4 ms·

That was all true ten years ago too so I don’t think that’s it. What changed is the Queen’s Gambit got popular, then covid caused online gaming to become even m

by jrpt 3y ago

That was all true ten years ago too so I don’t think that’s it. What changed is the Queen’s Gambit got popular, then covid caused online gaming to become even more popular, and then there were some things that made chess popular recently like chess boxing with streamers on YouTube.

nextaccountic 3y ago
And the Niemann cheating scandal
wongarsu 3y ago
Also Magnus Carlsen being relatable to young people, Hikaru Nakamura ,the world's best best speed chess player, having fun and dishing out sass on YouTube and Twitch, and lots of good commentators and players making great content on popular platforms. Lots of factors built the base that was able to turn the interest from Queen's Gambit into a lasting and growing phenomenon.
- mcv 3y ago
  Magnus and Hikaru are absolutely fantastic ambassadors for chess. Very relatable indeed, and that does a lot to get rid of chess's old stuffy image.
0xdeadbeefbabe 3y ago
> made chess popular recently like chess boxing Because everyone is a boxer already.
Shorel 3y ago
I would say Nakamura, the Botez sisters, and Ben Finegold are bigger factors than chess boxing. But in general, yes, YouTube streamers are making the sport more popular.
- alexb_ 3y ago
  Failing to mention Gothamchess is weird - he's a 10 times bigger pusher of chess than Ben Finegold.
  - Shorel 3y ago
    Sure, I missed him because I don't follow him. His style is not for my taste, nothing wrong with the guy.
rocket_surgeron 3y ago
>What changed is the Queen’s Gambit got popular I'm not sure if The Queen's Gambit is popular viewing with the 11-14 year olds obsessing over chess in my local middle school. Twitch? Yes. They had to stand up four separate chess clubs because one club with 300 members (about half the student body) was too much to handle. So now there are intense intra-school rivalries like with Hogwarts houses-- never mind inter-mural competition.

by jrpt 3y ago

nextaccountic 3y ago

And the Niemann cheating scandal

wongarsu 3y ago

Also Magnus Carlsen being relatable to young people, Hikaru Nakamura ,the world's best best speed chess player, having fun and dishing out sass on YouTube and Twitch, and lots of good commentators and players making great content on popular platforms. Lots of factors built the base that was able to turn the interest from Queen's Gambit into a lasting and growing phenomenon.

mcv 3y ago
Magnus and Hikaru are absolutely fantastic ambassadors for chess. Very relatable indeed, and that does a lot to get rid of chess's old stuffy image.

0xdeadbeefbabe 3y ago

> made chess popular recently like chess boxing Because everyone is a boxer already.

Shorel 3y ago

I would say Nakamura, the Botez sisters, and Ben Finegold are bigger factors than chess boxing. But in general, yes, YouTube streamers are making the sport more popular.

alexb_ 3y ago
Failing to mention Gothamchess is weird - he's a 10 times bigger pusher of chess than Ben Finegold.
- Shorel 3y ago
  Sure, I missed him because I don't follow him. His style is not for my taste, nothing wrong with the guy.

rocket_surgeron 3y ago

>What changed is the Queen’s Gambit got popular I'm not sure if The Queen's Gambit is popular viewing with the 11-14 year olds obsessing over chess in my local middle school. Twitch? Yes. They had to stand up four separate chess clubs because one club with 300 members (about half the student body) was too much to handle. So now there are intense intra-school rivalries like with Hogwarts houses-- never mind inter-mural competition.