CHESS: A SPORT OF WIT

BY MALCOLM ROSE

Games.

Everyone loves games. From playground games to professional sports to video games, games of all sorts dominate our society. Out of every game, however, there is one game that has always stood out from the rest. This game is not one for the faint of heart. This is a game of unmatched intensity, where viciousness and brutality are law and where peace is never considered. It’s a game where the only goal is to brutally crush one’s opponent in the cruelest ways imaginable, a game where the strong mercilessly claw their way to the top no matter who stands in their way. It’s also a game that’s coming back in a big way.

That’s right. This is an article about chess.

Chess has recently grabbed a foothold here at Hendrix in the form of the chess club known as HDX Gambit. Posters advertising the club went up all across campus, and the interest meeting gathered a surprisingly large turnout. But the rise of chess isn’t limited to Hendrix, it’s a global trend. Chess. com, the largest website for online chess on the internet, announced on the 23rd of January that traffic on their website has nearly doubled since December 2021, and that their servers are struggling to keep up. Chess is surging. Why, though, is chess on the rise again?

The first reason is that chess is an exceptionally wellknown game. It’s almost 1500 years old and is a game that is known around the world. One could make a very solid argument that chess is the single most famous game to ever exist. But in a world where games are dominated by computers, consoles, and online communities, a world in which board games may be rendered obsolete by the onslaught of technology, chess has not only survived, it has thrived. This is because chess has something most other board games do not: it is uniquely suited to be played on the internet. Chess’s relatively simple set of rules means that those who want to learn the game can quickly learn its basics. In addition, 10-minute chess games mean that chess games can be played quickly in a consistent amount of time, allowing them a place in an increasingly fast-paced world. And finally, chess websites can match players up against chess enthusiasts across the world, building a community and allowing players to play against players almost exactly at their skill level. All of this meant the conditions were perfect for a chess boom. In 2020, chess took off like never before. The large amounts of isolation and free time, combined with the rise in online chess streamers on websites like Twitch and the release of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit were a perfect storm that led to a huge rise in chess popularity. And with chess once again in the public mindset, the game has grown exponentially. The CarlsenNeimann Controversy of last September, in which chess grandmaster and world champion Magnus Carlsen dropped out of a tournament after a surprising loss to Hans Niemann, led many to believe that Niemann had cheated. This drama within the chess community meant that professional chess was now in the news, and new players were becoming interested in chess as a result.

So what does this mean for HDX Gambit?

It means that chess enthusiasts at Hendrix are part of a sort of revolution, a brave new world for chess players. It is unknown what the future holds for chess,