How ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Changed the Perception of Chess…For the Better
By Eryn Swann
I never used to care about what other people thought of my interests or hobbies.... until I became chess captain in high school. Chess for me was a random sport I initially picked up during lunch times and would play with other students in the library - I learned the game for the fun of it. I liked understanding the different movements of all the pieces and all the “unspoken” rules that you can learn by playing with others. But when I entered my last year of high school and was given a leadership position, I suddenly realised what the mainstream perception of chess actually was. Most people seemed to think it was a difficult board game that was for people who didn’t have friends and was typically seen as a waste of time and effort. I remember some people would laugh and joke at me when I would take out a borrowed chess set during the early mornings I arrived at school and played against myself to determine faults in my gameplay. Suddenly I felt embarrassed to like something I enjoyed playing, and never asked others’ opinion of, because it was perceived as lame. I felt like the stereotypical dork portrayed in numerous teen films, and while I never gave up chess because of that, it constantly made me hate the things that made me who I am because of what other people thought of them.
The only time in which my doubt was ever forgotten was at tournaments where I was surrounded by like-minded people. However, this aspect of chess is what first introduced me to a completely different perception of chess. Tournaments with other high school students felt like a much more elite environment than my usual lunch time library games. This was something that perplexed me because while in school chess may be perceived as dorky or nerdy, the competitive world of chess is much more akin to the traditional affluent private school clubs that typically include sports such as rowing, rugby or polo. This world of chess had tournaments and championships with historical trophies and banners dating back to the sixties, and hordes of older men who closely observed the games played by every competitor. Ending each school week with a chess tournament felt like I was entering another world that was so different to anything I had ever experienced before. For the first time, I began to realise that chess was not just a board game, but a mental sport; one that deserved to be treated with the same respect and in the same manner as physical sports were.
Fast forward to the end of 2020 and the modern-day world of chess has significantly changed due to a little Netflix show called ‘The Queen’s Gambit.’ Though the show explores multiple themes including addiction and isolation, at the heart is a story of a girl who is passionate about the game of chess and works hard to become the greatest chess player in the world. While I thoroughly enjoyed the show, what greatly piqued my interest was the overwhelming response to it. According to chess.com, more than a million new users joined the site after the show’s soaring popularity and thousands of chess sets were sold in the month of November alone. I felt proud that chess was suddenly and unexpectedly considered popular and interesting in the eyes of people who opened their minds to different things that they may previously never have given much thought to, or even changed their opinion completely.
Through the glamorisation of competitive chess, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ both explored the early understanding of the rules and strategies of the sport as well as the intense study one may utilize in order to prevent sly countermoves or rare openings, middlegames and endgames - all which make for slightly unpredictable and interesting gameplay. And though the show is fictional, it brought about moments that I don’t think I’ve ever related to that can only be understood when you play the game. For instance, I never thought I’d cringe at watching a rook get captured or the seeming futility of exchanging queens; all on a television show that will never know how much it has truly helped the people who love the game of chess. Since the release of the show, chess is now receiving the recognition and positive association it has always deserved, in addition to the greatly improved public perception of chess as both a game and a sport. While chess is about many things like strategy, countermoves, sacrifices, and even sportsmanship, it’s also about fun and commonality with others. All of which can make for a like-minded friendship bonded over a checked board of 64 squares and 32 pieces in a world of endless thrill.