People in sports Basketball See all topics Follow
On the face of it, playing chess and competing in the NBA couldn’t be further apart.
One requires monk-like levels of silent concentration – particularly in classical chess – while the other demands physical dominance, peak athleticism and the ability to stay composed in a frenzied atmosphere.
But it seems there is more that links the two sports than initially meets the eye – just ask NBA legend Derrick Rose.
The 2011 NBA MVP has been leading a new and unlikely collaboration between the worlds of chess and professional basketball.
Rose recently teamed up with Magnus Carlsen’s Freestyle Chess to host a tournament, which involved top names from both disciplines. Players such as Golden State Warriors forward Quinten Post and Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams competed with and against several chess grandmasters in the 2025 Chesstival in Las Vegas.
NBA players partnered up with chess grandmasters in a Head & Hand format, where the chess star would name a piece and the baske
Continue Reading on CNN
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.