Try Chessbook and my gambit repertoire: https://chessbook.com/mustreader Today's special guest is Danny Rensch — Chess.com's Chief Chess Officer! We’ve discussed many hot topics: Hans' against chess.com, how FIDE and other organizers ignore cheating problems and why 2025 will be HUGE for chess. Danny shared how they banned top GMs and WHY the Hikaru-Magnus match never happened in 2023. Bonus: two action-packed blitz games to finish! Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mustreader My X: https://x.com/mustreader My channel with podcast highlights: https://www.youtube.com/@CwMClips Collabs: mazdrid@gmail.com Danny's X: https://x.com/DanielRensch Pre-order Danny's book Dark Squares: https://www.chess.com/darksquares My podcast with Chess.com CEO: https://youtu.be/1cCrMcUTDj8?si=Wf3TGeGIQknmBDLO My podcast with Anish: https://youtu.be/x41meg64OxM?si=MHcuDsNNOs6gLMUj My podcast with Kramnik that got me blocked by him: https://youtu.be/YKzes4eteb4?si=5nUg3RNqeHXnqANK My podcast with Naroditsky: https://youtu.be/OKeb-WRMYpM?si=B3cfMHORtC6gEoMc My podcast with Dubov: https://youtu.be/rimjT4Pj3jY?si=JGVX3uw5CS0c6T9z Many thanks to my Patreon supporter: Sarterus 00:00 – Intro 01:41 – Danny's challenging childhood 05:17 – "Chess is a scary game" 06:37 – What chess means to Danny 11:44 – Secret behind Chess.com success 18:52 – Is chess boring to watch? 24:03 – Chess audience growing 10x soon? 28:46 – 2025 chess boom: Netflix, A24, Joe Rogan 31:05 – Chess popularity explosion 33:22 – Chess.com quitting tournaments?! 39:22 – Why Hikaru-Magnus match cancelled? 42:32 – Niemann lawsuit aftermath 45:50 – What Hans Niemann isn't telling 51:07 – Organizers ignore cheating 59:55 – Will cheating destroy chess? 1:06:17 – Blitz games Danny Rensch: trusting HANS, IGNORING cheating, Magnus vs Hikaru daniel rensch danny rensch danny chief chess officer chess.com danny cco chess.com danny rensch chesscom danny rensch cult leader danny rensch childhood danny rensch interview danny rensch podcast chess.com chief chess officer danny rensch dark squares danny rensch book hans niemann lawsuit chess.com niemann lawsuit magnus carlsen hans niemann controversy why magnus hikaru match was cancelled magnus carlsen on joe rogan chess.com bans grandmasters chess.com banned players chess cheating cheating in chess how chess.com catches cheaters chess.com anti cheat system netflix chess documentary a24 chess movie emma stone chess boom 2025 chess esport chess podcast chess interview mustreader greg mustreader mustreader chess My name is Greg Mustreader, I am a Candidate Master in chess, an entrepreneur and host of several podcasts. On the Chess with Mustreader channel, I interview top chess players, play against chess AIs, analyze the most interesting chess games and combinations of today and of the past, as well as show you my path in chess and the way I work on my chess improvement (including recaps from the tournaments I play). I live in Almaty, Kazakhstan and travel the world extensively (been to 50 countries). I'm 31 years old, I have a girlfriend, three dogs and four cats. I speak English, Russian, German, and a bit of French and Chinese. Don't forget to subscribe! #dannyrensch #danielrensch #chesscom #chesswithmustreader #gregmustreader