Hammond & May try to play chess while downing shots 

We knew you'd like this one! It's so amazing to see all of your positive feedback on the channel rebrand thus far! We feel there is so much potential with What Next and we have plenty of content like this in the can to show you guys. Thank you to all of you who have watched and subscribed 🙂 - Mike

I love how Hammond still says ''If you've just joined us'' at random intervals as if its a TV programme

What a layer this adds to the game! This was great fun!

Hammond has a breathtaking technique- explaining every bit of thought process out loud to your opponent. 😅

Amazing how civil they are when it's just two of them together. Throw a third one in and all he'll breaks loose.

I would watch a whole series of May and Hammond playing different games. Monopoly next?

"You are thinking about it, which I'd say technically is cheating!" -- Richard Hammond, while playing chess

i love how Richard getting slightly drunker after every drink is actually visible

I just love that they're calling them "prawns." I didn't realize that those little pieces were crustaceans lol.

Imagine telling James and Richard 20 years ago, on Top Gear--a car show, mind you--that 20 years later they'd be playing chess while drinking and that hundreds of thousands of people would still be watching them.

Trust me Hammond, after your fourth shot no one had any doubts that it was real gin.

I love how Hammond has to vocalize every single thought in his brain 🤣

I put the game through Stockfish, and the analysis bar had a seizure in the first five moves alone. Great content, even greater for people who play chess.

James: "explains one move ahead" Richard: "This is a level of thinking I can't fathom"

Just what i needed. One hour of James and Hammond bickering. One hour to forget all the other bullcrap on this planet. Thank you.

10:10 "Message from the crew, mobilize a bit more." Hammond and May proceed their 1 hour game of chess.

James surveying the room about whether Richard had already been wearing glasses and coming to no conclusion was magical (23:46)

I don't know why Hammond was convinced that we'd think they were using water instead of gin. I'd be much more likely to believe that he was pretending to drink a glass of water which was really gin.

As an avid chess player this was simultaneously hilarious and horrendously painful to watch

I love that half the game is them making moves that don't particularly do anything followed by the other saying "oh that was genius".

Hammond: we can't prove to you that it's real gin Also Hammond after a few shots : 37:12 Don't worry we believe you 😅

This must be the world record for the longest gin commercial ever.

I love the fact that this is over an hour. Nights sorted

As an ADHD ridden man child I have to say I really wouldn’t have the patience to watch a video like this if it involved anyone else, but these 2 and their witty chemistry have me completely engaged

1:13:14 The most James May moment ever. Truly excellent.

Hamster's attempt to "prove" that it was REAL gin by swilling it around in the glass wasn't convincing... but when, two minutes later, he suggested using a Wotsit as a straw... I was convinced. 😂😂

You guys have completely figured out what content works best for this channel! Hats off to everyone involved!

"I don't trust playing chess against you, because...you read stuff" Richard Hammond

"If you have your go now, I'll break your face with this plate" - Richard Hammered

I’d honestly pay money to watch the trio play board games for a couple of hours

I like this Richard Hammered guy. Uses his liver as a distraction on the battlefield, an unusual tactic but potentially very clever. I really hope he doesn't have to do any driving or something like that though, like as a job for instance

27:19 is actual carnage 😂 James laughing like a duck and hammond VISIBLY fuming to find out he was joking

I love how their calling pawns “prawns” even before they’ve taken any shots

I'm still crying at 'I haven't thought my argument through, but I have steepled my fingers' 🤣🤣🤣

Why we love the 2 of them: H:"...but we are older and wiser now." J:"Oh yes." H:"More sophisticated." J:"Yes." H:"More intellectual." J:"Yes."

James May, who has a speculated net worth of around £40 million, offering, if not slightly insisting, to eat a wotsit that has been up Richard’s nose for 5 quid is why they put “drink responsibly” labels on alcohol.

