In this year’s first episode of the New In Chess Podcast, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam interviews Peter Svidler. It’s a special moment, as two years ago, Peter was the first guest in the inaugural episode of the podcast. We are delighted that he’s returning. Peter Svidler can look back on an incredible career as a player and he is one of the most knowledgeable and versatile experts in the world of chess. He is a three-time Candidate for the World Championship, an eight-time champion of Russia, and a World Cup winner. Among his many further successes are five gold team medals at the Olympiad.Over the past years, as he began to play less, Peter has become one of the most popular chess commentators in the world. In fact, it’s fair to say that he was one of the commentators that took chess broadcasts to a new level. For all these reasons, Peter is a perfect guest at the start of 2026, as we look ahead to a well-filled chess year that no doubt will bring us many highlights.First, Peter looks back on the Rapid & Blitz World Championships in Doha, where Magnus Carlsen won the title in both time controls for the fifth time in his career. Next, he talks about the Tata Steel tournament that starts tomorrow in Wijk aan Zee, the world-famous village on the Dutch coast. And, of course, he also touches on the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus in the first half of April. Peter is an easy talker, who happily shares his stories and insights about many leading and upcoming great chess players.How does he see Magnus’s new victory? What is his take on rising stars Yazig Erdogmus and Faustino Oro? Or on Vincent Keymer, Anish Giri, Javokhir Sindarov, Leinier Dominguez, World Champion Gukesh and the other Indian stars? You’ll hear about all of them and many more. If you’d like to warm up for the Tata Steel Masters and Challengers and get into the mood for more highlights in 2026, this episode of the New In Chess Podcast is a good place to begin. Don’t miss it!The New In Chess Podcast is brought to you by DGT, the chess innovators. DGT is the only brand that provides everything you need to broadcast the games of a chess event - from chess clocks to sensory chess boards.2:05 – Peter’s recap of the World Rapid and Blitz3:50 – Which “new kids on the block” did Peter follow with particular interest? 10:36 – Peter’s match against Erdogmus 20:49 – Magnus’s outrageous Messi comparison 23:16 – AD BREAK 23:55 – Is it unwise for Oro to play in the Masters group in Wijk aan Zee?27:20 – Keymer’s great form going into Wijk aan Zee 28:17 – Anish Giri 30:53 – Gukesh 33:36 – Why Peter thinks this World Championship cycle will be more exciting than before40:15 – Jakovhir Sindarov’s dark horse status42:56 – Fabiano Caruana’s chances 47:35 – Pragg 47:57 – AD BREAK 51:34 – What can we expect from Ivanchuk in Wijk aan Zee? 54:30 – Does Peter miss playing competitive chess? 59:03 – How has Uzbekistan become such a strong chess country? 1:02:53 – Will the “India conveyor belt” ever stop? 1:04:14 – What is the current state of chess overall according to Peter?

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