The latest Perpetual Chess Podcast by the host Ben Johnson and co-host FM Nate Solon, where they talked to Chess.com CEO Erik Allebest, touched upon a number of hot topics – Online Cheating, the Magnus-Hikaru match, Chess24’s closure, PCL cancellation and Chess.com’s bid for World Chess Championship which was rejected by FIDE.
While talking about his efforts to attract more sponsorship and media attention to chess, Chess.com CEO revealed that Netflix is producing a documentary on the cheating scandal that started with the Carlsen-Niemann game.
Erik Allebest: I can say it publicly, there’s going to be a major Netflix show this year about the cheating scandal, and that might lead to more people saying wow chess is super fascinating, let’s do a full drive to survive on chess where we’re talking to top players every week and figuring all this out and just like getting the inside scoop and then there’s the major events and all the things.
We spend a lot of time thinking about this. We have super high hopes to grow the game and continue to do that and yet all the different seeds we’ve planted like nothing sprouting out quite yet.
Ben Johnson: I wouldn’t be too hard on yourselves, you guys have spearheaded exponential growth over the past few years.
Nate Solon: So that’s going to be a documentary on the cheating stuff?
Erik Allebest: I‘m just gonna tell you I’m terrified because they did a really good job getting Danny Rensch and me talking. I think a lot of things are going to be said in there that are going to be possibly a little surprising for the Chess World to find out.
Ben Johnson: Is this centered on the Hans Neimann story or is it broader?
Erik Allebest: Yes. Hans will be in it and interviewed, Magnus Carlsen will be in it and interviewed, many other people are being contacted to hopefully be in it. Whether that’s you know Hikaru Nakamura, or Sam Sevian, I hope he agrees to do it given his very interesting story that got swept under the rug.
Ben Johnson: Wow, that’s a tease. Can you reveal anything else about that?
Erik Allebest: You don’t know? You didn’t see the clip? (makes King snap gesture)
Nate Solon: I remember when, with Hans, he did something weird at the US championship.
Erik Allebest: You go dive down that rabbit hole but I would just say that’s one of the most interesting stories that hasn’t been told.
Continuing the interview, Allebest explained that the cheating scandal caused the biggest chess boom ever – bigger than the lockdowns and The Queen’s Gambit.
In many ways that whole thing put the Chess World on the map again for the biggest chess boom that we’ve ever had. It was the kickoff start of that, and you know, frankly that whole thing was massive and the chess Community grew hugely from it. In a totally serendipitous and non-planned way.
See the complete podcast below.
