C-Squared Podcast

Fabi and Cristian break down the biggest stories in chess right now. Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus becomes the youngest player ever to cross 2700, smashing Wei Yi's record by nearly a year after a dominant 5-1 demolition of Topalov in Monte Carlo. Hans Niemann is back in the Grand Chess Tour with a wildcard slot in Warsaw. And Take Take Take's new Lichess partnership puts Magnus's app on a collision course with Chess.com.Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ — the fastest way to learn openings and actually remember them. Train smarter, play sharper.

The 2026 Candidates is over, and Javokhir Sindarov is heading to the World Championship match against Gukesh. Fabi breaks down Sindarov's magical run and insane opening prep, reflects on his own Candidates dream, and weighs in on Hikaru's opening disaster, the state of Titled Tuesday, and who takes the title in Gukesh vs Sindarov. Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr 00:00 Intro 00:28 Sindarov's Magic 05:28 Fabi vs Sindarov 07:28 Sindarov Stays Consistent Until The End 10:48 Fabi's Candidates Dream 23:28 Sindarov's Insane Prep 27:38 Hikaru Blames His Seconds For Opening Disaster 32:08 Titled Tuesday Is Dead 32:42 Gukesh Vs Sindarov Predictions

Fabi gets real about Gukesh's controversial cheating comments, reveals how his Candidates camp is shaping up, and we dive into the E-Sports World Cup threatening to clash with the Grand Chess Tour. Plus: Why are Super GMs suddenly playing in open tournaments? And our full Prague Masters preview. 📌 The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament starts March 29 in Cyprus. Fabi plays White against Hikaru Nakamura in Round 1, an All American Clash! 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes as we count down to the Candidates! ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr

The boys connect to talk about the biggest news of the week. The chaotic Speed Chess Championship is over, and we unpack everything that happed in London, and much more. Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr 00:00 Intro 00:35 Overview of last week 03:15 Tata Steel Recap 15:02 Tata Steel B Group 22:50 Polgar Netflix Documentary 24:20 Speed Chess Championship Review 46:00 Grand Chess Tour VS Esports World Cup Clash #magnuscarlsen #fabianocaruana #speedchess

♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr 00:00 Intro 00:42 Comeback 03:30 Grand Slam & Wimbeldon of Chess 04:44 Wijk aan zee History 07:50 Chess has become a young sport 16:00 Strongest 15 years old 26:55 Chess Engine Power 33:44 Candidates performance in Tata Steel 37:24 Who win Tata Steel? 45:25 Gukesh Blundered 52:45 Fabi reveals his Candidates Prep 56:49 Freestyle World Championship #chess #fabianocaruana #tatasteelchess

The boys are joined by @movingwithmat and @JamesCantyIII to discuss the recent happenings in the exciting world of Chessboxing. Matt is the moving force behind the Chessboxing movement in the US, while James just recently became the heavy weight Chessboxing World Champion after defeating his Russian foe in Serbia earlier this year. We discuss a wide range of topics, enjoy! Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ Support the channel :♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr

Fabiano and Cristian react to the World Cup semifinals craziest moments. The blunder that changed history and handed Wei Yi his candidates ticket, as well as the tense clash between the two Uzbek superstars are discussed. Here is our full breakdown of the 2025 World Cup Semifinals! Watch the episode with video analysis directly on our Youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@csqpodEpisode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr 00:00 Semifinals Breakdown 18:53 Sindarov Shines In The Uzbek Clash 47:54 Wei Yi vs Esipenko, Insane Turnaround 01:09:56 Painful Moments in Chess

Follow this Masterclass analysis by checking the video on our Youtube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@csqpodCheck this episode's sponsor, Chessreps, at chessreps.com

Consider Donating to the Daniel Naroditsky Memorial Fund | https://givebutter.com/naroditsky Fabiano and Cristian react to the World Cup's most insane matches and unexpected upsets so far. Almost all the top favorites are out, and the intense final battles for the Candidates are underway, here is our breakdown as we go into the semis! Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/ ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod 🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr 00:00 Intro 00:30 Danya's Memorial Fund 03:00 World Cup Review 08:28 Donchenko's Journey 12:39 Nodirbek Yakubboev's Journey 21:09 Jose Martinez's Journey 29:50 Lodici - The rising Italian Star 35:54 Shankland's Journey 37:00 Fabi's take on Dubov's 10 min Preparation 45:58 Esipenko's Journey 53:45 Fabi shares his World Cup experience 01:00:16 Wei Yi Vs Arjun Erigaisi 01:11:30 Candidates 2026

Want to get your reps in and play the perfect opening? Make sure you check our friends at https://www.chessreps.com The World Cup is one of the most exciting events of the chess calendar, and this year's edition has not disappointed. The boys get together to chat about the favorites, give their predictions, and discuss the big surprises of the first rounds. ♟️Play With Us: https://www.chess.com/join/csqpod?ref_id=207174611 👕MERCH: https://c-squared.shop/ 🌐 Website: https://c2pod.com/ ☕Buy Us A Coffee : buymeacoffee.com/c2pod🐦Twitter/X : https://x.com/CSQpod 📸Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/csqpod/ 💬Discord : https://discord.gg/XeP3tENMTr 00:00 Intro 00:19 Clutch Chess Recap 08:00 Magnus Vs Gukesh Rivalry 18:45 Total Chess Championship (Norway Chess) ?!?! 37:35 World Cup Analysis & Predictions