Ding Liren and Ju Wenjun await in the 2024 World Chess Championship, but who will earn the right to challenge them? The Candidates Tournament, a grueling 14-round competition, will determine the reigning champions' respective challengers, and for the first time, both contests are being held concurrently.
Read on and we'll show you how to watch World Chess Championship 2024 from anywhere with a VPN, and potentially for FREE.
The 2024 World Chess Championship starts with the Candidates Tournament from Thurs (Apr. 4) to Mon (Apr. 22). Full schedule below.
► Global — YouTube (FREE)
► Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free
The Candidates Tournament follows a double round-robin format, with every contender required to face each of their rivals twice, once with black pieces, once with white. The final day of competition has been earmarked for tie-breakers.
It's set to be a mind-boggling occasion for the Rameshbabu family, as brother and sister Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali are each in contention for the first time. What's more, as the 2023 World Cup finalist, Praggnanandhaa is amongst the favorites at The Great Hall in Toronto.
The grandmaster to beat in the men's draw is without a doubt Ian Nepomniachtchi, who's already won this tournament a record-equaling two times, while Aleksandra Goryachkina, the fourth-highest rated woman of all time, is the one to watch in the women's draw. The date of the 2024 World Chess Championship is yet to be announced.
Read on as we explain how to watch World Chess Championship live streams from anywhere with a VPN. We’ve also listed the full Candidates Tournament schedule below so you won't miss a moment.
FREE World Chess Championship live streams
The 2024 World Chess Championship and Candidates Tournament are being live streamed for free on the FIDE Chess YouTube channel in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and select locations.
But what if you're based in one of those countries but aren't at home to catch that free coverage? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch the chess for free at home?
Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.
World Chess Championship live streams around the world
Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the chess?
You can still watch the World Chess Championship live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are. So ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN. It's the best on the market:
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view coverage from Canada, you'd select Canada from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to YouTube or another website and watch the World Chess Championship.
How to watch World Chess Championship live streams in the U.S.
If you're in the U.S., you can watch the 2024 World Chess Championship on YouTube, which is of course completely free.
Play typically begins at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT each day for the Candidates Tournament.
If you already use YouTube but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can live stream the World Chess Championship by using a good VPN.
How to watch World Chess Championship live streams in the U.K.
The 2024 World Chess Championship is being shown for free in Australia on YouTube. Play typically begins at 7:30 p.m. BST each evening.
All sounds great, right? But if you're not in the U.K., you can still tap into the World Chess Championship live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.
How to watch World Chess Championship live streams in Canada
Chess fans in Canada can watch the 2024 World Chess Championship free on the FIDE Chess YouTube channel. Play typically starts at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT each day.
Not at home right now? Use NordVPN to tap into your home coverage from anywhere.
How to watch World Chess Championship live streams in Australia
The 2024 World Chess Championship is being shown for free in Australia on YouTube. Play typically begins at 5:30 a.m. AEDT, switching to 4:30 a.m. AEST when the clocks change on Sunday, April 7.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN, such as NordVPN, to watch the chess as if you were back home.
World Chess Championship schedule
- Thursday, April 4: Round 1
- Friday, April 5: Round 2
- Saturday, April 6: Round 3
- Sunday, April 7: Round 4
- Monday, April 8: Rest Day
- Tuesday, April 9: Round 5
- Wednesday, April 10: Round 6
- Thursday, April 11: Round 7
- Friday, April 12: Rest Day
- Saturday, April 13: Round 8
- Sunday, April 14: Round 9
- Monday, April 15: Round 10
- Tuesday, April 16: Rest Day
- Wednesday, April 17: Round 11
- Thursday, April 18: Round 12
- Friday, April 19: Rest Day
- Saturday, April 20: Round 13
- Sunday, April 21: Round 14
- Monday, April 22: Tie-Breaks
