Chess Masters The Endgame episode 7
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CreativityTranscript
00:01Chess, the king of games.
00:04Chess is no longer a hobby.
00:06It's war on a board.
00:09Give up!
00:10Never.
00:11For six weeks, 12 of the UK's rising chess stars
00:15have battled through a series of heats.
00:18It's one-on-one mental combat.
00:21Now the six who remain will compete for a coveted place in the final.
00:27Do you like your possession?
00:28This is none of your business.
00:29Wow.
00:30Navi leaving the board.
00:32Scrutinizing strategy, Grandmaster David Howell.
00:35Wow.
00:36This is bizarre.
00:37Unpacking the motives behind the moves, chess coach Anthony Mathurin.
00:41This is catastrophic.
00:43Oh, that was good.
00:44Who will topple and who will rise victorious.
00:48Yes!
00:49Oh, my days!
00:51To be crowned Britain's chess master.
00:55This one is going to go down to the wire.
00:58Wow.
00:59Cool.
01:00Previously...
01:01Look at all these lights.
01:02I think if I just called you.
01:03That is checkmate.
01:04Trade queens, mate loves.
01:05And Lula.
01:06Great.
01:07Cruised through the rounds.
01:08But never give up Navi needed all three eliminators to stay in.
01:10Good luck Navi.
01:11The unrelenting warrior living up to his reputation.
01:12Morning all.
01:13Hi.
01:14Hi.
01:15Heat two saw Talia and Richie team up to triumph.
01:16Checkmate.
01:17While Kel contested two eliminators before taking a semi-final spot.
01:21Oh, my days.
01:22Oh, my days.
01:23Now the two heats top trios will clash.
01:24As the surviving six will be whittled down to the final four.
01:26Oh, my days.
01:28Feeling quite nervous.
01:29People that we're going to blame against today are the strongest of both groups.
01:31You have to put the friendship aside.
01:53Feeling quite nervous. The people that we're going to play against today are the strongest of both groups.
01:58You have to put the friendship aside and face it on the board.
02:02It's the semi-final, and in chess there can only be one winner, and I want that winner to be me.
02:13Welcome, my glorious semi-finalists. Kels back!
02:17You know already. I know, I know, I know.
02:20Well, listen, I can't wait to see all of you in action. I really, really can't.
02:24And this absolute mention is going to tell us what you're in for next.
02:28Today, players, carnage awaits you.
02:32You'll be playing a game called War and Pieces.
02:35You're going to need all your powers of creativity on the chessboard.
02:40Now, you're probably wondering, hmm, where is the GM?
02:44He awaits.
02:48You're going to go one by one over there.
02:50The rest, I'm going to leave it to Grandmaster Flash.
02:54David created this unusual game, especially for the semi-final.
02:58As you know, chess is a war game.
03:00Yep.
03:01And this is a battlefield.
03:02The players will now take turns secretly choosing an army to fight with.
03:06War and Pieces is the toughest challenge in the contest so far.
03:11The players will be generals of their own army, choosing their own pieces worth up to 24 points.
03:17The king and pawns they get for free.
03:19The queen is valued at nine points.
03:21The rook is worth five.
03:22And bishops and knights, three.
03:24I want a rook, I want a rook.
03:26And their opponents won't know the pieces they've picked until they reveal them at the table.
03:30Good luck.
03:33Good luck.
03:35Time to get out your pieces and assemble them on your boards.
03:38Brilliant.
03:41David and Anthony will keep a close eye on the games from Chess HQ,
03:45as Heat 1 and Heat 2 players are pitted against each other.
03:49This is fun.
03:50On board one, chess princess Lula, who loves to attack.
03:54And Talia, the tactician, who revels in unexpected moves.
04:00You have two dark square bishops.
04:01Interesting.
04:03Talia and Lula, they've chosen a combination of long range bishops, short range knights.
04:07They want a bit of everything.
04:08I think I've made the wrong choice.
04:10On board two, the battle of the Scots.
04:13Junior chess champion Caitlin against retired RAF engineer Richie.
