FORGET boxing. Forget the NBA.

Because there is a very different sport set to take over Madison Square Garden in the next few years.

Reuters

Madison Square Garden could be ready to host another huge sporting event[/caption]

Alamy

Chess enjoyed a massive boost by The Queen’s Gambit and Covid lockdowns[/caption]

Instagram / @mosalah

Mo Salah wants to take on the world’s best after conquering his family at home[/caption]

And that is chess.

It may not be a new sport – in fact, it’s been around for more than 1,500 years – but chess is enjoying a revival that is ready to take over.

Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit coinciding with the Covid lockdowns propelled the game into the forefront of people’s minds again, dusting off the chequered boards and playing with Boris Johnson’s daily press briefings on the TV in the background.

It is now estimated that a whopping 605million people across the world play chess – including plenty of top athletes such as Harry Kane and Mo Salah.

However, just 10,000 watch it – the total inverse of most popular sports.

Now, grandmaster and 17-time world champion Magnus Carlsen has teamed up with Norwegian entrepreneur Mats Andre Kristiansen to create a streaming app to revolutionise chess into a spectator sport.

Kristiansen – who founded Norway’s first billion-dollar start-up company with an online groceries business – told SunSport: “In Norway, because of Magnus, we watch chess like any other sport on television.

“But the chess ecosystem is a bit broken. It’s very hard for a casual fan to come in and understand who the best players are and when they are playing.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

“Our app Take Take Take is the first serious platform to push chess into the level of spectating sport.

“If you could get everyone that has ever played chess to get excited about watching chess, I think easily a billion people could follow a top-level chess game.

“The sky’s the limit in terms of where this could go.

“I could see in five years’ time that we could sell out Madison Square Garden and make big live events.

“One of the reasons this hasn’t happened before is that spectators are asked to be absolutely silent during a chess event because it’s very easy to cheat and give the players hints.

“You would need to put the players inside a glass box or something so spectators can cheer and scream and be loud.

“If someone could solve that over the next couple of years, I think really we could see chess turn into a fantastic spectating sport.”

The Take Take Take app, launched in October, enables fans to keep tabs on live matches, socialise with other fans, complete interactive challenges and will introduce various games – including fantasy chess in 2025, with Carlsen originally having the idea because he is one of the best fantasy football players in the world.

Kristiansen likened chess to golf, tennis and cycling as sports that can take a while but have key, critical moments with big ramifications.

To make chess into a spectator sport, you need to help people watching understand what is going on inside two people’s minds

Mats Andre Kristiansen

So Take Take Take will cover the upcoming World Championship final with broadcasts in the app and make the most of commentators, AI and graphics such as the “evaluation bar” to ‘Give, Give, Give’ an education to newer, casual fans.

CEO Kristiansen, 38, added: “Chess is very relatable because people play chess from five to 105 years old.

“To make it into a spectator sport, you need to help people watching understand what is going on in the action on the board because everything is inside two people’s minds.”

The app – downloaded in 180 countries in the first seven days – received investment backing from Breakthrough Initiatives, the company spearheaded by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and Google founder Sergey Brin.

Clearly, they too see the huge potential of growing chess’ spectator and commercial value.

And that is largely down to the influence of Carlsen, Netflix and viral YouTubers – who together have raised its profile across the sporting and entertainment world.

ALL ON BOARD

Oslo-based Kristiansen, who played Carlsen as part of 25 simultaneous matches in 2016, added: “Magnus Carlsen is the best chess player, he’s renowned as the first chess superstar and his influence for chess has been insane.

“Mo Salah from Liverpool plays chess. He would love to play Magnus. That would be great. Harry Kane is a chess fan.

“Netflix made The Queen’s Gambit and is launching their Drive To Survive-style documentary for chess next year and Emma Stone bought the production rights for the cheating scandal between Magnus and Hans Niemann.

“Chess.com’s biggest surge in growth was when all the YouTubers and content creators got brought on to the platform to play chess.

“There are definitely lots of things happening to popularise chess even more.”

Without doubt, for more than a millennium-and-a-half, people all over the world have fallen in love WITH chess.

And now Kristiansen is delighted to see people falling in love THROUGH chess.

He concluded: “I travel a lot with Magnus and there are more and more chess bars opening in Europe… in Paris, in London, in Berlin, in Stockholm where one is a nightclub with 100 chess boards set up in the basement.

