2026 · Documentary · 75 minutes · Magnus Carlsen & Hans Niemann
Verdict: SKIP – unless you’re into chess
The Jordan fadeaway. Federer’s forehand. David Beckham’s right foot.
Those are things you can appreciate whether you ever played the sport.
What about golf? Or snooker? Probably less exciting, but they all have one thing in common: you either make the shot or you don’t. No matter how much skill is involved, it always comes down to one thing: you hit or you miss.
Chess has a very unique problem: that ball-hitting-the-net moment exists, but 99% of people can’t tell when.
It’s almost impossible for an outsider to appreciate what’s happening without any basic knowledge of the game.
So the question becomes this: can Chess Mates overcome this hurdle and keep me engaged? Sadly, I have to say no. For all the drama, the rise of online chess, the rivalries, and the cheating allegations, it just failed to catch any real fire.
But it did make me wonder: Jordan pivoting to baseball, or Rafa’s lingering injuries — they’re only interesting because we’re so invested in these athletes. It’s important to us because Jordan on sabbatical deprives us of a possible four rings in a row, and an injured Rafa means one less iconic clash with Roger or Novak. These are moments in sports history we’ll never get back.
Once you take away what they mean to us, we’re left with a story about a guy who took some time off from his job, and a dude with a bad knee.
For all I know, Chess Mates is a great watch for chess fans. It’s just not for me.