Total Chess pilot: GothamChess to host new highlights show, Anna and David among commentators

International Master Levy Rozman, known as GothamChess, will host the Total Chess Highlight Show during the Budapest pilot event. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Popular chess content creator and International Master Levy Rozman, better known as GothamChess, will host a new highlights show for the Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot event, scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, from November 10 to 20.

The organisers announced the broadcast team on Tuesday, with Anna Rudolf, Fiona Steil-Antoni, David Howell and Jovanka Houska set to provide commentary and coverage of the competition.

The tournament, to be held at the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel, will feature 24 leading players, including World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, competing across three formats: Blitz, Rapid and Fast Classic.

Rozman will present the Total Chess Highlight Show, which will feature player interviews, discussions with special guests, analysis and a review of the tournament’s important moments.

Rudolf, meanwhile, will also report from the venue in Budapest, providing behind-the-scenes coverage and interviews with players alongside her broadcasting responsibilities.

The highlights show will run alongside the main tournament broadcast, with the organisers looking to provide viewers with greater access to the players and developments throughout the competition.

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Kjell Madland, CEO of Norway Chess and founder of Total Chess, said the new broadcast format was part of the organisers’ efforts to attract a wider audience.

“Total Chess is about more than determining who is the strongest player across three time controls. We want to create a global chess property that brings the game closer to audiences everywhere, combining world-class competition with compelling storytelling and fresh perspectives,” Madland said.

Conceptualised by Norway Chess and sanctioned by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the Total Chess World Championship Tour aims to identify the strongest all-round player across the three time controls.

The Budapest competition will serve as a pilot to test the tournament format and broadcasting arrangements before the inaugural global season, which is planned to begin in March 2027.

The organisers will use the event to assess how the different formats work together and how the coverage can be developed for the full Tour.

The pilot will also mark Carlsen’s participation in the new competition, where players will be tested across all three formats rather than a single time control.