Does chess have an image problem!?

“Chess holds its master in its own bonds, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom of the very strongest must suffer” - Einstein

Modern chess has an image problem.  The hype of the 1972 World Championship was more of a blip than a trend. Chess, in England at least, is viewed by non-chess players as a game for anti-social 'geeks', the trench coat wearers, the plastic bag carriers, the greasy haired, aloof, middle aged men looking sheepish on the tube. The mere idea of a 'chess club' has negative connotations; draughty church or school halls, empty but for a few tables where   If I had a dollar for every time throughout my life that I've heard mutterings such as, "so, you were one of those nerds who stayed inside and played in the chess club?”, well, I'd be well on my way to retirement by now!  Please do not get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with being classified as a 'geek' - in actuality, being a 'geek'' is slowly becoming somewhat cool! Take a look at Magnus and what he is doing for our game; his persona and presence has taken Norway by storm, a cause celebre of the sport of Kings.  Former world number 2 Levon Aronian is a legend in Armenia.  Some Grandmasters, who are residents of Iceland receive an annual sponsorship from the government who recognise their contribution to national sports. 

But changes to the game to make it more popular in other countries are necessary, and, I believe, wholly achievable.  Even in England there are outreach events and programmes for inclusion and introduction to the game; the Chess in Schools charity in particular has an excellent network of nationwide curriculums for juniors of any strength, social or educational background. Hammersmith Chess Club in London host public chess days in the heart of a central London square, which have proven popular with casual passer bys looking to reclaim memories of their own school chess club many years ago.  The creators of 5-a-side chess, an easier variant with fewer squares and pieces, have toured the entire country on their chess-themed bus, raising awareness of both this easy variant, but also the power that chess and other board games can yield in bringing people together, tackling loneliness, and addressing mental health. 

Initiatives like these are numerous, and it would be impossible to name-drop every good-hearted soul who volunteers their free time to give something back to their community and inspire others to pick up a new skill or hobby.  In particular, junior participation is arguably at its highest level yet.  But what of the older players? How can we raise awareness and interest of a board game with a bit of a public image problem to those who aren't still in school? 

The chessbrahs are showing us the way forward here! 

My personal problem nowadays is not necessarily how some people view us chess players; but it is how our culture of worshiping idiots in the media seems to be more important than actually praising people for the achievements that they have actually made in their lives. Just take one look at the Kardashians for example, what actually have they ever done!? 

I have been lucky enough to see and attend some very positive public engagement events over the last month whilst I have been travelling around Europe playing and working at various chess tournaments. 

My first stop was Bunratty, a tournament where it is impossible not to have a great time! The Bunratty Chess Festival is an annual weekend tournament that takes place in Bunratty, Ireland. The tournament not only attracts hundreds of players from Ireland and afar, in addition to returning top British GM s, but crucially its popularity and sense of camaraderie ensures that it retains the same sponsors year-after-year in the form of Blackthorne Transport and the hosting of the Bunratty Castle Hotel.  Although this tournament isn't necessarily the best example of a public event, the various lower sections give younger or lower-rated players a great opportunity to combine to a weekend chock-a-block with games and a fantastic social atmosphere, providing lasting great memories that will hopefully inspire them to register for their next weekender! 

A position taken form my last round against GM Mark Hebden. I was Black, what is the best way for White to win!?

I then traveled to Amsterdam where the event took place in a fantastic cafe, cafe Batavia.  Chess culture in the Netherlands is excellent, with numerous chess and board game cafes in the cities across the country.  Dutch Grandmasters share some of the perks of other resident professional athletes, and there is currently a successful, publicly funded campaign to bring fixed outdoor chess boards and tables to public parks and squares all across the country.  Cafe Batavia is one such chess-friendly cafe, where they host an annual all-play-all tournament every February or March.  Sitting above the canal in the heart of Amsterdam is the quiet and spacious upstairs playing room, where some of the boards have excellent views from the window of the streets of the city centre.

This is taken from my five minute blitz game against GM David Arutinian at the Batavia 2019 tournament. David had the Black pieces. How can I force checkmate?

Lastly, I returned yesterday from a three day event in Denmark on behalf of the Danish Chess Federation. This event is something I have been so excited to write about as I know from the beginning of the plan that it would prove to be very progressive. The Danish Federation have taken the (somewhat brave!) decision to employ the guys at 'Outray Chess' to encourage a new class of players to pick up the pieces and join the Danish Chess Federation. How are they doing this? By making chess accessible to all with evening and weekend public events; events which are organised, hosted and filmed by professional videographers and bona fide chess fans!  We started on Friday night with myself and top streamer IM Anna Rudolf as the 'MCs' at an event hosted in a converted church; the venue is now, somewhat unusually, a nightclub!  Here is a view of the audience who turned out for the event...

The crowd was a mix of chess players and new-to-chess-players alike.  After dinner, the main event began, where Anna and I streamed some fun blitz chess for two hours onto a large projector screen to the audience, who could join in with cheering and jeering as we played! We also streamed live online to our respective Twitch channels.  You can catch up with video of the stream from my Twitch channel: - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/399483306 , and Anna's behind the screen broadcast here: - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/399454125

Later in the evening, we boarded the 'chess tour bus' to travel from Copenhagen to Aarhus, driving through the night to arrive at 4am, just in time for some well-deserved rest before an early start to prepare for the public event on Saturday, this time in the community library.  After 14 hours of delays and missed connections travelling from Luxembourg, WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni arrived in Aarhus just in time to join Anna and I for our second chess promo event in less 24 hours! 

Fiona and I played against the local Danish stars GM Jakob Vang Glud and WFM Ellen Fredericia Nilseen. This duel-on-the-board combined master knowledge with crowd participation, as ultimately the game was decided by the crowd who voted for the moves that we suggested.  Combining chess players and the general public proved an exciting and novel idea; exactly what the doctor ordered to make chess popular!

On the final day, we all filmed a chess video with the guys of Outray Chess.  It's always an honour for me to work with Rune et al.  Although I cannot divulge the exact nature of what we were filming, here's a couple of teaser photos.  To see the final video, you'll have to follow Outray Chess!

If you want to see some of the most creative and professional chess videos online, check out the guys at Outray Chess via their YouTube channel and Facebook page.  A massive thanks to everyone at Outray and the Danish Chess Federation for their superb organisation of a fun weekend of chess in Denmark. I would also like to thank Rune, Morton and last, but certainly not least, 'Fluffmaster' Mathis of Outray. Mathis is often forgotten, as he is the man behind the camera, but as well as being a top bloke he made everyone feel so comfortable. Even going as far as 'fluffing' some of our pillows.  For the coach trip. 

You can check out more pictures etc on the Danish Chess Federation Facebook page here - https://www.facebook.com/DanskSkakUnion/ or their website here - http://www.skak.dk/

So, what do you guys think? What can we do to make chess more popular to the general public?  Are there any initiatives in your own country to raise the profile of our game? Are public outreach events like the ones above the ways to go?  I would love to hear your stories and suggestions, so please leave them in the comment box below!