logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
17m 45s

Business Daily meets: World Chess CEO Il...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

How do you make a game with a conservative image more marketable, and more profitable?

Chess has been played for centuries, two people facing off over chessboard, but now it’s big business online too.

Business Daily’s Dougal Shaw meets the head of World Chess, Ilya Merenzon, to talk about expanding the sport, the opportunities of the digital format, and the challenge of the recent cheating scandals.

Produced and presented by Dougal Shaw.

(Image: Magnus Carlsen at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in January 2021. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Today
Kidnapping for ransom
We look at the rising threat of kidnap for ransom. In West Africa, it's a growing criminal industry.But how should any of us respond if or when the worst happens to us and a loved one is taken?If you'd like to get in touch with the team, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co. ... Show More
17m 28s
Yesterday
Why are more people suing businesses?
From humble beginnings in England in the 12th century, to landmark civil rights court cases in the US in the 1960s, class actions are now rarely out of the headlines.They’re a means of bringing together large groups of people – sometimes millions – under the umbrella of a collect ... Show More
17m 28s
Mar 9
The book that built the modern economy
250 years ago, on the 9th of March 1776, a book was published that didn’t just explain the economy, it changed it. The Wealth of Nations, written by "the father of economics" Adam Smith, sparked debates that still rage today, shaping everything from global trade to how much you e ... Show More
17m 28s
Recommended Episodes
May 2016
29: How an Old-School Chess Shop Survives in Modern New York
<p>At a time when retail sales are dominated by online behemoths like Amazon Inc. and big chain stores, independent brick-and-mortar shops are under growing pressure. Imad Khachan defies the odds to run the Chess Forum in New York's Greenwich Village. Here, chess fans can buy gam ... Show More
24m 17s
Apr 2024
How The Team Behind Chess.com Turned A $55,000 Domain Into A $100 Million Annual Revenue Business
<p>Today’s podcast is with Erik Allebest, the co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://chess.com/">Chess.com</a>. We discuss the growth of chess, how much the world’s best players make, the future of chess as a spectator sport, the qualities that set the best chess players apart, ch ... Show More
33m 54s
Jan 2021
Chess Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura on Twitch Streaming and “The Queen's Gambit”
We're in a rare moment where chess is popular in the United States. There are two big factors driving it. One is the smash hit Netflix show "The Queen's Gambit." The other is the rise of Twitch streaming, as gamers play online for thousands of fans. On this episode, we speak with ... Show More
47m 18s
Dec 2020
Beyond The Queen's Gambit with Chess.com's Danny Rensch
<p>The Queen's Gambit on Netflix has reinvigorated the world's interested in chess. Or has it? Chess.com has been slowly but surely developing online chess into a vibrant and exciting community. Their innovative Chess.com/tv has folks playing and analyzing chess games like EPSN. ... Show More
36m 41s
Jan 2024
The Adult Improver Chess Life with Sam Canciobello
078 Dedicating three years of your life to chess as an adult is huge. Especially when it includes OTB classical tournaments and running a chess YouTube channel. That’s been the story of Sam Canciobello.Inspired by the Queen’s Gambit, her passion for chess - now in its fourth year ... Show More
1h 1m
Jan 2024
WGM Jennifer Shahade: Her New Tactics Book, Appearing on Jeopardy, & Leaving US Chess
076 Jennifer Shahade returns to the podcast! 2023 was a major one for her, and we discuss the major milestones of her year.If you’re not familiar, Jennifer is a 2-time US Women’s Chess Champion, author of 4 chess books (including the recent hit Chess Queens), and a long-time advo ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2014
Susan Polgar, How to be rich as a king, chess style
Susan is a Hungarian-born American chess Grandmaster. She is famous for having been a child prodigy at chess, for being a pioneer for women in chess, and for being an advocate for chess in education. 
38m 31s
Jul 2018
Chess Grandmasters
<p>What does it take for a woman to excel in the ruthlessly competitive, male-dominated world of chess? Kim Chakanetsa meets two outstanding female players from Hungary and China to find out. </p><p>Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player of all time. As a child prodigy ... Show More
27m 7s
Apr 2024
Countering the Effects of Aging on Chess Plus Tips on Strategy w/ WIM Natasha Regan
086 She’s a rock star of chess accomlishments. WIM Natasha Regan has represented England in two chess Olympiads. She’s co-authored two award-winning chess books with GM Matthew Sadler. And, in recent years, Natasha has co-created three Chessable courses on strategy.Even outside o ... Show More
1h 13m
Nov 2018
Why are Russians so good at Chess?
<p>Will and Mango go deep into their chess cave to determine: what's the most dangerous styles of chess, why did the game move from the battlefield to the royal court, and if a billion people to play chess, can that stop an alien invasion?</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-cho ... Show More
36m 42s