Chess is more popular then ever!
Who/What/When/Where & Why?
On February 2nd, Chess.com claimed the #1 spot in the apple app store. The app has leapfrogged classic games (sudoko) and clickbait games (parking jam 3D) alike on it’s quest for the #1 spot. What’s clear to everybody is that chess is more popular than ever, but the question is why?
Why is everyone playing Chess?
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Chess has not seen an explosion of interest like this since the early 70’s. In 1972 Bobby Fischer wrestled away Soviet control and brought the title of World Chess Champion to the United States for the 1st and only time! A surge in the popularity of chess followed: chess lessons replaced baseball practice, C-suite offices had a chess board on full display, and everybody wanted to talk about the game!
50 years later history repeats itself. Fueled by a pandemic lockdown, people are turning to chess to stimulate their minds. In a 2 year period from 2020-2022 Chess.com grew their “monthly active users” from 8 million to 17 million. Google trends, a metric that measures the popularity of search inputs, places Chess interest at a five year high!
What about the Queen’s Gambit
Of course, the recent surge in popularity of chess can’t properly be described without mentioning the TV series: The Queen’s Gambit! Chess hit new highs in the early 70’s thanks to PBS broadcasting chess games directly into American homes. This allowed the average American access to the chess world like never before. The Queen’s gambit did all that and more! The insatiably satisfying TV series (loosely based on Bobby Fischer) gave a glimpse into the life of Beth Harmon and the hurdles she had to overcome to be successful in the chess world. This inspired new players (many women) to learn the game.
Fun Fact
The rise of chess paired with social media has created a new niche in the chess world: the chess influencer! Chess influencers such as the Botez sisters stream their games across social media platforms with the goal to capitalize on their popularity.
What now?
There are many similarities between the “Fischer boom” of the 1970’s and the “Pandemic chess wave” that we see today, but one stark difference is the absence of national pride. When Fischer beat the Soviets it was a symbolic victory for all Americans. But when Bobby refused to defend his title three years later American interest in chess evaporated. So, will the current chess wave dissipate as quickly as it did in the 70’s or will it persist in an age of technological advancements?