04:18Richie, the strategist, he's gone for the most powerful tools.
04:23With two queens and a rook, while Caitlin has gone for strength in numbers.
04:27I think I needed more pieces.
04:30Oh, a queen's just popped out.
04:33On board three, the clash of the comeback kings.
04:37Unrelenting warrior Navi and action man Kel,
04:39who've both survived multiple eliminators to get here.
04:43Kel and Navi chose the exact same pieces.
04:47Great wide speaker like, that's crazy.
04:50Queens and knights, perfect attacking combo.
04:52This will be an exciting match, David.
04:56Okay guys, the three winners of this game will be straight through to the final.
05:02Five minutes each, your time starts now.
05:05Okay, good luck.
05:06Have a good game.
05:07We do arm wrestling first.
05:10And then he tries to show.
05:11He's like, oh my god, David.
05:14On board two, Richie and Caitlin are sizing each other up.
05:22Richie seems like a nice, gentle man.
05:25Elderly man.
05:26People might think, well, he's past his best.
05:31But I would say, don't underestimate me.
05:34Because there's a pretty good chance you're going to get beat.
05:39Oh wow, a daring move here.
05:42Richie is trying to entice Caitlin to capture his queen on the side of the board.
05:46This looks too good to be true, and it is.
05:50If Caitlin does oblige, Richie's other War and Peace's queen is waiting in the wings to swoop across.
05:57Caitlin should be reluctant to let go of her only queen this early in the game.
06:01And we do see it, Richie takes Caitlin's only queen off the board.
06:11That's a huge strategic victory for him.
06:16While battle-hardened Richie ramps up the pressure,
06:20on board one, Navi and Kel's identical pieces are waging war.
06:26It's queens and knights, and it's about who gets the first blow in here.
06:32If I'm a chess piece, I'll be the knight.
06:36It's the only piece that jumps.
06:39And I've seen my life jump a lot of times.
06:42In 2020, we got the news that my immediate older sister, Chinwen, had passed away.
06:51Playing chess makes me remember my sister.
06:53Because she was the one that dragged me to chess club.
06:56The one that put the fire for me to be playing chess.
07:01I can literally hear her voice in my head right now.
07:04And that's what I need.
07:06That extra fire.
07:08That extra ginger.
07:11And could we see the first big decision of this game?
07:15This black pawn is threatening Navi's queen.
07:18And look at Kel's knights controlling the centre of the board.
07:20Ooh, I'm not sure he wants to do that.
07:25Look at this.
07:27If he does take his hand off the queen on this square, he's about to get forked.
07:31Kel will jump forward with the black knight here into the centre,
07:35attacking not one, but two queens.
07:37Let's not forget, time is a factor, and it's costing him valuable seconds.
07:43He presses the clock. He's just made a huge plunder.
07:48Kel is the kids coming to the floor. Will he reach out for that knight?
07:51And it duly does, David. This is catastrophic for Navi.
07:59Navi saves one queen, but he cannot save the other.
08:04Wow.
08:06He's up now a whole queen for a knight.
08:08It's a clear first hit for Kel.
08:12Navi has recovered in previous weeks from almost hopeless positions.
08:18Could he make a comeback here again?
08:20David, never underestimate Navi.
08:22The atmosphere is so heavy here. You couldn't cut it with a knife. You're going to need a chainsaw.
08:31On board three, Lula and Talia are locked in a standoff.
08:37Do you like your position?
08:39Oh, that's for me to know, actually. This is none of your business.
08:42Wow.
08:44So I haven't been playing chess for that long, but I really want to prove that I do belong here,
08:49and that all this time and energy that I've spent learning this game and loving this game has been, you know, valuable and worth it.
08:58Now the first real clash between the two armies.
09:03Talia's offering a pawn up to be recaptured by Lula's bishop.
09:07I wasn't expecting that.
09:09Let's check out what Talia the Tactician is really doing.
09:12In chess, we call it a fianchetto when you put your bishop on the longest possible diagonal.
09:18But here, because it's war and pieces, she doesn't just have one bishop.
