I was watching then I switched to this... and it was more exciting.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

I have. I’m a just skilled enough chess player to realize what end game these guys are playing towards four moves after the fact. They’re both brilliant and very well matched.

NPR had a nice story this morning about it. The challenger is from St. Louis and that is no fluke. That city (and a private benefactor) has made investments in building a Hall of Fame facility, supporting school and club teams, and bidding on a future word championship.

Watched the first match on uschesschamps. It was good 2 grandmasters doing commentary and playing ideas of what could happen. Actually found it very exciting.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Chess om the computer or TV is like curling.
You start out saying, this is stupid, then 3 hours later you are talking to the screen: No you have to move the rook to c4..........

Game over

I used to play a lot of chess, belonged to a club and entered a few tournaments. But that was years ago. Last time I actually followed a world championship on TV was probably way back when Bobby Fischer was playing Boris Spassky.

i recall it being fairly regularly on TV in the UK when i was a kid. we'd have a very young Bill Hartson presenting Master Game, explaining strategies and options as the players stared at the board. Not boring at all. Nowhere near as niche as chess on TV would be now......my family watched and we were fairly normal working class.

watching chess always makes me feel a bit dim - but still a bit smarter than i was before i watched it.

i saw a Real Sports feature on the st Louis benefactor and squad he supports. No idea how much this approach improves the chances of finding another chess genius.

I watched a video of Magnus Carlsen, very impressive.

I don't follow chess but always nice to see a child prodigy in action.

LOL, the guy he lost to (not sure but I think the Italian-American was younger) started playing chess at 5 and winning adult tournaments at 6. I think they both qualify as child prodigies.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

I, too, found the coverage riveting. Here's some highlights for those who missed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQPmxDB04Ps

I wonder how many here are old enough to have watched that on PBS? They had a big board on the wall with pieces that they slotted into position. Moves came in on a teletype. They got a bunch of NY chess players (including a young black kid, IIRC) to provide commentary. I remember they all said that Fischer shouldn't take that poisoned pawn...which he did and he lost the game.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

So true since it was 1972. Sometimes I almost forget how old I am:-) It certainly was a fantastic match, a classic us vs them, good vs evil Cold War conflict in which Fischer emerged as the all American hero known all over the world for his symbolic defeat of communism, only to fall out of favor with his oddball behavior such as his reclusive lifestyle as well as his anti American and anti Jewish comments, despite being half Jewish himself and eventually getting his American passport revoked. It was the only time in history that as many Americans were watching chess as much as any of the pro sports teams. Fischer remains regarded as possibly the greatest champion chess player of all time as well as the most peculiar. .