Chess the #1 App

If chess gets any more "niche" Carlsen, Nakamura, and top streamers will be billionaires soon.

A few months ago, on a non-chess site I generally like, chess players and fans were depicted as engaged in a “niche” activity. I’m tempted to reply, ungraciously, that just because that person wasn’t smart/cool/talented enough to be a part of the chess world didn’t justify her hinting that chess is primarily the province of nerds and social outcasts. Far from it - and here’s only the latest bit of evidence. (There aren’t that many nerds.) As I said, though it would be ungracious: for one thing, the person who said it, if I’m remembering correctly, had lots of smarts.

More to the point though, it’s not primarily about smarts. To be a world champion, sure: it’s extremely unlikely that anyone with a rating around 2800 will have a sub-”genius” IQ. But anyone can enjoy the game, and play at a very decent level without having the mental horsepower to get a side job as a neuroscientist, a rocket scientist, or especially an analytic philosopher. It’s a game for everyone: the brilliant and the average, the extravert and the introvert, the “logical” and the creative, the young and the old. Really, everyone! So tell all your friends about chess, maybe get them to join Chess.com (Danny Rensch’s yacht won’t pay for itself - and neither will Hans Niemann’s if he wins his lawsuit against them), and then - most importantly - have them subscribe to this blog. In fact, if you haven’t subscribed, now is the time. (I won’t even buy a yacht.)