09:21She has two. They protect each other and line up against a key shelter pawn in front of the Black King.
09:28Will Lula spot the true intent of these bishops?
09:33I don't think so, David.
09:35Lula taking her eye off the ball and is about to be punished.
09:38Tactical Talia swooping deep into enemy territory and capturing that valuable shelter pawn.
09:46Back on board two, the Battle of the Scots ramps up with the strategist Richie on the attack.
09:52Oh, Jesus Christ, that was good.
09:56Exchanging her only queen early on has meant that Caitlin's had to play a more defensive game.
10:01Just eating all my pawns.
10:04I grew up in a small town outside of Glasgow and there wasn't much, like, opportunities.
10:12And I really did struggle.
10:14But chess has opened up so many doors.
10:17It means a lot to me.
10:19So when you start to lose, it's quite painful.
10:24Strategist Richie has four pawns to Caitlin's one and is looking to promote one to a queen.
10:28Get yourself another queen, why don't you?
10:33I don't mind if I do.
10:37There it is. Richie's now got a huge advantage with two queens on the board.
10:48Good game.
10:50Checkmate. Richie's choice of two queens paying off. Here, Caitlin's king is surrounded. It's a really masterful checkmate.
10:59Yeah, well played.
11:01Over on board one.
11:03Despite losing one of his two queens earlier in the game, Navi is standing his ground against Kel.
11:10Kel has the upper hand with an extra queen on the board, but it's been a real war of attrition.
11:14Now, Navi's earlier indecision has cost him, so he's also fighting against the clock.
11:22We're about to see a third queen enter the board as one of those platforms about to touch down.
11:28Here we go. A third queen lands on the board.
11:33Kel beginning to rise to the occasion.
11:35Navi, meanwhile, he's down to his last ten seconds.
11:38He's facing a checkmate.
11:44Is Kel going to get the satisfaction of a checkmate?
11:50Oh, my days!
11:52Well played. Thank you.
11:54No, he's not. The clock's run out.
11:57Kel is through to the final.
11:59Navi ran out of time, but it was ultimately Kel's war and peace as knights that won him the game.
12:04Good luck, man. Richie.
12:05Back on board three, Lula and Talia are locked in a close skirmish of kings and pawns.
12:13The two gladiators have both proven their strength in the end game.
12:19Talia's promoted the pawn. She's now got a queen on the board.
12:22She's simply going to use that queen now to capture remaining pawns.
12:25This is a calculated play. She's going to sacrifice her queen to clear the board, knowing that she still has the one-pawn advantage.
12:34And the queen is back on the board.
12:38We're going to see a classic checkmate. Queen against king.
12:41There's no escape. Lula's kings chased into the corner.
12:51Well played. Good game. Good game.
12:53Whew! A close battle. In the end, though, it's Talia who wins, trapping Lula's king in the corner with her queen.
12:59Her path to the final has been assured.
13:03Okay, players. Up you come.
13:05You are in the final, guys.
13:11Listen, I want you to go up to that balcony.
13:14Former Olympian Sally Gunnell is doing a silent disco.
13:17Get yourselves up there.
13:23I'm so excited to be on the winner's balcony.
13:25I've made it to the finals, man.
13:28Back in the coach.
13:30The losers get a chance to take stock before the next challenge.
13:33You just got to get back on the horse, don't you?
13:36And then you have to fight for your life.
13:38It wasn't my best.
13:40This is like the first game I've lost so far in the contest.
13:43Obviously, I have another chance to make it through to the final, but it's very hard to just, you know, pick yourself back up and go again.
13:55The pressure is on as our runners-up return to the hall to face a unique elimination round.
14:00I don't need to tell you that things are really hotting up in the Grand Hall.
14:05At the end of this challenge, one of you will be going home.
14:10Your next game is going to be special.
14:14You will be taking on an England international, a chess Olympian and the most feared player in the country.
14:19Please welcome nine-year-old prodigy, Bodnar Sivanandan.
14:28How are you feeling, guys?
14:30Nervous.
