Tweets, Avocados, and Chess: My Top 10 Conspiracies

Introduction

Hello there, reader,

If you know the first thing about chess, it has a rep for being a stiff, serious game, think old men in waistcoats, silent rooms, and enough tension to shatter glass, among nonplayers and newbies. But honestly? I keep stumbling across stuff about chess that’s just plain weird. So why not lean in, and write a blog about it?

Today, I’ve rounded up ten of my favorite, absolutely ridiculous, “coincidences” between chess stats and real-life trends. I’m not here to solve any mysteries, just to see how deep the rabbit hole goes when you look at chess next to things like coffee, scooters, avocados, and yoga studios.

I’m @Deepsealore, this is my blog, and prepare to be dazzled.

1. Magnus Carlsen’s Blitz Rating and Norway’s Avocado Craze

Let’s start with Norway’s greatest chess export and, apparently, their second-greatest: avocados. In 2024, Magnus Carlsen’s blitz rating hit an insane 2915. That same year, Norwegians started eating way more avocados, like, 29.1% more per person.

Are Norwegians channeling their inner Magnus through guacamole? Or is Magnus secretly powered by avocado toast? I like to imagine somewhere in Oslo, Magnus is making a move with one hand and smashing an avocado with the other, then turning to the camera and saying, “For brain health.” That's just my, @Deepsealore's imagination, but it seems pretty realistic to me.

I don’t know about you, but next time I lose a blitz game, I’m blaming it on not enough avocados.

2. Judit Polgár’s Peak Rating and Electric Scooter Sales

Back in 2005, Judit Polgár was smashing records left and right. Her classical rating hit 2735, which is wild. Meanwhile, that year, electric scooter sales surged worldwide by...Wait for it...27.35%.

Now, I can’t prove Judit inspired everyone to swap their boring commutes for battery-powered scooters, but let’s be honest: her playing style was all about speed and breaking the rules. Maybe people saw her take down the world’s best and thought: “Time to zip past traffic like Judit dodges chess traps.”

I want to see a grandmaster rolling up to a tournament on an electric scooter, just in honor of the greatest female player ever.

 3. The Sicilian Defense’s Decline and Italy’s Ice Cream Sales Dip

From 2018 to 2023, top players started dropping the Sicilian Defense like it was a hot potato. Usage was down 12%, but funnily, at almost the exact same time, Italian ice cream sales melted away, down 11.7%.

Maybe Italian grandmasters were too busy mourning the decline of gelato to think abou the game? Or maybe, just maybe, a country deprived of righteous ice cream can’t bring the necessary fire for aggressive chess.

I don’t know which came first, the dry chess or the empty cones, but never underestimate how important food, particularly gelato, is to the chess soul.

4. Norway’s “Magnus” Baby Boom and Chess Tournament Attendance

Between 2020 and 2024, the number of babies named Magnus in Norway went up 15.2%. Attendance at the Norway Chess tournament? Up 15.2%.

If that’s not Magnus Carlsen’s influence, I don’t know what is. I bet there’s a whole generation of little Magnuses crawling around Norway right now, plotting their first victory against the real Magnus himself, in daycare.

Parents probably aren’t expecting their kids to beat Kasparov, but you can’t deny the hope. If we start seeing Magnus, Jr. vs. Magnus on tournament pairings in twenty years, you heard it here first.

The coincidence wouldn't suprise me.

5. Hikaru Nakamura’s Twitch Followers and NYC Coffee Shops

In 2023, Hikaru Nakamura hit 3.5 million Twitch followers. At the same time, New York City apparently decided you can never have too much caffeine: coffee shops went up by 35%.

Is it a leap to say there’s a connection? Absolutely. Not. Anyone who’s tried to keep up with Hikaru’s speed chess knows you need two things: nerves of steel and a lot of coffee. New Yorkers get it. They’re frappuccino in one hand, phone in the other, trying to understand why Hikaru just sacrificed his rook for “initiative.”

Pro tip: when you lose in a time scramble, blame it on not enough espresso, and treat yourself to a latte, you'll help me create another blog about this.

6. FIDE Rated Players and Smartphone Sales

FIDE saw a 5.8% jump in rated players in 2024, right alongside a 5.9% jump in smartphone sales. Coincidence? Maybe not. These days, your phone is your chess coach, sparring partner, and worst critic. AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE... Nevermind. I won't talk about it.

Sometimes I start a game, and my phone immediately tells me I’ve blundered. I suspect my phone is quietly judging my life choices. One day soon, it’ll be sending me push notifications: “Your bishop is crying. Play better.” And then I'll end up banned the next day.

7. Shorter Chess Games and Rising Global Temperatures

Classical games got shorter: from 42.3 moves in 2019 to 38.9 in 2024. Meanwhile, global temps went up by 1.2°C.

Let’s be real: when it’s boiling outside, who wants to play a six-hour chess marathon? Players are blitzing through their games just to reach the air conditioning. At this rate, the next innovation in chess tournaments might just be ice vests for players.

If it's hotter outside, I don't see a problem in throwing on a fresh sheet of ice to protect yourself from heat stroke while calculating. Though, let's please not talk about the consequences, because that would ruin the idea completely.

Maybe that wouldn't be to bad. And again, if it does happen, you heard it here first.

8. Chess Books and Netflix Binge-Watching

Chess books published? Up 10% between 2020 and 2024. Netflix streaming hours? Also up 10%. Coincidence? Not if you spent 2020 watching “The Queen’s Gambit” and then panic-buying a chess set and every strategy book you could find. Two things I can't say I hate doing.

Honestly, I think we’re all just craving stories, whether it’s Beth Harmon crushing the Soviets or a new endgame manual. Chess and TV binges: not so different after all.

You have my word, this isn't just a conspiracy!

9. Tweets About “Checkmate” and Mexican Avocado Imports

In 2024, “checkmate” got tweeted 1.4 million times, and Mexico exported 1.45 million metric tons of avocados.

I have zero clue if there’s a real connection, but I like to imagine a universe where every “checkmate” tweet magically ripens an avocado in Mexico. If that’s not how the world works, it should be. I mean think about how perfect that would be. Start an avocado garden then set up an automated AI system that tweets "checkmate". UNLIMITED FREE AVOCADOS!

So next time you tweet your victory, order extra guac. Or just plant an avocado tree. Just feels right.

10. Draws in Chess and Yoga Studios in India

Between 2021 and 2025, 55% of top chess games ended in draws. India opened 55% more yoga studios. Coincidence? Or is everyone just way more zen about not winning?

I can imagine a world where grandmasters are in a collective yoga groups with mats pulled out in a sunny studio, a day before the Chennai open. If you think about it, chess and yoga are not that different, it's all about finding the center.

Conclusion

There you have it: ten of the weirdest, most random (and probably meaningless) connections I could find between chess and the rest of the world. None of this is serious, but isn’t it a little fun to imagine Magnus snacking on avocados while a particular Norwegian toddler named Magnus Jr. beats super grandmasters in ten moves?

Next time someone tells you chess is boring, drop one of these on them and watch their eyebrows hit the ceiling. And if you want to play better, try a little guacamole, a cup of coffee, or a yoga stretch. It’s worth a shot.