c4countdown

Occupying the Only Connect time slot for the next 8 weeks, Sue Perkins (I know, yet another gig) oversees a competition of chess players battling out in this tournament. Mondays 8 pm on BBC Two/iPlayer.

Looks to have divided critics: 2 stars from The Guardian, calling it dull and unwatchable; 4 stars from The Telegraph, who think it’s hit the mark.

Kudos to BBC Two for trying something different. It’s a good idea and the analysis was succinct, but the contestants took it way too seriously. Two of them were talking to each other mid-game. That’s a no-no.

Only Connect is deliberately difficult, but it’s also completely unserious and that’s why it’s a hit.

If they’re going to bring chess to the masses like this, they need to somehow bring the World Championship Final (or blitz/rapid) to free-to-air TV with commentary in a way the public can understand.

I had it on in the background while round a friend's. It seems a bit pointless and arbitrary. Chess is already a thing with tournaments and rankings, so just picking some small subset of players based on who they decide should be on television and finding a winner from them is meaningless.