14:31So Bodnar's going to play all three of you at the same time. She'll most likely win, so this is a game of survival.
14:41Whoever Bodnar beats with the fewest moves will be eliminated.
14:47Players, go and settle yourself at your boards.
14:49There's nothing more intimidating in chess than facing a child prodigy. Can the players stay calm? Will they be able to hold their nerve?
14:59Your game begins when Bodnar makes her first move.
15:17Caitlin, Navi and Lula, they should have the advantage. They get more time to think than Bodnar does, but they need to be ready. She is fearsome.
15:25This is the stuff that nightmares are made of.
15:31This is serious.
15:36Navi starts with the king's pawn opening. It's actually the most common opening in chess, so it's unlikely to surprise Bodnar.
15:43Caitlin, meanwhile, has chosen the Sicilian defence, a famously aggressive opening, preventing White from fully controlling the centre, showing she's up for a fight.
15:52In contrast, Lula has gone for the French defence. This is known to be a solid opening, as Black tries to build a wall of pawns on the light squares, so we'll see how this plays out.
16:02Only six moves in, and Navi is already in a dangerous spot.
16:14Bodnar seizes his queen. Now Navi must respond by taking Bodnar's queen back.
16:20The best move here is to take with his king. This might not feel natural, though, as the king might later be exposed.
16:29Navi should not get tempted to recapture with his knight, however, as the knight's guarding a central pawn.
16:34Oh, he's not thinking about defending. He attacks with that knight.
16:41It's too easy. She snatches up that central pawn.
16:45Bodnar takes an early lead in that game.
16:48Kids are really, really sharp and are very inventive, very quick.
16:52I got diagnosed with stage four cancer. I wanted to leave my kids with something that's long-lasting, so I taught them how to play chess.
17:03I think I've kind of missed my opportunity of being a grandmaster, but they've still got the potential.
17:09Bodnar grabbing one of Navi's knights. Disaster starting to strike.
17:13Navi is in serious danger of exiting this competition.
17:17On board two, after castling her king into the corner for protection.
17:22Caitlyn has some element of control.
17:25Bodnar stopping.
17:26Having a pause, having a think at Caitlyn's board.
17:29Caitlyn nice and calm. I think this is a very good strategical approach from Caitlyn.
17:35The death stare from Bodnar as she moves on.
17:40We know Lula's playing a defensive game, but Bodnar has just found a way to break through.
17:45Lula in huge trouble here. This is a fork.
17:50Bodnar's knight checking the black king, also attacking the black bishop.
17:55But there's a second element to this, a double attack.
17:58The white rook from the bottom of the board also has its eyes set on Lula's bishop.
18:04Incredible play by Bodnar David.
18:07Indeed, and to escape check, Lula's forced to take the enemy knight, allowing Bodnar to blast the bishop off the board with her rook.
18:14Bodnar's brilliance is revealed here. She puts Lula's king in check and she's going to win the black knight in the corner, all with a single rook.
18:23Lula, hands going to the neck, that's when you can feel the noose closing in.
18:28Lula is forced to move out of check again and Bodnar gobbles up that knight.
18:33No insult, she is a master. Yeah, exactly, yeah.
18:38Navi loses yet another pawn and Bodnar's turning the screw.
18:43Who is going to crack? Who is going to survive the longest?
18:46Hard to think of another game where you could have a room dictated by a nine-year-old, where somebody that small could be that proficient.
18:59Katelyn's held her own against Bodnar so far, but she's in trouble for the first time.
19:06Bodnar lands a really scary move against Katelyn.
19:11This is a trap. If Katelyn does pick up this pawn, Bodnar will bring her bishop back.
19:17This is what we call a skewer. This is a check, forcing Katelyn's king out of the way.
19:22And next move, the rook would fall prey to the bishop or rook. Katelyn must avoid this.
19:32Oh, she takes the pawn, that's a blunder. Bodnar brings her bishop back.
19:37Katelyn has to move her king.
19:41And just as you predicted, there goes the rook.
19:44And she's simply lost her best piece.
