Can a new Sue Perkins-fronted chess competition whip up some The Queen’s Gambit-style excitement about the game?
They did it with baking.
They did it with sewing.
They did it with pottery.
Can they do it with chess?
No they cant, not that it stopped them from trying.
Who will be eliminated?
Does it make compelling television?
It does not, which is frustrating because there are some great stories here.
Nick is pure TV confident, made of soundbites, and with a genuinely compelling backstory.
Caitlin says she can sense when a checkmate is within reach because the top of her head gets warm.
These people are clearly magnificent and deserve better than this inconsequential, fake-stakes nothing of a show.
Its also known as a blunder everywhere else.
The whole thing feels inadvertently comic when, commissioned differently, it could have been poignant and revelatory.
Some very very nail-biting moments there, I hope youre all incredibly proud of yourself, says Perkins.
I hope they are, too.
Perhaps this is just one for the experts.
Chess Masters: The Endgameairs on BBC Two and iPlayer.
