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SE!ZE

Unofficial · Coverage

SE!ZE in the news

Everything we could verify about the game, from the launch film to the Monza showdown. First the people and companies who made it, in their own words; then the press. Every link opens the original source in a new tab.

From the makers

Chivas Regal, James Wallis, Charles Leclerc, Hikaru Nakamura, Baby Teeth, Somesuch, SideQuest, and Playtest UK.

  1. Official

    Leclerc and Nakamura go head to head at Monza (opens in a new tab)

    Chivas Regal press release · GlobeNewswire

    The official wrap of the Arena of Mastery night: Leclerc against Nakamura before a live crowd, the game and the 16 year old blend framed as two creations from one mindset, and a note that SE!ZE will be playable digitally later this year.

  2. Film

    The Arena of Mastery: the full Monza stream (opens in a new tab)

    YouTube · GMHikaru

    Forty one minutes on Hikaru Nakamura's channel. The evening opens with master blender Sandy Hyslop in a whisky face off, then the first ever SE!ZE head to head between Leclerc and Nakamura.

  3. Makers

    Leclerc and Nakamura explain SE!ZE before Monza (opens in a new tab)

    Sports Illustrated · Grand Prix on SI

    Leclerc on building the game from forty or fifty questions about what he likes in chess, a year of versions, and wanting it playable without study. Nakamura on rook and bishop style movement, why it could be a gateway to chess, checkers and Go, and the online version he built to practise openings.

  4. Makers

    Leclerc: practising SE!ZE with his younger brother (opens in a new tab)

    WWD

    An interview where Leclerc says the Chivas partnership grew from a normal ambassador deal into the whisky and then the game, that he has been practising SE!ZE with his brother, and that he does not expect to beat Nakamura but wants his opinion of the game.

  5. Makers

    The designer announces SE!ZE (opens in a new tab)

    LinkedIn · James Wallis

    James Wallis reveals the project he had hinted at since mid 2025, says Leclerc was involved throughout the design, and thanks Playtest UK and Baby Teeth. Baby Teeth founder Chris Watling's launch post appears in the same thread with the full credits.

  6. Official

    A SE!ZE showdown with Charles Leclerc (opens in a new tab)

    Chivas Regal

    The rights holder's own page and the only official rules: pieces, setup, guard and boss movement, three caps (orthogonal, diagonal, and a boss cap on the centre squares), capture by trapping and by pinning, three ways to win, and the double strike and safe entry rules. Plus the Monza recap and a video of Leclerc on the game's inspiration.

  7. Official

    Chivas Regal 16 x Charles Leclerc (opens in a new tab)

    Chivas Regal

    The story of the blend Leclerc challenged Chivas to make, with a section on the game of SE!ZE that shares its number.

  8. Official

    The Arena of Mastery on Chivas Regal's own channel (opens in a new tab)

    YouTube · Chivas Regal

    The same Monza stream on the rights holder's channel. It is age gated, so you need to be signed in to YouTube to watch.

  9. Makers

    James Wallis, designer (opens in a new tab)

    jameswallis.com

    The designer's site. It records that SE!ZE premiered on 30 April 2026 in the film launching the blend, which passed five million views in its first twelve hours, alongside his books, podcast, and the Big Table trade body.

  10. Makers

    Leclerc's creative studio (opens in a new tab)

    SIDEQUEST

    The studio Leclerc co founded with Antoine Truchet and Nicolas Jayr. Trade coverage credits it with the behind the scenes material from the film shoot and the game's development.

  11. Makers

    Tom Hardiman, director of the launch film (opens in a new tab)

    Somesuch

    The production company page for the director of the Riviera film in which SE!ZE first appeared.

  12. Makers

    Playtest UK (opens in a new tab)

    Playtest UK

    The non profit designer community whose members playtested SE!ZE, thanked by name in Wallis's announcement.

  13. Press

    Baby Teeth launches (opens in a new tab)

    Deadline

    Background on the agency that conceived the campaign: founded by Lynsey Atkin, Chris Watling and Rebecca Lewis, with backgrounds at Channel 4, Droga5 and Gordon Ramsay's company.

Coverage

Reporting and analysis, newest first.

  1. Press

    Zug um Zug zur Meisterschaft: Chivas Regal inszeniert Duell mit Charles Leclerc rund um seinen Chivas 16yo (opens in a new tab)

    WhiskyExperts

    German whisky site coverage of the Monza live duel in SE!ZE, linking the game to Chivas Regal 16 and reprinting the brand wrap of Leclerc versus Nakamura.

  2. Press

    F1 driver vs chess grandmaster in Chivas showdown (opens in a new tab)

    Inside Food & Drink

    Trade coverage of the Monza night, drawn from the Chivas release.

