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5 Reasons To Watch The PRO Chess League Live Finals This Weekend
Tune in to the PRO Chess League Live Finals Saturday and Sunday.

5 Reasons To Watch The PRO Chess League Live Finals This Weekend

Pete
| 29 | Amazing Games

Do you want to be a part of chess history?

Well, we all can't win seven in a row at the Sinquefield Cup, like Fabiano Caruana. Or have the highest chess rating of all time, like Magnus Carlsen.

But if you want to be a part of something truly historic in chess, you just need to join us this weekend for the first esports-style chess event ever as the PRO Chess League holds its live finals in San Francisco with Twitch.

What makes esports events so special is the interaction between the event and its audience, and you'll get plenty this Saturday and Sunday, both live at the event and in the Twitch chat. 

IM Danny Rensch, IM Anna Rudolf, GM Robert Hess, and WFW Alexandra Botez

Join our chess master hosts for comprehensive coverage all weekend, as IM Danny Rensch, IM Anna Rudolf, GM Robert Hess, and WFM Alexandra Botez bring you commentary live from San Francisco for the culmination of the world's biggest and best team chess league.

Still not properly hyped for this event?

Here are five more reasons to watch the PRO Chess League live finals.

Let us know how excited you are for the PRO finals in the comment section or on Facebook

5. You've got the early-April blues.

This quote from Kevin in The Office has a timeless quality that bemoans the signature lull in early April, when we run out of entertaining diversions.

Be bored no more! If you like chess even a little bit, the PRO Chess League live finals will alleviate those springtime blues. 

4. It's a lot more exciting than The Masters golf tournament. 

the masters golf

Pretty much the only other thing going on this weekend is The Masters Tournament, golf's hallowed "tradition unlike any other." But let's be honest, televised golf is a snooze-fest, and Tiger Woods is probably out of contention already after scoring a mediocre 73 on Thursday.

Golf and chess used to be brethren in slow-paced games, but not anymore for chess. The PRO Chess League live finals will be a fast-paced battle with multiple games going at once, and something interesting to watch all the time.

quiet masters golf

Plus, unlike at Augusta National, the fans don't have to be quiet at the PRO finals in San Francisco. Players will wear noise-canceling headphones, and fans are encouraged to cheer loudly. 

3. It's a truly worldwide chess championship.

pro chess league map

If you can't wait for the 2018 world chess championship between Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, whet your worldwide chess appetite with the PRO finals. 

Teams from China, the U.S., Slovenia, and Armenia made the final four from a league that spanned the globe, making this one of the very few truly worldwide chess competitions on the calendar that anyone could participate in. 

chengdu pandas pro chess league

The Chengdu Pandas seem to be the favorites on paper, but the team from St. Louis can claim a home-country advantage. Will it be enough to win? You've got to tune in to find out.

2. You've never seen chess like this.

lights camera set

Even if you're a master of the chessboard, you're probably in for a surprise when you see the production values Chess.com and Twitch are putting on for this event.

The ancient game of chess will never look more modern and engaging to the average fan or even someone who's never moved a piece. The spectacle and presentation will be as big a part of the finals as the moves on the boards, so gear up for a chess-viewing experience like you've never had before.

1. Four is better than one.

four hands teamwork

Chess is largely an individual struggle, but a big strength of the PRO Chess League has been the ability to capture the team dynamic even as the chessboards remain one-on-one.

Watch as teammates cheer on one another (in person!) at the event, sharing the agony of defeat or celebrating the highs of victory together in chess history with drama so gripping you'll think it's been ripped from the pages of Shakespeare.

Are you ready for the PRO Chess League live finals? If you're in San Francisco, stop by and watch live for free. And if you're anywhere else, tune in Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific, which equals 1 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m UTC, 6 p.m. BST (London time), 7 p.m. Central Europe.

What are you excited about for the PRO live finals? Who do you think will win? Let us know in the comment section.

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