Long Sutton chess player says appearing on BBC Two Chess Masters: The Endgame has helped boost numbers at his club

A passionate chess player says appearing on television has boosted interest in the game and was the ‘best experience’ of his life.

In a bid to encourage young people to get involved, Craig Robinson of Long Sutton decided to put himself forward and represent Lincolnshire in the new BBC Two series, Chess Masters: The Endgame.

The show is hosted by actress and broadcaster Sue Perkins and follows 12 contestants on their quest to crack various puzzles and speed games. Craig is set to appear on episode four, which will air tonight (Monday, March 31) on BBC Two at 8pm.

Following on from the first episode, which aired on March 10, Craig believes the eight-part series has already had a positive impact on Spalding Chess Club.

He said: “Based on our Facebook analytics, the clubs page has had an increase in followers and viewers. The club is going well and we’ve had a few new people turn up to become members which we are really pleased with.

“I wanted to apply for the TV show to challenge myself. I knew the series would be an attempt to push chess in the country and I wanted to be a part of it.

“From what I know, thousands of people applied and they chose who they believed to be the best amateur players according to skill level, personality and background.”

Craig took a shine to the board game during lockdown, following the release of popular Netflix series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ – and became a member of Spalding Chess Club to pursue his hobby.

His interest has given him the opportunity to travel around the county and play competitively in league and tournament games at weekends.

After filming for the new BBC Two series took place in November last year in Cardiff, Craig has been able to stay in touch with his fellow chess players and built friendships as a result of the experience.

He added: “It was my first time being on telly and the filming process was one of the best experiences of my life – it came quite naturally and didn’t bother me too much.

“I still remain good friends with some of the other contestants and the whole thing was just really amazing.

“Playing the games was quite difficult because you were under a lot of pressure with the cameras and we had to take part in speed chess games against each other.

“Hopefully, as the series goes on, it will give my club a big push and if there were any opportunities which come up in the future I’d definitely be interested.”