Maverick Chess Podcasts

This is an important update about the future of Maverick Chess. After creating more than 420 videos, 81 Shorts, 87 livestreams, 45 podcast episodes, 61 community posts, and building an amazing chess community, I've decided to take a short break from YouTube. In this video, I explain the reasons behind the decision, including university exams, burnout, stress, imposter syndrome, and the need to...

The Esports Nations Cup 2026 is set to bring together the world’s best chess players in a massive international online chess competition featuring a $600,000 prize fund, regional qualifiers, wildcards, and national representation. With players qualifying through the Champions Chess Tour, Titled Tuesday Grand Prix, and regional events across the globe, the Esports Nations Cup could become one of th...

The Chess.com Open Playoffs bring together top players like Magnus Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Javokhir Sindarov in a high-stakes knockout event with a $250,000 prize pool and qualification spots for the Esports World Cup, making this one of the most competitive online chess tournaments of 2026.WATCH NEXT:▶️ Play in 1→ https://youtu.be/kKxl62xR6UQ▶️ Play in 2 → https://youtu.be/NMeKBmIkt4g🔗...

The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament delivered one of the most dominant performances in modern chess history as Javokhir Sindarov secured victory with a record-breaking score, while Vaishali Rameshbabu won the Women’s Candidates to earn a World Championship match against Ju Wenjun. In this video, we break down the key moments, biggest turning points, standout games, and what this means for the futu...

In this video, I share my full thoughts and review of the Netflix documentary Untold: Chess Mates, which dives into the controversial cheating scandal involving Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, and Chess.com. This breakdown covers the key moments of the documentary, the accusations of cheating, the Sinquefield Cup drama, online vs over-the-board controversies, and whether the film presents an accurat...

PogChamps 6/7 is back with a brand-new format, bigger stakes, and some of the internet’s biggest creators battling it out for a $100,000 prize pool. Featuring stars like Jynxzi, StableRonaldo, and Agent00, this celebrity chess tournament delivers chaos, blunders, and unforgettable moments. With a fast-paced group stage and knockout format, PogChamps 6/7 promises high-energy entertainment while int...

In this video I give a full preview of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026, the event that will determine who challenges the reigning world champion in the next title match. I explain the format, schedule, prize fund, and introduce all eight qualified players including Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, and Anish Giri, breaking down their chances and the key storylines he...

In this video I preview the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026, the event that will determine who challenges reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. I break down the format, schedule, prize fund, and all eight participants including Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Divya Deshmukh, and Anna Muzychuk, analyzing their chances, head-to-head records, and key storylines ahead of the double...

In this video I share my reaction and analysis of the trailer for Untold: Chess Mates, the upcoming Netflix documentary covering the famous chess controversy between Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann. The documentary revisits the dramatic events surrounding the Sinquefield Cup in 2022, where Niemann defeated Carlsen in a game that sparked one of the biggest cheating controversies in chess history. I...

In this chess news roundup I analyze several of the biggest storylines in elite chess in 2026, starting with the difficult start to the year for world champion Dommaraju Gukesh after tournaments like Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Prague International Chess Festival. I also look at the impressive performances of Nodirbek Abdusattorov in Prague, the strong form of Fabiano Caruana during events...

In this video I outline my full 2026 chess plans, beginning with a preview of my first classical tournament of the year, the JMC Trinityhouse Little Falls B Section, where I aim to set the tone for the season. I discuss my preparation strategy, rating goals and competitive mindset for over the board classical chess, as well as my ambition to join the University of Johannesburg chess team. I also e...

Magnus Carlsen defeated Fabiano Caruana 2.5-1.5 to win the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, claiming his 21st world title and adding Chess960 to his list of world championship victories. In this full recap and analysis, I break down the dramatic turnaround in game three, the tense final game, key time scramble moments, and how Carlsen survived a dead-lost position to stun Caruana in t...

The inaugural FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship brings Chess960, also known as Fischer Random, fully under the official FIDE world championship structure with a $300,000 prize fund and an elite eight-player field including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, Javokhir Sindarov, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. In this video, I break down the...