  3. Press

    Chivas Regal launches Charles Leclerc whisky ahead of Italian Grand Prix (opens in a new tab)

    Larder Magazine

    Scottish food and drink trade recap of the Monza Arena of Mastery, framing the SE!ZE match against Nakamura as the experiential launch of Chivas Regal 16 and noting a later digital release.

  4. Press

    Charles Leclerc takes on chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in Chivas Regal showdown at Monza (opens in a new tab)

    Verge Magazine · Alternative Sport

    Post-event Alternative Sport write-up of the Arena of Mastery night, covering the live SE!ZE match, quotes from Leclerc and Nakamura, and the planned digital launch later in 2026.

  5. Press

    Leclerc takes on Nakamura in Chivas Regal showdown (opens in a new tab)

    The Whiskey Wash

    A short report linking the two Leclerc creations, the blend and the game, around the principle that every move matters.

  6. Press

    Nakamura to face Leclerc in a strategy game challenge (opens in a new tab)

    ChessBase

    Carlos Alberto Colodro previews the Monza match and places it in Leclerc's chess history, including earlier games with Carlos Sainz and grandmaster Teimour Radjabov.

  7. Press

    Chivas' Leclerc challenges a chess grandmaster (opens in a new tab)

    The Spirits Business

    The announcement of the 1 September livestream, with the blend's Longmorn sherry cask base and the pronunciation of the game's name.

  8. Press

    Leclerc to face Nakamura in Chivas Regal challenge (opens in a new tab)

    Larder Magazine

    Scottish food and drink trade coverage of the challenge announcement.

  9. Press

    Charles Leclerc challenges chess grandmaster to new game to celebrate his debut whisky (opens in a new tab)

    Grocery Gazette

    UK grocery trade preview of the Arena of Mastery: Leclerc to play SE!ZE against Hikaru Nakamura on 1 September, tied to Chivas Regal 16 and livestreamed on Chivas YouTube.

  10. Press

    Leclerc takes on Nakamura in the Chivas Regal 16 showdown (opens in a new tab)

    Verge Magazine · Alternative Sport

    The showdown framed as a battle of strategy under pressure, with Nakamura's record and the Arena of Mastery date.

  11. Press

    Spirits brands turn to sport and celebrity (opens in a new tab)

    Digiday

    Industry analysis that uses the Chivas campaign, a TV, social and out of home push built around Leclerc, the 16 year old blend and a game made for him, as its lead example.

  12. Press

    Chivas Regal and Leclerc launch a whisky board game (opens in a new tab)

    LS:N Global

    A trends briefing on the entertainment first campaign and SE!ZE as its centrepiece, built as a social ritual around the blend.

  13. Press

    Baby Teeth reimagines brand ambassadorship with SE!ZE (opens in a new tab)

    The Stable

    Creative trade coverage with the fullest credits: Baby Teeth's concept, Tom Hardiman and Somesuch on the film, and Leclerc's studio SideQuest on the behind the scenes content.

  14. Press

    Ferrari Formula 1 Driver Announces Board Game Campaign (opens in a new tab)

    Zatu Games

    UK board-game retailer piece on SE!ZE as a Wallis-designed strategy game for the Chivas Regal 16 campaign, contrasting it with race-sim titles and noting decision-making under pressure.

  15. Press

    Chivas Regal Drops Board Game With Charles Leclerc (opens in a new tab)

    DesignRush

    Design industry news brief on Baby Teeth's Chivas Regal 16 campaign with Leclerc, covering SE!ZE as an original Wallis-designed board game plus the Somesuch/Hardiman film and planned 2026 fan activations.

  16. Press

    Chivas Regal and Leclerc serve up a whisky board game (opens in a new tab)

    Little Black Book

    Campaign coverage: the strategy of moving past logo placement, the Somesuch film, and the co created blend.

  17. Press

    The SE!ZE board game and the strategy behind the launch (opens in a new tab)

    ALM Corp

    A ten minute marketing explainer on why a whisky brand built a playable world instead of a bottle shot.

  18. Press

    Chivas Regal made a fancy board game for its new Charles Leclerc campaign (opens in a new tab)

    Ad Age

    Ad industry write-up of the Chivas Regal 16 launch campaign centred on SE!ZE, noting British designer James Wallis helped create the game with 16 pieces to match the blend.

  19. Press

    Chivas Regal creates board game with F1 driver Charles Leclerc (opens in a new tab)

    Campaign (subscription)

    Campaign launch-day article on Chivas Regal creating a board game with Charles Leclerc to push the limited-edition whisky. Full text needs a subscription.

  20. Press

    Chivas Regal "SE!ZE" by Baby Teeth (opens in a new tab)

    Campaign (subscription)

    Campaign's launch day write up of the board game made to promote Chivas Regal 16. Full text needs a subscription.

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