Chess Boom

by Benjamin Gong ‘26

possible explanation for such a sudden surge in the popularity of an old-fashioned game is the boredom during lockdown. Many other board games’ sales increased significantly, with chess following suit.

New players might have been influenced to engage in chess through many factors. Recently, chess grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura have gained many views on social media platforms, fascinating viewers by showcas- ing their unique chess skills, and many other content creators, like Levy Rozman (known as GothamChess). Additionally, the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit was a huge hit: The popular television series, which premiered in late 2020, has played a significant role in introducing chess to a wider audience. The show follows the story of a young female chess prodigy, and has been credited with inspiring many people to take up the game. Others may have taken interest in the game just to follow the bandwagon, or simply because they want to beat their friends.

Whatever the inspiration, the population of active chess players has certainly dramatically increased over the last year. As history has shown, such a creative and thought-provoking game will never get old; the popularity of the game will only continue to grow, as with the emergence of online chess, players do not even need a chess board or pieces to play anymore. However, it remains to be seen if people will ever grow tired of playing chess. After all, unlike video games, chess cannot be “updated.” Even so, there’s something distinctly appealing about that: a timeless game, floating in and out of popularity over the course of millennia, witnessing the rise and fall of countless civilizations and empires, and puzzled upon by Persian kings and intrepid 21st-century middle schoolers alike.