Take my money and show us these legends in this format regularly. This was hysterical and peaceful simultaneously

00:03 James waves to the camera 00:39 roules clarification 03:59 end of rule clarification 04:20 james fails the first move of the game 07:36 that's what Mindy said later 09:54 Mike pours Hammond a drink 12:56 plop 13:36 it escalates 15:12 james drops another prawn 15:38 1 17:31 james taps his clock and Mike gets snacks 18:35 hammond cheats by not having a drink 19:07 hammond calls Mike a scottish muppet and stops playing 20:21 hammond's wotsits madness unfolds 21:51 james nearly discovers hammond cheating 26:22 hammond thinks about girls and motorcycles 27:15 hammonds starts playing again 29:30 james forgets hammonds name 31:17 hammond breaks the 4th wall 32:10 hammond decends into wotsits lunacy 34:25 hammond is sorry 35:24 hammond screws himself over 36:30 wotsits insanity 37:45 hammond nearly gets divorced 40:13 his soul leaves hammonds body, he commences playing the didgeridoo 43:35 hammond is a rough and ready little viking 45:46 hammond summarizes the series vikings 48:27 the door opens magically 54:32 a terrible mistake 01:01:22 hammond isn't vaping 01:04:41 james eats a crisp 01:05:10 mike definitely can be heard 01:06:45 hammond loses a finger 01:07:20 hammond spricht deutsch 01:11:30 hammond names the essence of drivetribe 01:14:51 finally, the end 01:16:11 james finds a finished game of chess interesting

Can you do this bi-annually or quarterly or something? This was hysterical. I’d love to see Jeremy play but I would assume he’d just take 16 shots right off the hop and claim he won

I just love the fact that they drink shots like it's a real punishment, but they drink their GIN Tonic without even making a noise. Just like if it was a soft drink 😂😂😂

Poor Hammie is so intimidated by how smart he thinks May is - not necessarily how smart May actually is - that he's convinced himself that May has some grand, multilayered strategy, and he's second guessing everything he does.

Out of the OG trio, May would be the guy I'd want to drink with. Hammond and Clarkson are awesome but May just seems like someone you could get hammered with and have an epic conversation.

Hammond stalling every move with utter nonsense is the funniest part of this

The extremely, extremely funny thing to me, personally - I started this video, left it running, stepped away for a few minutes. I came back right around the 7:40 or 7:45, right after Hammond had moved his piece. "If you've just joined us -" perfectly on time

The crew at 10.00 saying there needs to be more movement on the board probably don’t understand that nobody is here for the chess

Love how May starts explaining at the start, and immediately calls the pawns prawns 🤣

As someone who avidly plays and studies chess, watching these two barge at each other on the black and white squares like headless chickens whilst being hammered is truly a fascinating watch

As a 1400 rated chess player, this was one of the chess games of all time.

i have just binged them building lego while taking shots, this, them making poached eggs, hammond drinking james gin for the first time, them making gin and tonic while videocalling and i have to say i havent laughed sooo hard in awhile. i just wish clarkson maybe can be a cameo in one or two episodes

in case anyone wants the full notation of the game to run it through an analysis and watch the eval bar go nuts: 1. e4 f5 2. exf5 c5 3. f6 Na6 4. Bb5 Nc7 5. Nc3 Nxb5 6. Nd5 Nd4 7. fxe7 Nxe7 8. c3 b5 9. cxd4 Nxd5 10. Qe2+ Qe7 11. d3 b4 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Qh5+ g6 15. d5 gxh5 16. Kd2 Rg8 17. Re1 Rxg2 18. Nf3 Ba6 19. Re5 Bg7 20. Rhe1 d6 21. Rxh5 Rg1 22. Re6 Bc3+ 23. Kc2 Rc1+ 24. Kxc1 Bxd3 25. bxc3 Rd8 26. Ne5 dxe5 27. d6 b3 28. Rxe7+ Kf8 29. Rxh6 bxa2 30. Rh8# 1-0

It’s fascinating that I’ve learned more about May and Hammond’s personalities and methods of thought in just over an hour then I have in twenty years of watching just about every show they’ve done many times over. They really are exceedingly funny. An hour and a half very well spent!

*James looks away to ask a question* Hammond: "oh come back james" 😂😂😂 I love this

It's been years since top gear. I forgot how much I absolutely loved the witty antics between you two. Also Hammond procrastinating for 20 minutes was the most riveting part of the whole thing.

as someone that plays chess quite seriously, this was a very interesting game. A lot of strange moves but it certainly was intriguing to see two hammered british blokes go at a game that started e4 f5

James undoubtedly names his pieces between turns. "This one's Steven, this one's Jeffrey..."

