Online Chess during the Coronavirus: how digital chess grew

The coronavirus pandemic shook the entire world — and chess was no exception. Major tournaments were canceled one after another. Physical boards were put away. But something no one expected happened: online chess exploded. Millions of people discovered (or rediscovered) the game from home.

Why was chess one of the big winners of lockdown? Let’s take a look.

Online chess surged during lockdown

Think about it: you’re at home, you can’t go out, you need something to keep your mind active. Chess fits perfectly. You don’t need a physical board, you don’t need an opponent in the same room. A screen is enough.

Google searches for “play chess” spiked in the spring of 2020. Platforms like Lichess and Chess.com broke records for active users week after week. People who had never touched a bishop in their lives started learning the rules.

If you want to join in too, you can play against the computer right now, no sign-up or installation needed. It’s the fastest way to start.

Learn to play if you’re new

Are you coming to chess for the first time? Don’t worry. Chess looks complicated from the outside, but within a few hours you can play your first real game.

Here’s the path I recommend:

1. Start with how to play chess: basic rules, how the pieces move, and what the goal is.
2. If you’d rather go step by step with exercises, sign up for the free chess course. No cost, no catch.

Once you master the basics, you’ll see chess is more than just a game. Chess is a sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee, with professional competitions around the world. And if you have kids at home, the benefits of chess for children are well documented: it improves concentration, logical thinking, and frustration management.

The cancellation of in-person tournaments in 2020

The blow to the professional circuit was enormous. Here’s a list of the major events canceled or postponed:

• The German Bundesliga weekends of March 14–15 and April 4–5 were postponed.
• All events in Denmark until April 15.
• All Asian Chess Federation events until the end of June.
• All March events in Costa Rica.
• All league matches in Iceland until May.
• The Sochi youth championships (April 15–30, Russia).
• All events in Poland until March 31.
• The Festival Primavera and Città di Ostia tournaments in Italy.
• The Madrid league, the Valencian Community events, and the Catalan league rounds planned before April 7.
• The New York State Scholastics (March 14–15, Saratoga Springs).
• The 2020 Grenke Chess Open.
• The World Senior Team Championship, which was cut short after just 7 rounds.
• The 44th Chess Olympiad, planned for Moscow from August 5–17, 2020, was postponed to summer 2021.
• The 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament, held in Ekaterinburg, was suspended mid-tournament on March 26.

What happened with the Candidates Tournament

This is the most striking case. The FIDE Candidates Tournament is the battle among the world’s eight best chess players to decide who challenges the reigning world champion — at the time, Magnus Carlsen. It began on March 16 in Ekaterinburg, Russia, amid huge controversy: the players themselves said they weren’t in a position to play at their best.

Can you imagine the situation? Over a thousand spectators sitting shoulder to shoulder. A photo of that scene circulated on social media and sparked outrage. Only Hou Yifan, the world’s top female player, wore a mask in the front row, next to an empty seat. The image said it all.

Players competed without a live audience. Meals were served in hotel rooms. COVID tests before the start and again ten days in. Medical checks twice a day. Handshakes were replaced with elbow bumps.

Ding Liren, the Chinese grandmaster, arrived after fourteen days of quarantine in his hometown of Wenzhou. It was said the outbreak hadn’t reached that part of Siberia, though no one could confirm it with certainty — the Russian government isn’t exactly transparent about such things.

One of the competitors, Teimour Radjabov, withdrew before the start. He publicly questioned the decision to hold the tournament. His spot was taken by Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Some suggested moving the tournament online. But the classical chess community is very traditional: the in-person encounter is considered an essential part of the game. The organizers held firm and pressed on.

After 7 rounds, Russia closed its airspace indefinitely. FIDE couldn’t guarantee the safe return of players and arbiters. The FIDE president invoked clause 1.5 of the regulations and halted the tournament. The results from the 7 rounds were kept. The tournament resumed later, from round 8, with the same participants.

What COVID left behind

Lockdown was hard on everyone. But for chess, it was, paradoxically, a turning point. New players came to the board, chess streaming took off on Twitch and YouTube, and online tournaments like the Magnus Carlsen Invitational proved the game could reach audiences of millions from home.

If you used that time to learn chess, you know what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t yet, it’s never too late to start.