Queen's gambit and chess apps

The Queen’s Gambit has once again increased interest in chess, which we can best see in online app stores, where chess apps are being downloaded en masse.

Millions around the world have watched (or are still watching) the rise of the wunderkind named Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor Joy) from an orphanage to chess stars. What is especially interesting is that thanks to the series, the interest in this ancient game has increased again.

Many probably took out the old chessboards again and, with black and white pieces, briefly escaped the pandemic reality, while others, especially the younger generation, turned to chess on the Internet and various chess applications.

The impact of the Queen’s Gambit series on increasing interest in chess can best be seen by the popularity of Chess.com and related mobile applications.

Shortly after the series began airing, the app quickly came in third in the iPhone strategy games category in the US. In the UK, it climbed to second place in Apple's online app store. According to the company App Annie, that application in the USA jumped by as much as 256 places and now ranks 62nd among all games.

Although the application itself is more or less the same and there is no difference in download between platforms, lately the number of downloads on Apple phones has increased by 61% compared to mobile devices with Google's operating system.

It should be emphasized that the Queen’s Gambit series is not the only one, although the biggest reason for such an increase in the popularity of chess. Chess also gained popularity during the pandemic, when many people spent most of their time in their four walls due to the lockdown, and some of them sought entertainment in online chess tournaments.

Website: https://www.chess-boost.com/

Course: https://www.chessable.com/everyone-s-first-strategy-kit/course/90720/