Leaders Podcast

We investigate the boom in popularity of the game and pinpoint when it became a phenomenon. 4SE Material is a new podcast series in which we explore some of the many stories at the intersection of four key pillars: sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture.In this first episode, we cast our eyes towards the chess world to tell the story of the historical and ongoing popularity of the game. When exactly did the reputation of the game go from purely academic, and somewhat stuffy, to cool and accessible?Throughout the episode, we seek to answer these questions by exploring the game’s universal appeal, the role that technology has played in its growth, and the momentous increase in participation throughout the pandemic, particularly following the release of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. And we did so with the help of Malcolm Pein, International Master and former professional chess player, now International Director of the English Chess Federation (ECF); Emil Sutovsky, Grandmaster and Director-General of chess world gov