19:47David, she needs to cling on for all she's worth.
19:55Full of confidence now, Bodnar, she knows these games aren't going to last much longer.
20:00Navi fighting hard, Katelyn in trouble, Lula on the brink.
20:05It's so unclear who's going to survive the longest.
20:08They're all making mistakes on the board, the pressure's getting to them.
20:11Navi's king stuck in the corner.
20:16Lula, meanwhile, running out of pawns, running out of pieces.
20:19The net closing now around Katelyn's king.
20:23Katelyn looks devastated.
20:25Completely over David.
20:27Wow.
20:28We're going to see three checkmates.
20:30And here we go.
20:33Navi.
20:36Katelyn.
20:38Lula, checkmate.
20:40Yeah, the handshake, it's over.
20:42We see Bodnar showing off her vast array of checkmates.
20:48Bodnar, come up here, my lovely.
20:50Guys, do you want to come up and join us?
20:52How was that for you?
20:53It was good.
20:54Did you enjoy it?
20:55Yeah.
20:56Can we give a round of applause for the extraordinary Bodnar?
20:58Thank you, my lovely.
21:05Right.
21:06You knew that one person would be eliminated from this game.
21:11And that would be the person with the fewest moves against Bodnar.
21:16With 46 moves.
21:18Lula, you won this challenge.
21:20Well done.
21:22With 41 moves.
21:26Navi, you came second.
21:28And with 38 moves.
21:30That was you, my lovely.
21:31You're out of the contest.
21:33I'm so sorry.
21:34No, be sorry.
21:36It doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's being engaged.
21:39And I felt like that happened there, so I'm quite pleased with it.
21:42Round of applause for Caitlin.
21:45Off you go, my darling. Off you go.
21:47What an absolute player.
21:49This contest has been so fun.
21:52I was, like, so close to being in the finals.
21:54It's been a really great experience.
22:00Navi, Lula.
22:02So the two of you are going head to head now.
22:04You know what's at stake.
22:05A place in the final.
22:07I'll see you in a short while.
22:13Chess means so much to me.
22:14Like, it's all of my life.
22:16I'm going to do everything in my power to make it through to the final.
22:20I really want to do well.
22:21I'd like to win the game for my boys.
22:24But Lula's really good, so it'll be a difficult game.
22:30As winner of the last challenge, Lula is playing white.
22:35Navi, this is his fourth eliminator.
22:37He's battle-hardened by now.
22:40The princess.
22:41First time.
22:42She's desperately trying to clamp down the nerves.
22:48Okay.
22:49This is the big one.
22:50There's a lot riding on this.
22:51And one of you will ascend to the balcony of dreams
22:53and take part in the chess masters final.
22:57And one of you will be going home.
23:00You have five minutes each on your clock.
23:02Your time starts.
23:05Now.
23:06We see this game kick off.
23:07Lula brings her king's pawn forward, bringing out the bishop,
23:09bringing out the queen.
23:11Instead of making a move, Navi's adjusting his pieces.
23:14He's definitely going for the mind games.
23:17What is he meditating?
23:19Psychologically, you want to display, like, maybe a sense of confidence
23:23or superiority.
23:24It kind of throws people off.
23:26And Navi pushing a pawn on the edge of the board.
23:31This is bizarre.
23:32Usually you want to fight for the center of the board.
23:36I think his idea is to try to unsettle our princess.
23:41See if he can ruffle her feathers.
23:43We've seen our first exchange of pieces.
23:49And this has opened up a line for Navi to launch his trademark attack.
23:54He swings his rook across, lining up with Lula's king.
23:57Navi clearly in the mood for a fight.
24:03Now he wants to add pawns to the mix to put on a bit more pressure.
24:08Lula has an extra pawn on the other side of the board.
24:10And she's just thrown it forward, aiming to advance to threaten Navi's knight.
24:15Yes, but Navi's completely focused on his mission
24:18to break down that fortress around Lula's king.
24:22Lula's defended.
24:25I don't think he's looking at the other side of the board, David.
24:28Lula pushing her pawn forward.
