11 Reasons Why Chess Is The King Of All Games – Chess.com
Ever since 2020, chess has seen tremendous growth as a game. In December 2019, chess was averaging at a little over 1,900 viewers per month on Twitch. Fast forward to February 2021, when PogChamps 3 was happening, and that number grew to 30,000.
While events like PogChamps and The Queen's Gambit have elevated the game's popularity to new heights, that doesn't explain why chess is still so successful. After all, hype can only last for so long. Millions of the newer chess players are still enjoying the game, long after Beth Harmon made her last move against Borgov.
So, why is this ancient board game so magnetic? What makes chess one ofif not thegreatest games of all time?
Here are 11 reasons:
Have you ever tried to eat a juicy and delicious steak using nothing but flimsy plastic silverware? If you haven't, let me tell you: it's a terribly frustrating experience. You try to savor that fine meal, but the plastic fork shatters in your hands while your food gets colder and colder.
Playing a game with beautiful graphics and a great storyline but awful gameplay is much like that experience. You sit there trying to have a good time, but you simply don't have the means to do it. In the gaming world, gameplay is king.
Gameplay is, at an elementary level, the way a user interacts with a game. There are quite a few technical factors that go into "great gameplay," and let me tell you: chess hits them all. And it hits them hard. Good playability, just the right balance between challenge and reward, plenty of tools for players to improve... you name it!
Chess.com makes this point stick out even more! Fair pairing is a no-brainer; you can't make illegal moves (even that mysterious pawn move is legal!); we take care of your clock for you; you can learn all the rules for free. What a great time to be alive!
That alone would be reason enough to make it a great game, but there's more.
Time for some mind-boggling numbers. Let's suppose two random people are playing a game of chess. After only two moves by each player, the game could've reached one of 197,281 different positions (including the Fool's Mate). After four more moves for each side, there are 84,998,978,956 possible positions.
In the video below, Dr. James Grime from the Numberphile YouTube channel talks about the number of possible chess games. If you like numbers, I highly suggest you watch the video. If you don't like numbers, I still think you should watch it as it'll blow your mind.
According to Dr. Grime, if we take into consideration only three sensible moves per player per turn and a 20-move game (20 moves for each side), you would still have 1040 different games that could arise. I know this doesn't mean much to us, but Dr. Grime puts it into perspective: "If, for example, everyone in the world paired off and they had to play a [different] game of chess every day, (...) to play all possible games, it would still take you trillions and trillions of years to play them all."
Mind-blowing.
As you can see, chess is a game that's full of possibilities and replayability. You'll hardly ever play the same game twice unless you're playing for a quick draw with the Bongcloud. Yet the game is consistent enough that it doesn't feel like you're navigating a sea of chaos every time you start a new game. That balance is just divine!
If you do a quick search online, you can find a complete tournament chess set and board for less than $20. What's more, that chess set will probably last for a lifetimeno patches or upgrades needed.
If you don't feel like you need a tournament-approved chess set, the price goes even lower. For less than $15, you can find decent sets that will also last forever.
Would you rather spend $15 on a month of Netflix? That's fine. You can play chess for free on Chess.com! And if you're good enough, you don't even need an internet connection to playyou can do it using nothing but your mind! Take that, Grand Theft Auto!
Do you know that Dragonite you spent hours training to make it invincible in? When you turn your console off (or play the next generation of Pokemon), all that work will go down the drain. What a waste.
As satisfying as it is to level up your character or the monsters you carry around in your pocket, there's nothing like leveling yourself up. When you're playing chess, you are the one getting faster, sharper, and stronger. Not only that, but you can also transfer the skills you've acquired from chess to other aspects of your life.
We also have the added benefit that people think chess players are geniuses. Would you mind not letting them know that's not true? I appreciate it.
"Appealing visuals in chess? Are you serious? Have you ever seen games like Assassins Creed or Watch Dogs? How can you even compare chess to them?" Well, first of all, I'm not comparing chess to those games. Chess is clearly much better (wink).
When I say "appealing visuals," I'm not talking about mind-boggling 3D effects or ultra-realistic representations of reality. But if you've ever taken some time to appreciate the beauty of a wooden chess set, you know what I mean. Take an extra eight minutes to watch the video below, and I dare you to not fall in love with the shapes and elegance of chess pieces:
Chess is one of the oldest board games in the world. The last time chess had a meaningful change in its rules was most likely more than 400 years ago. Compare that to the fast-paced world of online games where new versions or new game patches come out very often.
