Chess

Chess continues to grow hundreds of years after its invention

Chess is one of the oldest and most stories games on the planet. Its roots date back to the early seventh century, making it a little older than most other competitive games played online.

Chess’ history is littered with great players and major historical moments. Major figures from Paul Morphy to Garry Kasparov have captivated chess fans over the course of decades and centuries. Some top players, perhaps most notably Bobby Fischer, have transcended the game and become known globally for their impact on the world at the time.

Fischer’s World Chess Championship battle with the Boris Spassky that generated international headlines, and Kasparov’s challenge against IBM supercomputer Deep Blue, are just two examples of the game of chess elevating to such great heights.

The ever-popular board game got a major bump in popularity when it became highly popular among livestreamers online, primariliy via top streaming platform Twitch. This sparked a fascination with the game among a new audience and helped shine a light on the game’s top modern stars, including world chess champion Magnus Carlsen and US champion Hikaru Nakamura.

Chess now represents not only a storied game with many years of history, but also a popular movement in modern gaming and culture that has elevated into online celebrity status the likes of Carlsen, Nakamura, and such new entrants as the Botez sisters.

With the game continuing to grow year after year, there’s no telling what’s next for online chess. One thing that does seem assured is that there’s on limit to the great old game’s growth potential.