The 7 Best Holiday Songs To Play During Chess
Listening to music while playing online chess is natural, and may even improve your play. If it's good enough for the world's top players, it's good enough for you.
Hikaru Nakamura bobs his head to AFI and The Offspring during his Speed Chess Championship matches, and Magnus Carlsen occasionally enjoys some Taylor Swift music while playing on Chess.com.
It's December, so now is the perfect time to turn up the holiday music while you play live chess —especially if it's cold outside.
Here are the best seven holiday songs to play in the background during your Chess.com games.
Let us know your favorite holiday songs to listen to while you play chess in the comments or on Facebook.
#7. Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24
This Christmas song has a powerful, electric sound that is perfect for the robots that have taken over the game of chess.
Even if you don't run on silicon, you'll appreciate this muscular music as you let your chess pieces do the hard work.
#6. Louis Armstrong: 'Zat You, Santa Claus?
This jazzy, staccato holiday number is the perfect accompaniment to your disjointed and abruptly abandoned plans on the chessboard.
#5. Vanessa Carlton: Happy XMas (War Is Over)
Vanessa Carlton sings an easygoing cover of John Lennon's war protest song, reminding you that your current battle on the chessboard, while important, pales in comparison to geopolitical struggles on a global scale.
#4. Lindsey Stirling: Carol of the Bells (Instrumental)
Lindsey Stirling is a violin virtuoso, and her 2017 update on the holiday classic has an upbeat tempo and a complex melody to get you fired up for calculating equally fast and complicated chess tactics.
#3. Taylor Swift: Silent Night
This serene classic by future-superstar Taylor Swift will soothe your jangled nerves even while you lose piece after piece in your games.
#2. Something Corporate: Forget December
If you're not really into the holidays and just want to play some chess, this melancholy song will put you in the mood for skipping Christmas.
#1. Colbie Caillat: Auld Lang Syne
This New Year's standard is all about appreciating the past and moving on to the future.
That's the perfect attitude for playing chess: Learn from your losses, forget about them, and then set up the next game.
What are your favorite holidays songs to listen to while playing chess? Let us know in the comments.
