Liah: Millions Embracing Chess! Why?
From October 2020 to April 2022, Chess.com’s number of monthly active users doubled from 8 million to almost 17 million. But, what caused this sudden increase in users?
BY LIAH IGEL
THE BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE
HER LEAGUE COACH & HER NEWS COLUMNIST
In recent years, it is evident that students have once again begun to pick up on the mastery of chess. From October 2020 to April 2022, Chess.com’s number of monthly active users doubled from 8 million to almost 17 million. But, what caused this sudden increase in users?
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Over the COVID-19 pandemic, when people remained indoors, many turned to learning new hobbies and broadening their skill set. Among these popular acquired skills was chess. “Covid lockdowns created an environment where people stayed home and indoors, and they started to look for things to do,” stated Erik Allebest, the CEO of Chess.com. Many youtubers, such as Alexandra and Andrea Botez, and twitch streamers like Ludwig have risen to popularity by streaming and playing chess- either at a professional level, or simply for fun. Their entertaining personalities have drawn people- especially students- from all over the world to take after them and learn chess.
The sharp increase of interest in chess during the pandemic was also influenced by Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit. In fact, when the enchanting movie was released, there was a parabolic increase in October 2023 of google searches of the word ‘chess’. In alignment with the previous data, Netflix accounts how a record 62 million households watched the series in only the first 28 days.
Additionally, more people began getting attracted to chess by word of mouth. One method of this spread has been through twitch streamers and youtube channels that make sports amusing, or seeing the game on the news or a movie. Similarly, #ChessTok has become viral as of recent months, and with the sheer amount of teens which use the app, it definitely attracted some new players. The Bronx High School of Science sophomore Leon Zhang agrees with the fact, reminiscing how “I found out about chess through my friends– everyone else started playing it, so I kind of did too. Now I tell my friends about it and we all try to learn how to play together.”
Moreover, the sporadic headlines regarding chess have enticed millions of new players, on multiple occasions. One such instance was when Magnus Carlsen, current world number 1 (October 2023), showed up to a chess match late, with only 30 seconds to go: yet he still won. This occurrence depicted the amazing skills of high level chess players, influencing generations of chess players to strive to improve their own chess skills.
On a side note, unlike other student hobbies, teachers often approve and even welcome chess in their classrooms. This is due to the fact that chess is much more captivating than video games, and instead of rotting one’s brain, it does the opposite- it allows for them to thrive. It teaches many skills, such as patience, creativity, and critical thinking.
It is important to note the changing gender ratio of new players joining the chess community. More women and girls are playing chess thanks to The Queen's Gambit. Rozman, a popular chess content creator who goes by GothamChess, describes in an interview how he’s seen an increase in the number of women watching his content — he’s now got a 94/6 split between men and women. Though this may not appear to be a significant number, it is 4% more than before the rise of chess. In particular, the youtuber mentions how “one of my videos, [on] how to play chess, the ultimate beginner’s video, that video in some months is 75/25 [men/women].” Although men still overpower the majority of chess, more and more women are being inspired to delve into the mysteries of the intriguing game of chess. With these rising numbers, we know that the female ratio in chess will continue to climb and will not be subservient to males. Her Move Next definitely helps us keep this dream intact by creating a bubbling community of girls within chess! Experienced players, such as our coaches and many of our students always embrace new chess players with open arms- another leading factor of how chess has had such a sharp uprise. With the right support, anybody can learn and build up their knowledge in the game.
Although many of these new players are just beginning, they burst with excitement which indicates the potential to expand the chess community. Similarly, the new wave of chess players aren’t focused on winning constantly and instead they simply play the game for the joy it brings. Often, this is what competitive players forget- chess is still only a game: it is meant to be intellectually stimulating but primarily enjoyable for all. I asked many people in my school- The Bronx High School of Science- and they agreed; they began the game to simply enjoy themselves. We often make the mistake of stressing ourselves out over winning so much that it strips away the fun from the game. With the rise of chess in schools and in the world, everyone can universally appreciate and indulge in the amazing game of chess.