State Of Chess Returns March 24 With Rory Kennedy, Trust & Safety Update, AI Discussion

The State of Chess show returns on March 24, when Chief Chess Officer IM Danny Rensch will once again share updates on Chess.com and the broader chess world. The show is also where you can ask us questions directly and get answers live during the broadcast!

Join us on March 24 after Titled Tuesday (around 2:15 p.m. ET / 20:15 CET / 0:45 a.m. IST) on our Twitch and YouTube channels to catch the show live.

This episode will feature several special guests, including the director of Netflix’s new hit documentary, Queen of Chess; Chess.com’s Senior Product Manager, David Watkis; and our Director of AI, Vinay Bhat. 

Here’s what we’ll discuss during the show:

Conversation With “Queen of Chess” Director Rory Kennedy

We’ll kick off the show with none other than multi-award-winning Rory Kennedy, the director of Netflix’s new hit documentary Queen of Chess. The documentary, which tells the story of legendary GM Judit Polgar, has reached Netflix’s top-10 charts worldwide and the number-one spot in many countries. 

Danny and Rory will discuss the documentary’s success, the chess community’s response, its impact on women in chess, and more. This is also your chance to ask Rory any questions about the documentary!

Chess.com Updates

Next, Danny will discuss everything that’s been going on at Chess.com. Here’s where you’ll hear the latest about this year’s events (both past and upcoming), our newest features, and things we’re working on to improve your experience on Chess.com. You’ll also learn more about fair play and Proctor’s impact.

Trust And Safety With David Watkis

Chess has never been so big, and we’ve never had so many players on Chess.com. And with so many people joining, we must make our website as safe as possible for everyone. Danny will talk with our Senior Product Manager, David Watkis, about our new protections, settings, and initiatives to keep Chess.com safe. 

The Present And Future Of AI In Chess With Vinay Bhat

We’ll also welcome Vinay Bhat back to the chess world in a talk about AI and machine learning. Vinay, a former child chess prodigy, took a hiatus from the game to focus on his career. His journey ultimately led him back to Chess.com, where he now works as the Director of Machine Learning and AI.

Danny and Vinay will discuss how Chess.com uses AI to power features across the platform. You’ll learn more about our current projects, what the team will build next, and how this will improve your overall experience on Chess.com. 

Q&A With Danny

As always, we’ll wrap up the show with a Q&A section with Danny. We’ll be accepting questions from viewers, which is another good reason to tune in live. Whether you have questions about chess, Chess.com, or even unrelated ones to embarrass Danny, we’ll be there to answer them!

Are you excited about the upcoming State of Chess? What’s your favorite part of the show? Let us know in the comments below!