10 Things To Do On International Chess Day
July 20 is here, and for those who don't know, that's International Chess Day. On this day, chess enthusiasts from all over the world will celebrate the wonderful game that brings us all together!
Chess.com invites you to join the fun with these ten ways for you to celebrate International Chess Day:
- Teach Someone Or Learn How To Play Chess
- Play The 24-Hour Marathon
- Share Your Favorite Chess Story On Social Media
- Watch The World Cup
- Watch Titled Tuesday
- Try A New Chess Variant
- Join A Club On Chess.com
- Solve The Daily Puzzle
- Read About Different Countries And Their Contribution To Chess
- Play Chess Against One Of Our Many International Computer Bots
Teach Someone Or Learn How To Play Chess
Think about all the positive impact chess has had on your life. Isn't that worth sharing with the people you care about? Take the opportunity to celebrate International Chess Day by teaching someone else how to play chess!
Last year, FIDE started a campaign inviting people to teach others how to play chess. "Many people and institutions from 'outside' the chess world echoed the initiative, and we managed to attract more people to our sport," said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. "This resulted in many thousands of new players who joined our ranks. Our family grew bigger, and that is always good news."
July 20 - International Chess Day and our birthday - is just around the corner!
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 18, 2021
Let's continue a good tradition, that we started last year, to teach somebody to play chess on that day. Millions want to learn, especially after The Queen's Gambit!#InternationalChessDay #chess pic.twitter.com/g796G4xm6t
And if you don't know how to play chess yourself, don't worry about it. We have you covered! You can watch our many lessons teaching you how to play chess. You can also check out this article that goes over everything you need to know about chess or watch our new video where IM Danny Rensch goes over all the rules of the game.
Play The 24-Hour Marathon
What's a better way to celebrate International Chess Day than playing chess? Playing chess in our International Chess Day 24-hour Marathon Arena, of course! We are hosting an Arena tournament that will last the whole day. We'll be awarding a one-year 
membership to each of the top 5 players at the end of the arena, so start practicing to get yourself ready for the big day!
NOTE: We reached the 10,000 player limit in the 24-hour arena so we have created a second arena which will also have one-year diamond membership prizes for the top three players.
You certainly don't have to play the entire 24 hours, but it is an excellent opportunity to play a lot of chess games and maybe even get some new stamps on your chess passport during this worldwide celebration.
Update: Here are the eight winners of the one-year diamond memberships awarded for the top players in each arena:
Arena 1
- @JayRx
- @Siyuga
- @GrandPavarotti
- @VindictiveVirtuoso47
- @Plimsol
Arena 2
- @homeless_patzer
- @SilverDragon91
- @Srithan3
Share Your Favorite Chess Story On Social Media
Its ever-growing community is one of the reasons why chess is such a fun game to play. It's no secret that chess has seen tremendous growth in all online platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok. So, why not be a part of the conversation and post something about one of your stories involving chess?
You can talk about one of your favorite games, show off an impressive tactic you've spotted, thank the person who introduced you to chess, or anything else you'd like. Remember to use the hashtag #InternationalChessDay and join the chess conversation!
Watch The 2021 FIDE World Cup
A big event will be going on during this year's International Chess Day, the 2021 FIDE World Cup. Top players from around the world including the world champion GM Magnus Carlsen will be competing in the most massive knockout event in the world!
Watch Titled Tuesday
This year, July 20 falls on a Tuesday, which means one thing: hundreds of titled players will be competing in that week's Titled Tuesday. To celebrate this special day, you can watch players like GMs Hikaru Nakamura, Eric Hansen, Robert Hess, Krikor Mekhitarian, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and many others battling for first place.
You'll be able to watch the official live coverage of the event with expert commentary on our events channel on Twitch.
Celebrate International Chess Day by joining our official broadcast of the event on Chess.com/TV or on our Twitch and YouTube channels. Former world champion GM Viswanathan Anand will be providing expert commentary to liven up the celebration, so don't miss it!
Try A New Chess Variant
If you want to mix things up, you can play one of our many chess variants. From reliving the game's origins with a nice match of chaturanga to inviting your friends to a 4 Player Chess extravaganza, playing a chess variant is the perfect way to celebrate this special occasion.
Head over to our Variants page and enjoy!
Join A Club On Chess.com
Chess is a great game, and it's even better when you're playing it with people who have something in common with you. You can join one of the many online clubs on Chess.com to play and interact with people who share the same interests, language, or even location as you! Celebrate International Chess Day by going to our Clubs page and joining one of the many online communities there!
Solve The Daily Puzzle
How about celebrating by showing off your tactical skills during this special day? You can try to solve the Daily Puzzle on the 20th that will be brought to you by a guest author. With our new and improved interface for Daily Puzzles, this is sure to be a great way of celebrating this day.
Read About Different Countries And Their Contribution To Chess
Since we're talking about an international celebration, reading about different countries and their contribution to chess is a great way to spend this special day. We have three great articles on what the United States, India, and Russia taught the world about chess. Read about these countries' great contributions to chess and leave a comment on them expressing your thoughts!
Play Chess Against One Of Our Many International Computer Bots
Have you ever played chess against one of the many Bots on our Play Computer page? Each of them has a different nationality, playing strength, and style. From Jimmy, the adaptive 600-rated Bot from the USA all the way to Francis, the aggressive Filipino master, there are plenty of opponents for you to battle. Celebrate International Chess Day by trying to defeat as many bots from different countries as you can!
What are you planning to do on International Chess Day? Let us know in the comments below!