While some might say that's boring, I would suggest it's marvelous. Try watching a replay of Counter-Strike 1.6 or playing the first few versions of FIFA. You'll tear up, and not positively. Aside from the nostalgia, there's little value to doing that.
Now, I invite you to take a look at this game played in 1851, aptly called the Immortal Game. If this game doesn't give you the chills, I don't know what will.
If you enjoy classical, near-perfect intellectual battles, chess is the game for you. If you like fast-paced games fueled by trash-talking, chess is also the game for you. Chess has something for everyone.
From the classy World Chess Championship to the meme-esque PogChamps, chess appeals to all audiences and brings us all together. It's hard to see a game that can bring together men in suits, women in dresses, and streamers wearing whimsical shirts. Yet, somehow chess can pull it off.
If you like gambling, this is probably not a good thing about chess. But if you enjoy playing games where the outcome depends (almost) purely on your ability, chess is perfect for you!
While games of chance can be fun, they can also be disheartening. There is a scene in the hit show "The Office" that illustrates this point. Kevin, the office's accountant and seasoned poker player, is at a poker table that includes Phillys, a saleswoman with no poker experience. Kevin goes all-in with three queens but loses after Phillys accidentally finds out she had "all the clovers" (a flush).
While skilled poker players do tend to win more in the long run, this sort of unlucky blow can and does happen occasionally. And let's face it: once is more than enough. So, apart from the sporadic mouse slip, the future of your chess games depends exclusively on you.
"Now you're just pushing things." I know, this seems like a bit too much. I don't blame you if you call me out in the comments. However, let me explain myself.
While two people sitting down and staring at a board for hours on end may not seem like much, in reality, it is. With every passing second during a chess game, both players intensely calculate the infinite possibilities ahead of them. Although the board remains unchanged for several minutes, the players and spectators constantly move pieces around in their heads. IM Levy Rozman's video lets you peek behind the curtain to appreciate all the action going on inside GM Garry Kasparov's head while playing against GM Anatoly Karpov:
I don't know of many games where both players are always playing. Even people watching the game are thinking about multiple variations and trying to figure out the next move. Now, that's what I call action!
I understand if you're not satisfied with my logic, though. You prefer "real" actionintense battles with stuff flying around the screen and where every millisecond counts. Well, I leave you with this short clip:
When it comes to online gaming, chess is the OG. Chess was the first app on a computer and the first game ever played online. If that's not cool enough for you, I'll give you one more: chess was likely one of the first games played between Earth and space. It happened in 1970, when two Russian cosmonauts played against ground control. They even had a special zero-gravity chessboard with them to make this possible.
Does Valorant have special zero-gravity gear for their players? Didn't think so.
There's only one thing that can bring together art, science, and fun togetherand no, I'm not talking about papier mache volcanos.
Chess competitions have been around for a few hundred years. As with any other competitive game or sport, serious players who dedicated their lives to chess have developed numerous techniques to improve and get ahead of the pack. In particular, GM Mikhail Botvinnik (who even looks like a scientist, by the way) gets credit for giving chess a systematic training approach for professional players. Chess improvement became a science.
Still, chess leaves room for improvisation and creativity. Take some time to go over some of GM Mikhail Tal's best games and I dare you not to be awestruck. Much like Salvador Dali paintings, Tal's jaw-dropping sacrifices can take you to a surreal world that will leave you breathless.
Tal's games are only a tiny fraction of the truly stunning games played throughout history. Check out this masterpiece created in 1912. Legend has it this game was so beautiful that spectators started throwing gold coins over the board after the game was over. Simply exquisite!
Now, the best part of it all. Not everyone is as smart as a scientist or inspiring as an artist. Yet, we can all have fun with chess. Sure, my games lack precision and when I move my queen within the enemy pawn's reach you can bet good money it's a blunder. Nonetheless, I still have a lot (maybe even too much) of fun with chess.
And my guess is that if you play chess (or if you start playing) you will too.
What are your favorite things about chess? Let us know in the comments below!