24:30Huge threat against the enemy knight.
24:33Last chance for Navi to stop Lula's attack.
24:36We've seen a blunder.
24:39Oh my goodness.
24:41Lula snatches the knight off the board.
24:44Navi gets a pawn in return, but look at this.
24:47Lula establishing a beautiful knight in the centre.
24:49She has an extra knight.
24:51He's a piece down.
24:53It's going to be difficult for him.
24:55We've seen this on multiple occasions and we've seen him survive.
24:58I sometimes think if you're losing slightly it's not that bad because you have more fight and the other person gets overconfident and could make a silly mistake.
25:10Lula with this devastating check forcing Navi's king out into the open.
25:18Wow, Navi leaving the board.
25:22He's desperately trying to rattle her composure.
25:26I think Navi's afraid of me.
25:28I think he thinks that I'm better at chess than he is.
25:32Chess is an incredibly psychological game and this pressure is one of the hardest things about chess.
25:38But you have to believe that you can win the game.
25:40It's so unbelievably tense.
25:46Navi disrupted that tension by getting up.
25:48I think Lula's going to retaliate with perhaps a box split and some burpees.
25:52And who knows, maybe some deep squats from Navi to end the game.
25:57Lula wins a bishop.
25:59She now has an extra rook, an extra knight.
26:01Yeah, it's what we call a material advantage.
26:04You just want to simplify the equation.
26:06You want to get the queens off the board now.
26:07It just makes your task easier and minimises the chance of a turnaround.
26:12There is the move.
26:14Forget the eye of the tiger, David.
26:15She has the eye of the princess warrior.
26:20I didn't know she was this aggressive.
26:29Killer move, Antony.
26:31She's created a fork here.
26:33She's put Navi in check.
26:34He can go and grab Lula's knight, but then his rook would fall.
26:38Lula would be able to make a new queen on the board.
26:43As you predicted, David, the princess is now coronated.
26:47She is now elevated into a queen.
26:52And there she goes, forcing the unrelenting warrior into the corner.
26:56There's no chance for Navi.
26:57It's as simple as that.
27:02She's going to deliver the final nail in the coffin.
27:08Well done, congratulations.
27:09Great, Wayne. Great game.
27:12Lula's queen and rook covering every escape square.
27:16Navi's king with nowhere to go.
27:18Navi has finally lost an eliminator.
27:21I really enjoyed competing with you.
27:22Oh, thank you, yeah.
27:23Oh, you get emotional, yeah.
27:24That's good.
27:25I'll give you a hug.
27:26I hope you're going to win it.
27:27I'll be awesome.
27:29Lula was too strong.
27:31Navi, how are you doing?
27:32Yeah, it was a really tough game.
27:33I tried every trick I had.
27:35Five minutes is hard against such a good player.
27:37But I tried my best.
27:38It was very difficult.
27:40We've loved having you, Navi.
27:42Thank you so much.
27:43Navi, everyone.
27:44Come on.
27:47Never gave up.
27:48Kept fighting right to the end.
27:49And the best player won.
27:50Even though I didn't get into the final,
27:52I'm really happy with the semifinals.
27:53I think my family will be really proud
27:55and they'll say he's put in a good fight.
27:58Are you scared about facing this extraordinary chess princess?
28:01She's a warrior princess, no doubt.
28:03But we'll play her anyways.
28:04I tell you what, she's coming for you.
28:10Help her!
28:11Save a hug.
28:12I feel like I'm part of your group now.
28:14Keep up.
28:15Getting through to the final in the last elimination.
28:19It's amazing.
28:20I'm so happy.
28:21I'm so proud.
28:22Fantastic.
28:25Next time.
28:26Welcome finalists.
28:28The hardest tests yet.
28:30Checkmate in two moves.
28:33Oh.
28:34And who will be in the final eliminator?
28:36Somebody in this room will get crowned the chess master.
28:40Exciting.
28:41Exciting.
28:42Exciting.
28:43Click.
28:44Click.
28:46steinため.
28:48x
29:07You