I think this might just be my favorite video on the internet. Thanks Hammond, May, and all involved bts! 💛

D' Artagnan the walrus is going to occupy the home screen of my phone for a while now

An hour - long podcast of these two talking life and cars while drinking g&t's. I'd subscribe lightning fast!

May's Like a dad playing with his child and just toying with him

You can watch James' face get merrier and merrier throughout the episode

I knew Hammond has always been my favorite for a reason. What a ridiculously fun man. Attempting chess with Hammond gin one day.

25 Minutes in at the moment, and Richard still seems to be adamant that James is some kind of grand master in disguise just waiting to pounce lol. These guys will live forever :)

Brilliant vid. As a chess player, I suggest a chessboard overlay in the corner so that viewers can easily see what is happening in the game. It is much like the above shot you use but slightly easier to discern the pieces and can be constant even with camera changes.

I would really like to see more of this type of content, richard and James doing stuff together

7.5 minutes into an hour and 17 minute video. "I don't want this to be hideously short" Mission accomplished

This was so refreshing. No music. Hardly any editing. Unscripted content. I wish the Grand Tour did more of this. The last few specials have been alight but they feel so over scripted with a monstrous budget going towards silly explosions and childish gags. The Grand Tour producers ought to realize that.

It... Really hits me in the heart seeing how much older these two gents have become

Love it , as close as I can get with hanging out with the lads. Thanks so much.

You have to keep doing these- you guys are f-ing hilarious and it definitely helps get through the work day

This is better than the current Top Gear.

Been waiting ages for a sequel, this is what we want on RU-vid! Quality content 👍

This was great! More of this please.

If you ever do another one of these (please do!) it’d be great to have the board shown all the time.

I loved this...it was like watching Hammond's descent into madness in real time.

Lol, that "prawn" for a pawns really was done on purpose because there's no way those two very smart men, especially someone pedantic like James didn't know better.

Hammond struggling to say precious - “preshush” 😂

This should be an annual tradition. It doesn’t need to be hurried up, either.

This is the best game ever cos it can literally go on forever or until the drink makes you keel over 😂😂😂

Hammond: I’m trying to distract you.. May: it’s your go! 🤣

this was fun to watch. never boring with these two

Jeremy, James and Richard should all be knighted for all of the amazing entertainment they have given us over the last few decades, they have sincerely made everyones life better.

I love how tactically James played this given the unique rules. he focused on taking less pieces thus drink less while going for the check mate.

I can't belive I have just watched for over an hour and a quarter, two blokes play chess. But I would watch it all over again. 🤣

James may played a brilliant move this game

I love these two, Lego was great. Please continue these great antics.

The heavens have answered our prayers and got these 2 for an hour talking and drinking 😂😂😂YES

Hammond has a distinct advantage - he badgers James so much that there's no way he'll be focused, and Hammond doesn't know what he's doing anyway so the concept of a 'plan' is beyond him.

almost half the drink ended up on the table by the end of this

"You're not a man over-troubled by dignity."

As a chess player...i just want to point out that Hammond's opening move F5 (out of a possible 20), is statistically the worst opening he could have picked...

34:21 Hammond is right. there's actually been studies on that effect. a room with no distractions, a taser on the table, and put a single person in that room for half an hour, with no sense of how long has passed.. they'll tase themselves as they don't like boredom.

We need more of this 🤣🤣🤣

one of the best uploads they have done. They should have had a small, constant video of the game in the bottom corner though 👍

it's ridiculous how entertaining this was lol

Please do this again I absolutely loved it and as a chess player this was a pleasure to watch especially with Richards thinking every move was brilliant

I sure hope they do more of these

Can we just appreciate that they probably wont make any money doing this but are doing it as pure fan service only. Love them to bits.

Hammond at the end standing up with his hands on the table questioning where it all went wrong 🤣🤣🤣🤣👏🏻

Any time I feel sad or hopeless, I remember that I live in a world, in a time where these beautiful genius morons are up to capers like this for our collective enjoyment. Thanks for everything, lads

Honestly the best piece of entertainment I have EVER seen.