The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis is launching a new online show, Today in Chess.
Tony Rich, executive director of the CCSCSL, explained the concept of the new series: “Here in Saint Louis, the chess capital of the United States, we take pride in coming up with innovative ways of raising awareness throughout the chess world. With the Moscow Candidates Tournament in full swing, we felt the time was right to create an entire new type of program that would give thoughtful insights on the most topical events that most chess fans are following.
“When GM Maurice Ashley shared his vision for Today in Chess, we all fell in love with it and decided to act quickly to bring together all the talented people needed to make the show a reality.”
Today in Chess is a fast-paced, no holds-barred accounting of hot topics in the world of chess. Grandmasters will highlight key moments of critical games, going over the thrills and spills from all the day’s action. The show intends to be educational as well as entertaining and will feature the best technologies available on the Internet as well as those from the world of chess.
Audience members can participate with their own questions and vote in polls as well as suggest key topics for discussion, including the latest controversies on everyone’s mind.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I love sports,” says Ashley. “I’m an avid fan of Sports Center which gives condensed highlights of all the sports that happened that day. It occurred to me that chess needed something similar, that it would be wonderful for chess fans to have a single place that they could turn to that would feature insights by top grandmasters on the most topical events happening in their beloved game.”
The first Today in Chess segment premiered at noon March 20 from the Chess Club and Scholastic Center. Previously recorded segments can be found on the CCSCSL’s YouTube Channel. The two-hour show features host, GM Alejandro Ramirez, along with regular co-commentators, GM Yasser Seirawan and GM Maurice Ashley. It also featured the St. Louis debut of GM Eric Hansen, the Chess Club’s GM in residence and one of Canada’s top grandmasters.
“Our aim is to work together with organizers, federations, clubs, players and fans alike to create an enjoyable program that will raise the awareness of chess throughout the world,” said Joy Bray, general manager for both the World Chess Hall of Fame and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center.
The next episode of Today in Chess will steam live from uschesschamps.com/todayinchess at noon today, March 24.
