The new docuseries Grandmasters debuted to a full house at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on Saturday. The series spotlights top chess players including Magnus Carlsen and Hans Niemann along with the sport's evolving landscape.
The screening took place at the SVA Theater in Manhattan. Director Liza Mandelup introduced the first episode to applause from the crowd. The production follows Carlsen, Wesley So, Niemann, and others as they navigate the launch of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam and tensions with the International Chess Federation. After the showing, Mandelup joined IMs Danny Rensch and Levy Rozman for a Q&A session. Niemann addressed his public image in the series. He said,