on our TV screens. Chess Masters will make that wait worth while."

Howell added: "I'm extremely excited to be part of Chess Masters. Chess has been a huge part of my life, and I cannot wait to invite viewers into the subtleties and intrigues of the game, as well as introducing them to the chess community. We have the perfect selection of contestants, reflecting the fact that chess is a game for everyone.

"It will be an honour to work alongside Sue, Anthony, Curve Media, and the BBC to bring chess to UK screens for the first time in decades!"

Meanwhile, Mathurin, who many will recognise from The Traitors season 2, said: "I am exhilarated and incredibly excited to showcase and deep dive into the intense inner psychological battle of competitive chess with a twist of the unexpected. Let the games begin!"

Chess Masters will air on Monday 10th March at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer.

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