Since the start of quarantine in 2020, people have had to endure considerable challenges. Forcibly locked inside their homes for weeks that turned into years, some forgot what it was like to go to school and not have to worry about getting sick. It significantly impacted our daily lives and greatly restricted the recreational activities that people could be a part of. This created the perfect environment for chess to blow up.

Chess is an extremely competitive and strategic board game that has prevailed for centuries. The objective of the game is to outplay your opponent by trapping their king. Each player starts with 16 pieces on their side of an eight-by-eight board; each piece moves using distinct patterns. The pawn, for example, can only advance one unit straight or diagonally.

Chess is enjoyable because of the intellectual challenge and competition that is linked to it. Strong players must consider how they want to advance the game while thinking about how the opponent will respond to this. It’s a game of depth, with an endless amount of possibilities regarding how it can pan out. With 16 pieces for each player, the number of possible outcomes is in the billions. Since there is no end to these possibilities and no ‘solving chess,’ the game continues to grow and gain new players who hope to soar to the top of the player base.

However, Chess is not only fun at the competitive level. Chess is also a game of creativity and growth. The more experience and time you put into chess, the more you will see your skill level and competency in the game grow. Chess is one of the most enjoyable pastimes, offering countless hours of engaging and immersive gameplay. It stimulates your mind and can improve cognitive skills like memory, planning, and problem-solving. Overall, chess offers an endless blend of challenges.

The rise of streaming platforms and esports have played an important role in making chess mainstream. In January 2020, chess viewership on Twitch was at an all-time low, with less than 50,000 viewers. Since the start of quarantine in March 2020, many people took up chess as a fun pastime because of its “plug and play” nature: no exorbitant price tags—just a tabletop, a set, and a friend.

In October 2020, The Queen’s Gambit was released on Netflix. The Queen’s Gambit had 62 million viewers in its first month of release. The show wasn’t only popular in the US; it placed in the top 10 in 92 countries and ranked No. 1 in 63 countries, including the U.K., Argentina, Israel, and South Africa. The show elevated chess from a board game to a living, breathing sport. The viewership on Twitch and youtube exploded and peaked a couple of months later at almost 400,000 viewers. Renowned chess masters and creators gave insightful advice, offered courses, and live commentary into the chess world to help popularize the game. “Chess.com” soared to become one of the most visited websites. In 2019, it had slightly over 25,000,000 members and in 2022 the website hit 100,000,000 members. This year’s FIDE World Chess Championship had a peak number of over 572,000 live viewers and had a total of almost 11.5 million hours watched.

Whether you are an international grandmaster or a beginner learning how to play, chess is a game that anyone can enjoy—and it remains one of the most important board games in history.

By Sidharth Nayar