The Speed Chess Championship Finals bring together four elite grandmasters with completely different approaches to fast chess, as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, and Denis Lazavik prepare to battle in London. With games played at five minute, three minute, and one minute time controls, each finalist relies on a unique balance of speed, premoving, time management, and positional...

Nodirbek Abdusattorov has finally won the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026, defeating Arjun Erigaisi in the final round to clinch the prestigious Wijk aan Zee title with 9 out of 13 points after years of near misses. As Abdusattorov completed his redemption story at the “Wimbledon of Chess,” Andy Woodward captured the Tata Steel Chess Challengers with 10 out of 13, edging out Vasyl Ivanchuk to qualif...

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2026, often called the Wimbledon of Chess, returns to Wijk aan Zee with one of the strongest classical lineups of the year. Featuring the Tata Steel Chess Masters and Challengers, this legendary round-robin event brings together world champions, elite grandmasters, rising stars, and future prodigies competing under classical time controls from January 17 to February...

Hikaru Nakamura has officially declined his invitation to play in the FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, choosing instead to focus on another major world championship event later this year. In this video, we break down Hikaru Nakamura’s statement, explore the implications for freestyle chess, and discuss whether a hierarchy of world championships exists in modern chess. With FIDE, Freestyle...

How much do chess players really make in 2025? From million-dollar prize winnings at elite tournaments to the harsh financial reality faced by most professional chess players, this video breaks down chess prize money, tournament earnings, and how income is distributed across the chess world. Using official prize data from major international events, we explore how top grandmasters earn their money...

Magnus Carlsen is widely regarded as one of the most dominant players in chess history, with record-breaking success across classical, rapid, and blitz formats, a peak rating of 2882, and victories in elite events such as the World Chess Championship, Candidates Tournament, World Cup, Tata Steel, and Norway Chess. In this discussion video, we examine Magnus Carlsen’s major accomplishments, explore...

The 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Championship heads to Doha, Qatar, with Magnus Carlsen officially confirmed in a stacked field featuring many of the world’s strongest players across the Open and Women’s events. In this preview, we break down the tournament format, prize fund, schedule, confirmed participants, notable absentees, recent controversies surrounding FIDE and Carlsen, and the key storyl...

Cheating in chess has become one of the most serious threats to the integrity of the game, affecting online play, titled competitions, and player trust at every level. This video examines how widespread cheating has fueled paranoia, damaged competitive fairness, and created an environment where suspicions cannot easily be proven or disproven, while also analyzing Chess.com fair play statistics fro...

The Total Chess World Championship Tour is FIDE’s newest world title concept, combining fast classical, rapid, and blitz into a single championship, but its qualification system has already sparked major debate. In this video, we break down how players qualify for the Total Chess World Championship, why ratings dominate the selection process, how rapid and blitz champions are rewarded, and whether...

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam South Africa 2025 brings together the strongest lineup of elite players anywhere in the world, featuring Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Levon Aronian, Arjun Erigaisi, Hans Niemann, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Javokhir Sindarov competing across Cape Town in one of the most anticipated freestyle events of the year. This video breaks down every player prof...

SuperPogChamps 2025 brings together the strongest lineup of celebrities, streamers, esports stars, and past PogChamps champions in the most competitive amateur chess event ever. Featuring Andrea Botez, Tyler1, Masi Oka, SonicFox, Samay Raina, Voyboy, Wirtual, Sparg0, and more, this edition delivers high-level battles, intense tiebreaks, dramatic group-stage fights, and a $50,000 prize fund. With a...

In this long-form review I break down the dramatic 2025 FIDE World Cup, the unexpected Candidates qualifications of Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko, and how these results reshape the road to the 2026 FIDE Candidates. I also analyze the current FIDE Circuit standings, Praggnanandhaa’s commanding lead, Anish Giri’s chase, and the slim but mathematically possible scenario in which Magn...