Why isn't chess more popular?

Here is an example of what I just said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7JcwOJADf8

I asked a guy where I used to work who was in his mid sixties, and said he used to be in his high school's chess club, how many members were in the club, and he said five, cause nobody else was interested. I think he graduated in 65 or 6.

There definitely was a spurt of interest in chess back then, because of Bobby. But it's a percentage thing.

Like there are about 4,000 new members per day at chess.com. Wow! That's a lot. Then, divide that by about 6.5 billion people on the planet and the percentage is inconsequential.

BTW, I graduated from high school in Brooklyn in 1961. I played a lot of chess back then. In my case, I started playing before Bobby had won fame. After he started to become famous? There were people who took up chess. But, the average person had no more interest than the average person does today.

I just asked my wife (we are married 46 years) what she thought of Bobby Fischer "back in the day". Response: "I wasn't aware of him." Exactly what I knew she'd say.

P.S.: I asked her twice. The second time, she was mildly annoyed: "I already told you!" lol

Thanx for the post, had a good old chuckle. When I joined here year or so ago, I knew zero about anyone famous playing chess and shocked that there actually was famous chess players.

P.S I still know zero but know a couple names now. : ) 

You honestly didn't know? lmaoooooooo

And within the past 20+ posts it has clearly reached escape velocity.

Look for it up the skies at night, in Freudian Therapeutic Orbit. 

Of course, Mexico is just FULL of highly educated people with exceptionally brilliant minds...It is just an irrelevant side note that there have been no important technological/scientific or medical advances made there, the country is in a complete shambles (and not only economically), the average number of years of schooling among adults is only 7, and Mexico has absolutely no top chess players (the only significant Mexican player being Torre).

There are 55 thousand active chess players in the U.S. Chess Federation, of which about 35 thousand are under the age of 21 years.  Go to most tournaments and the average playing strength is about USCF 1800, which is the 90th percentile for active players.  

The top 10 percent of active players account for about 1/2 of all rated tournament games, hence the "average" or 50th percentile rating for most tournaments is about USCF 1800.  These guys are busy.

And many of the Kids are Killers.    Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Every 400 rating points represents a "qualitative leap" in playing strength.

Making National Master (NM) at USCF 2200 puts you in the top 1 percent of active tournament players.  But given that GM levels start roughly at 2600 ratings, even the NM's are qualitatively way below the GMs.

Some players (about 10 percent) make "The Leap" two or perhaps three times, from 1000, to 1400, to 1800.  Very few players make it to 2200.

"Good chess players" (in the U.S.) start around USCF 1900 (the 93rd percentile of active players), IMHO.  There are no shortcuts to improving your playing strength.  And the only thing easy in chess is to play badly.

Chess players are an eccentric lot.  Get used to it.

Some, like the original poster (@George) of this thread don't even wear shirts.  

Because Chess is the Game of Kings!

Let the uneducated Peasants do as they will.

Psht. Uneducated is a bad descriptor. Plenty of geniuses in history didn't have any large interest in chess. If we went by that description, us chess players are pheasants (yes, I mean the bird) compared to the electrical engineers that make computers which can beat us.

:D From the mouth of the late Bobby Fischer

Hahahahahaha

Things that are easily appreciated are popular. Basketball is popular because it is easy to do, the rules are simple and its fun not that being successful in it is easy it still requires a lot of hardwork, talent, and you have at least to be tall.  Chess is unpopular because it is hard. There is no way anyone can improve without studying openings and tactics. That takes time and today's fast paced world doesn't leave anytime for chess even if blitz and bullets are popular. Besides if you keep on losing it takes away the fun.

I  agree with topman75.

yeah basketball is easy

I'd like to know what Don Juan and topman's 3 point and free throw percentages are... I am just curious if it really is as easy to them as the let on. I like to know how well they dribble and shoot with their off hand also...

I think basketball is probably easier to enjoy, when you aren't very good at it, as compared to chess. It is probably more intertaining to watch, maybe even for chess players.

When considering the hard work and awesome athletic prowess one is up against to play this game at the highest level... it's easy? I think sippin ice tea in the shade is easy...not playing basketball

i know it's hard for you to get cuz you sucked so bad at school, but yeah, i already covered that.  

Why misconstrue my apathy for inability? Do I have to show you up again, just to prove I can?

I get bored easy Flags...

Do some research on people who get bored easy, I am sure a common denominator will become evident. Sometimes I think I have thought about more than many people ever will and probably have forgotten more than some people will ever learn.