Original post:
11 Reasons Why Chess Is The King Of All Games - Chess.com
- FIDE World Cup 2025 to be hosted in India International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- When chess legend Garry Kasparov tried to make the machine blink and failed - The Indian Express - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- What did Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa win at Las Vegas for 6th and 7th place finishes at Las Vegas Freestyle Chess event? - The Indian Express - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Freestyle Chess Las Vegas: Carlsen and Nakamura to fight for third place - Chess News | ChessBase - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- August is for Women in Chess: Join the Global Womens Chess Marathon International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Chess Lounge at Montgomery Mall Draws Large Opening Weekend Crowd - The MoCo Show - - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Derrick Rose eager to shine light on NBAs secret obsession: Chess - The Athletic - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Biel: Rising stars and veterans in the Master Tournament - Chess News | ChessBase - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Warren Buffett Makes Another Chess Move - 24/7 Wall St. - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- 80 Years of Precision: How Nuclear Energy and Chess Tell the Same Story - Egyptian Gazette - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Freestyle Chess Grand Slam: Aronian wins, Erigasi, Praggnanandhaa finish 6th and 7th - MSN - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Chess is the ultimate low-tech answer to the challenge of AI - New Eastern Europe - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Four thousand participants attend 36th annual chess and games festival in Pardubice - Radio Prague International - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- THE WEEK IN CHESS 1602 21st July 2025 by Mark Crowther - The Week in Chess - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsens wife Ella: Arjun is very sweet but over the board hes just a maniac, out there hunting and going crazy - The Indian Express - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- R Praggnanandhaa Beats Magnus Carlsen In Freestyle Chess, Yet Loses Semifinal. Here's What Happened - NDTV Sports - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Daily Quiz | On the game of Chess - The Hindu - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Smart Moves Summit 2025: Shaping the future of education through chess International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- R Praggnanandhaa beats Magnus Carlsen for second time in three days, but world No. 1 mounts sensational comeback - Firstpost - July 22nd, 2025 [July 22nd, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen Beats ChatGPT in Chess Without Losing a Piece - Time Magazine - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Humpy, Harika, Divya, Vaishali in Chess Women's World Cup QF: Indian Sports LIVE, July 20 - ESPN - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Quick Analysis: How Praggnanandhaa beat Magnus Carlsen for 2nd time in three days in Las Vegas Freestyle Chess event - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen: The face (and pants) of chess - Morning Brew - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- The Indian city thats pumping out chess champions - Morning Brew - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Hans Niemann hits back at critics after 'hate-watching' accusations at Freestyle Chess event: 'What would you call...' - Firstpost - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Vishy Anand on Magnus Carlsens fist smash moment: Like falling and injuring yourself 2 metres before finish line - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Praggnanandhaa vs Magnus Carlsen: How Indias rising chess star eclipsed World No.1 twice in a week at Las Vegas Freestyle event - The Indian Express - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- 'Musical Chess' teaches Upstate students the game of chess using music - WYFF - July 20th, 2025 [July 20th, 2025]
- Detroit to host wild final chess tournament and the game isnt over until the king burns - Detroit Free Press - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- A former NBA star has a grand master plan to make chess cooler - The Washington Post - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- 18 year-old weeps after becoming youngest-ever world chess champion - Detroit Free Press - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Google's AI Refuses to Even Play Chess Against 1977 Atari, After Hearing What It Did to Other Cutting-Edge AIs - Futurism - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Judit Polgrs Team Triumphs at Star-Studded NBAChess Crossover Festival - Hungary Today - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Las Vegas Grand Slam: How is Freestyle Chess different from other formats? Here's what you need to know - Firstpost - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- This Hidden-Gem Indie Film With 86% on RT Was Hailed as 'The Weirdest Movie Ever Made' (& You Need to Mentally Prepare for It) - Comic Book... