C-Squared Podcast

Fabi and Cristian break down a wild stretch in chess. Hans Niemann wins his first ever super tournament in Warsaw to kick off the Grand Chess Tour, but admits he felt like the rabbit being caught by the turtle as Fabi closed the gap in the final rounds. We dig into the American trio's standout performances, Alireza's secret conflict between the GCT and the Esports World Cup, and Magnus winning Tepe Sigeman in Malmo, ahead of Erigaisi and Erdogmus. Plus, 12-year-old Faustino Oro officially becomes a Grandmaster, the second youngest in chess history!
Episode sponsored by our friends at https://www.chessreps.com/.
The fastest way to learn openings and actually remember them. Train smarter, play sharper.
♟️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

Fabi and Cristian are live from Warsaw ahead of the Grand Chess Tour’s first leg, breaking down the biggest stories in chess. Magnus Carlsen returns to classical at TePe Sigeman in Malmo and faces 14-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus for the first time ever. Webster University shuts down the legendary SPICE program, ending one of the most decorated collegiate chess dynasties in U.S. history — and Susan Polgar isn’t taking it quietly. Plus the red or blue button debate splitting chess Twitter, and Fabi’s POV heading into GCT Warsaw.
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

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