“And now in Los Angeles, there is even the LA Chess Club which is a speed-dating event. You can see casual chess fans want to meet in bars and play chess.”

Check it out, mate.

Getty

Harry Kane is a fan of chess[/caption]

Rex

Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has helped launch a new app to make chess a global spectator sport[/caption]

SunSport

Norwegian entrepreneur Mats Andre Kristiansen is CEO of Take Take Take[/caption]

Getty

Mark Zuckerberg’s company invested in the Take Take Take app[/caption]

instagram @lachess.club

The LA Chess Club sets up speed-dating events in Los Angeles[/caption]

Connie Nielsen’s portrayal of Lucilla in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, a role that she reprised from the first film, was not necessarily a locked-in endeavor for the actress. The actress is being praised for her portrayal of the character, something that a lot of critics had feared would not match up to her initial appearance […]

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire

Sammy Robinson has opened up about the wild night that led to an action she was too “embarrassed” to tell her boyfriend about.

Hyderabad, Nov 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Miscreants desecrated a temple in Shadnagar town of Telangana’s Rangareddy district on Friday. Unidentified persons allegedly desecrated a temple in the Janampeta area in Shadnagar, triggering tension. Police said the miscreants...

The post Temple desecrated in Telangana’s Shadnagar town appeared first on Social News XYZ.

A HUGE football superstar has dropped a massive hint that he’ll be signing on for I’m A Celebrity.

The star in question sent a video message to show hosts Ant and Dec, which they then shared on their social media.

Instagram/antanddec

A huge football superstar has dropped a massive hint that he’ll be signing on for I’m A Celebrity[/caption]

Instagram/antanddec

Jack Grealish said he loved the show and would come on – just not yet[/caption]

Getty

Jack plays for Man City and just became a first time dad[/caption]

It was none other than Man City player Jack Grealish, 29, who recently welcomed his first baby with partner Sasha Attwood.

Ant and Dec captioned their post: “We love you Grealish, we do!”

The clip begins with Ant saying: “I think Jack Grealish would be very, very good,” to which Dec added: “I asked Jack Grealish whether he’d do the show as so many people had been suggesting him. This is what he said.”

The clip then pans to Jack Grealish on the phone, after sending a voice message to Ant and Dec.

The 29-year-old says: “Hey guys, Jack here, I’ve heard that a few of you guys want to see me in the jungle.

“I can’t lie to you this is something that I’d absolutely love to do. It’s a show that I’ve watched since I was little and it’s a show that I love.”

The football star went on: “I don’t know how I’d get on in there and I don’t think I’d be the best to be honest but I’d give it a go.

“Obviously not this year as I don’t think Pep would be happy if I ended up there this year.”

He finished by saying “never say never,” and that he could end up in the jungle “one day.”

Ant and Dec revealed that Jack had been someone in high demand from fans to star in the show.

After the star’s video message, Ant pretended to faint to the floor in the I’m A Celeb studio, as he said: “Oh my God. I fainted, Jack Grealish.”

The presenter duo, as well as the production team, chanted “we love you Grealish, we do,” as the clip drew to a close.

Jack would follow a long line of footballers who’ve starred on I’m A Celeb, if he were to sign up for the show.

These include Harry Redknapp, Ian Wright, Rodney Marsh, Neil “Razor” Ruddock and Jimmy Bullard.

And in 2022 Lioness Jill Scott won the show and took home the prestigious title – just months after helping England win the Euros.

Instagram/antanddec

Jack said Pep wouldn’t be too impressed if he went on the show this year[/caption]

Instagram/antanddec

The presenter duo chanted ‘we love you Grealish, we do’[/caption]

Instagram/antanddec

Ant and Dec were delighted[/caption]

TULISA’S ex-boyfriend Fazer says she has “always been” demisexual after she made the revelation on I’m A Celebrity.

The N-Dubz singer, 36, admitted she has been celibate for more than three years on an episode that aired earlier this week.

Eroteme

Getty

Tulisa with the rest of N-Dubz, her cousin Dappy (left), and ex-boyfriend Fazer (right)[/caption]

She told campmates Dean McCullough and Alan Halsall that she feels “like I’m demisexual” and added: “I need to have a really close emotional bond with someone.”

Asked about Tulisa’s revelation, her bandmate Fazer – who she dated from 2010 to 2012 – told The Sun: “She has always been like that.

