Entry #2: The Historic World of Chess

 The Rise of Chess

    Simply put, chess is a board game played between two players on an 8x8 checkered board, with the object of the game being to checkmate, or trap, the opponent's king. The general concept is simple, but there is much more to it than just the end result. It's a game of strategy, and a passion that has only grown with time, especially in the online world. It's a means of connecting people across the globe, both as competitors and fans of their favorite players.

History of Classical Chess

    When people think of chess, they usually imagine two players sitting across from each other, playing on a physical board. They might be playing with a clock, which would be set to one of the many time controls, including classical, rapid, and blitz. The origin of chess can be traced back to the 600s in India. Since then, it has grown in popularity with tournaments being held all across the world for players of all skill levels.

 

    The peak of this would be the World Chess Championship, typically held between the winner of the Candidates tournament, a tournament between some of the world's best chess players, and the reigning world champion. Over time, with any other skill, the players have only grown stronger, with the current peak being the world  #1, Magnus Carlsen with a current FIDE classical rating of 2839. He also holds the all-time peak with a rating of 2882 and he is the current world #1 in both rapid and blitz, the other two primary time controls. While he only holds the title of world champion in blitz, he is still regarded as the best chess player in the world, and by many, the greatest player ever. He won the classical world championship five times before vacating his title before the 2023 World Championship due to a lack of motivation. While he represents the culmination of all of the skills developed and acquired thus far in the chess world, there is a much larger casual world that blew up during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Online Chess

    The online chess community represents how many people play chess on a daily basis. It's much easier to play games on the go, and you can play against an opponent of your skill level in real time, or in a daily game, where you are only required to make a move a few times a week. The largest such place to play is chess.com, where there are currently almost 230 million registered accounts. During the pandemic, there was a large rise in the online chess community with people having more time on their hands, and fewer opportunities to play over the board. 

 

    This saw the rise of chess streamers such as GM Hikaru Nakamura, one of the world's top players, and IM Levy Rozman (pictured above).  They produced chess content in a way that was entertaining and easy for an audience of any level to comprehend. During the pandemic, they helped elevate chess to become one of the most popular streaming categories on Twitch. They invited streamers to play in a tournament called Pogchamps, which only saw the game continue to expand to a previously untapped market. It also highlighted the number of celebrities who play casually including athletes, such as Premier League star Eberechi Eze, and basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama. The narrative surrounding chess that it could only be enjoyed by "nerds" or "intellectuals" changed as more and more people were introduced to the game.

    Chess also featured in pop culture, including The Queen's Gambit on Netflix, a single-season show released during the pandemic. Another older example is the famed wizard chess game featured in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, in which the pieces moved at the commands of the players.

    Overall, chess is a simple game, with many complicated aspects to it. It is enjoyed by a large global audience in both competitve and casual atmospheres. It has been a common way for people to pass time for almost 1500 years and has only grown in popularity steadily since its invention.