Dopamine Media Announces ‘CANDIDATES’, a Landmark 6-Episode Docu-Series Following India’s Chess Prodigies, Premiering Free on YouTube on November 22!
Co-created by Biswa Kalyan Rath and Prashant Raj, the vérité-style series captures the intense journeys of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi—airing alongside Gukesh’s World Championship defense in Geneva.
Dopamine Media & Entertainment has announced the official trailer release of CANDIDATES, an ambitious six-episode documentary series chronicling the journeys of India’s generation of chess prodigies. Filmed over two and a half years between June 2022 and December 2024, the series tracks D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi from heartbreaking setbacks—such as the 2022 Chess Olympiad blunder in Chennai—to historic milestones, including Gukesh becoming the youngest-ever undisputed World Chess Champion at 18.
Directed by Prashant Raj and co-created by stand-up comic and writer Biswa Kalyan Rath alongside Raj, CANDIDATES is set to premiere for free on Dopamine Media’s official YouTube channel on Sunday, November 22, 2026. The launch date strategically aligns with the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Championship in Geneva, where Gukesh will defend his crown.
Unprecedented, Unfiltered Access
Shot vérité-style across eight countries and territories spanning 14 cities, the production team embedded themselves within the players’ lives during pivotal moments. From raw, unfiltered reactions to crushing defeats and high-stakes triumphs to quiet moments at home, the series captures the immense psychological weight of elite professional chess.
Highlighting the emotional core of the project, co-creator Biswa Kalyan Rath noted, “Chess looks like the quietest sport in the world. Spend time with these players and you realise how loud it is inside their heads. Every loss is personal. You don’t need to know the rules to feel this one.”
Co-creator and director Prashant Raj added, “We started filming in 2022 without knowing how this story would end. We only knew these players were special and that someone needed to be in the room. We are releasing CANDIDATES on YouTube because that is where India’s new chess audience grew up, and it should be free for all of them.”
Release Schedule
All episodes will premiere on the Dopamine Media YouTube channel at 7:00 PM IST:
Episode 1: Sunday, November 22, 2026
Episode 2: Friday, November 27, 2026
Episode 3: Tuesday, December 1, 2026
Episode 4: Saturday, December 5, 2026
Episodes 5 & 6 (Finale): Wednesday, December 9, 2026 (released back-to-back, one hour apart)
Produced by Anu Singh, Prashant Raj, and Biswa Kalyan Rath in association with Chessbase India and archival support from FIDE, CANDIDATES promises an intimate, gripping look at the human stories behind the grandmasters. Following its YouTube run during the World Championship match, the series will see broader global distribution across multiple platforms.
By Keerti Kadam