What Are The Best Chess Streams On Twitch?
Chess.com was thrilled to officially announce its new partnership with Twitch in support of chess streamers, broadcasts, and events.
What are some of the best chess channels on Twitch?
First, the obvious one: Twitch.tv/chess
Longtime fans of ChessTV and its many chess shows and events including the PRO Chess League, Speed Chess Championship, Titled Tuesday, Bullet Brawls and Nakamura's Knockouts will be familiar with Twitch as our broadcasting platform of choice. Most of the world's top players including World Champion Magnus Carlsen have competed in online chess events on the channel, and last year's Carlsen vs Nakamura Blitz Battle set records with nearly 200,000 unique viewers. The event even reached the number-three spot on Twitch's ranking of live concurrent viewers and captured viral moments like this...
At least he tried to hide his laughter... 😄 #BlitzBattle pic.twitter.com/kMhlD5XmOm
— Dan (@AntonSquaredMe) October 27, 2016
But outside of the biggest events, who else is streaming Chess.com and where can you find them? There are already dozens of streamers and channels listed right here at Chess.com/streamers.
Here are some chess streaming channels you can follow and enjoy on Twitch right now.
Twitch.tv/chessbrah
Of all the current partners in the program, the ChessBrahs are by far the most successful. The ChessBrahs, known and loved for their irreverent style, were among the first chess streams to earn a wide following. They boast the highest number of paying subscribers directly to their Twitch channel of any chess entertainers on the web.
Twitch.tv/gmhikaru
Though he only just started streaming in 2017, Hikaru Nakamura has become one of the most popular chess streamers. His channels, including Twitch and YouTube, have exploded with fans watching (and rewatching!) as much Nakamura's Knockouts as they can get!
Twitch.tv/gingergm
You never know what he'll say when Grandmaster Simon Williams starts a chess stream. One thing is for sure: Viewers will enjoy some "Spicy Chess," as many of his most popular shows are called. Simon provides a good mix of entertainment and education in his streams.
Chess.com also has a strong and growing foreign-language audience. Chess.com offers not just coverage of its biggest events in languages like Spanish, Russian, French and more, but also regular streaming content. One of the most entertaining chess personalities on the web (in any language) is FM Luis Fernandez Siles, who streams almost daily to Twitch.tv/chesscomes.
IM Voja Milanovic's Weekly Simuls
Watch the ChssTV calendar for opportunities to play IM Voja Milanovic in simuls. He regularly plays all challengers in 60 60 games: a great way to learn!
Did you know that Twitch.tv is currently the fourth largest source of internet traffic in the world? It hosts 1.5 million broadcasters and 150 million users each month. Twitch is the broadcasting platform of choice for esports, an estimated $500 million industry, and both Twitch and Chess,com believe chess has a big future in esports.
Central Park is colorful with chess players. Round 3 is underway! pic.twitter.com/kwyfW3RTgv
— Robert L. Hess II (@GM_Hess) September 16, 2017
What's more?
Have you been thinking about streaming? We are eager to help you get started! We have a ton of information and resources to help!
Start here: https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-become-a-streamer-on-chess-com
Once you've set up your channel, you may apply for the Twitch and Chess.com Partner Program by following the guidelines here: https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-become-a-chess-com-and-twitch-partnered-streamer