“She’s always been like a hermit crab that goes inside its shell, you go too close to it, it goes back inside its shell.

“Her whole life, any sort of relationship that she’s been in has always been long-term for that person, it’s never been short-term.

“What she’s saying is absolutely true – that’s just how she feels.

“It’s like she wants to meet people, but there’s something inside her that doesn’t let her meet people.”

Fazer, 37 – real name Richard Rawson – and Tulisa kept their romance a secret for some time before their 2012 split.

It was reported at the time that Fazer wanted marriage and kids, while Tulisa was focused on progressing her career after landing a job as a judge on The X Factor.

But they have maintained a close friendship in the years since.

And Fazer added: “To any of her future partners: make sure you just take it slow and make sure you’ve got an emotional connection first.”

Fazer formed beloved Noughties hip-hop group N-Dubz with Tulisa and her cousin Dappy.

The group, from Camden, North London, achieved huge success before going on a hiatus in 2011.

They got back together in 2022 – returning with new single Charmer, which reached Number 32 in the UK Singles Chart.

The trio followed that up with 2023 album Timeless, which hit the Top 10.

They have had eight tunes reach the Top 40.

After ending their hiatus, they announced a ten-date reunion tour in 2022 which sold out in minutes – prompting them to add an additional seven dates.

Getty - Contributor

Getty

The band all hail from Camden in north London[/caption]

Getty

N-Dubz were formed in 2000[/caption]

Getty

Tulisa revealed on I’m A Celeb that Dappy originally wanted to go solo[/caption]

Getty

N-Dubz played at last year’s Isle of Wight Festival[/caption]

BIG Brother star Emma Morgan is nursing a secret heartache – after she came out of the house to find her son had been remanded into prison after being charged with possession of cocaine and axe.

Former Page 3 model Emma, 53, finished third in the reality TV show which started on October 6 and finished on Friday with Ali Bromley crowned winner.  

ITVx

Emma Morgan’s son has been charged with possessing cocaine[/caption]

But while the mum of three was appearing on TV, her son Flynn Wilson, 21, was hauled before magistrates after being charged with multiple offences. 

Wilson, of Trafford, Gtr Manchester, is alleged to have been found to be in possession of cocaine on or before 4 November. 

And in April he is alleged to have attempted to rob another man of cocaine at a flat close to his mum’s property in Wythenshawe, Gtr Manchester. 

When cops searched that property, they found an axe which they believe he used to threaten the man with and an amount of cannabis. 

Wilson appeared in court and has been remanded into custody at HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Gtr Manchester. 

Witnesses told The Sun the man who is the alleged victim of the assault spent time in hospital before being released. 

He has now disappeared from the area where he previously lived. 

One local told The Sun: “She used to be a Page 3 model and actress, so I’m not surprised she went on.

“The only thing that surprised me is how long she was in there.”

Prior to entering the Big Brother house the beautician married Lee Taberer, 53, who was a close friend of Salford gangster Paul Massey. 

Taberer, jailed for a £1m blackmail plot in 2010 when he threatened to kidnap a businessman’s family, was among the first on the scene when Massey was executed by an assassin outside his home in July 2015. 

Taberer arrived at the murder scene before police and began making house-to-house enquiries with another man. 

They both refused to co-operate with murder cops. 

Emma and Taberer are believed to have split up, despite only being married a year. 

After leaving the house, Emma, who has also appeared as an actress playing small parts in Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, described her time on telly as “an unforgettable experience”. 

Spotlight

Emma is a former glamour girl[/caption]

She added: “To come out 3rd and to feel so much love and support is beyond words.

“I’ve made some lifelong friends and shared this journey with them creating bonds like no other. I’ve made the best memories which I’ll cherish forever.

“Thank you Big Bother, for having me and thankyou to everyone that voted along the way. Still can’t believe I made it to the final!!!”

Emma was contacted for comment. 

Lanolips 101 Ointment isn't expensive to begin with, but you can get it for even cheaper right now!

Як зберегти любов і пронести її крізь усе життя? Як побудувати гармонійні стосунки? Чому все нерідко починається з романтики і цукерково-букетного періоду і закінчується гучним розлученням або розставанням? Куди зникає любов? Ці і багато інших питань хвилювали американського психолога доктора Уілларда Ф. Харлі. Шляхом багаторічних досліджень він прийшов до висновку, що ці відносини будуються на […]