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- FIDE Womens Chess World Cup: Zhu Jiner wins to bring parity with Divya Deshmukh - Times of India - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Biggest Chess Site In The World Bans 100,000 Accounts A Month For Cheating - Kotaku - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Levon Aronian scored a 2:0 victory over GM Magnus Carlsen in the tiebreak at the ongoing "Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour" tournament in Las... - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Chess | Hans Niemann on Magnus Carlsen losing two games in Vegas 'Best day of my life' - Times of India - July 18th, 2025 [July 18th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen is chess powerful disruptor and he wants to go mainstream: Change is needed - The Athletic - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Google Gemini crumbles in the face of Atari Chess challenge admits it would 'struggle immensely' against 1.19 MHz machine, says canceling the match... - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- English breakfast: Serving 1.c4 on the chessboard - The Indian Express - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Derrick Rose is looking for purpose in retirement. Chess might provide an answer for the ex-NBA MVP. - Chicago Tribune - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Chess Day, Discovery Day and a free football camp: 3 things to do this weekend in Baton Rouge - The Advocate - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Google's Gemini AI backed out of a chess match against a 46 year-old Atari 2600 engine after suffering a crisis of confidence: 'Canceling the match is... - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Freestyle Chess Kicks Off Landmark Week in Las Vegas - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Biel Chess Festival: All draws in the Masters, all decisive games in the Challengers - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Defending The Honor Of The Reversed Grunfeld - Chess.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 10 Fascinating Facts About Chess to Know Ahead of Its Broadway Revival - Broadway Shows - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- How to bet on chess at the Esports World Cup: Sportsbooks, odds, and more - esports.gg - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Alexandr Fier triumphs in Caiob - Chess News | ChessBase - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- India-China: Two Cant Wango, Its All Chess Moves - Times of India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Gemini AI refuses to play chess with Atari after hearing ChatGPT lost - Boy Genius Report - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Derrick Rose teams up with Magnus Carlsen to host NBAchess crossover event at Las Vegas - Times of India - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Humpy, Divya progress to Chess WC pre-quarterfinals, other Indians to fight in playoffs: Indian Sports, July 14 - ESPN - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- 17-year-old chess champion win 53rd Chess Open at Philadelphia - The New Indian Express - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- My Experiences Writing a Second Book "Secrets of Trapping Pieces: Fundamentals" - Chess.com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Chessnut Move : A Robotic Chess Set with Pieces That Move Themselves - Geeky Gadgets - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Wimbledon 2025: Where Amanda Anisimova v Iga Swiatek final will be won or lost - BBC - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- When Magnus Carlsen beat ChatGPT at chess in 53 moves without losing a piece: I sometimes get bored - The Indian Express - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Niemann Joins Ranks Of Freestyle Winners Ahead Of Grand Slam - Chess.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Copilot and ChatGPT went against a 4 KB Atari chess game from the 70s with an embarrassing effort from Microsoft's AI - Windows Central - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Im a statistics professor who became embroiled in the world of online chess drama - The Conversation - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Chess: Magnus Carlsen beats ChatGPT without losing a piece, AI tool predicts World No. 1's rating - Times of India - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- PG&E contractor madness and a bit about chess - Red Bluff Daily News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- In Her Own Words: Ashley Lynn Priore empowers women through chess - The Business Journals - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Queen on the chess board: Rockets coach Ben Sullivan on emerging star Amen Thompson - Rockets Wire - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen has a message for Ronaldo ahead of Esports World Cup: 'Don't know what Ronaldo has done on chessboard' - Firstpost - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- I'm a statistics professor who became embroiled in the world of online chess drama - Phys.org - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Gukesh 'deserved D' for his Norway Chess performance but 'given that he survived...': Vishy Anand grades world champion - Hindustan Times - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Uniting continents behind bars: 5th FIDE Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners - FIDE - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Magnus Carlsen after Zagreb win: When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough - The Indian Express - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Chess reigns as Pennsylvania's top board game, board game renaissance attracts all ages - WFMZ.com - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Le Wins Leon Masters; Oro Impresses Vs. Anand - Chess.com - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Mentor Anand raises Gukeshs grade from D minus to B after Norway Chess wins over Carlsen & Arjun - The Economic Times - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Done in 64 seconds: How final Gukesh vs Magnus Carlsen battle in Zagreb ended in 14 moves, and barely lasted a minute - The Indian Express - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Bobby Fischer The Man Behind the Moves - Chess.com - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- FIDE announces the list of players at the 2025 Grand Swiss International Chess Federation - FIDE - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Viswanathan Anands grade for Gukesh after Norway Chess: Ill give him a B he deserved a D, but got a lot of answers correct - The Indian Express - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Acts of generosity emerge from crash in Wyoming and a chess tournament in Seattle - CBS News - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]