[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The world is in the chessboard today. Demographics of the chess world prove that there are millions or even billions of chess players all around the world. A very large proportion of our Indian population can play chess. Although the numbers are not yet humongous, there is an increasing number of chess players emerging from the middle ground of the Indian public. According to Susan Polgar, the renowned American-Hungarian Grandmaster of chess, there are 45 million chess players in the US alone. But in countries like Russia, Eastern Europe, Iceland, Cuba, and Argentina, chess is in the culture. Hence these countries are known as the chess hotspots, where serious players are far more in number and consider having significant chess careers. The clear reason behind this is that most countries in the soviet union and eastern Europe choose to include chess in their school curriculum until a certain age. The induction of chess in culture and as a way of life has affected many human beings around the globe. According to Polgar, there are around seven hundred million chess players in the world. But how does chess come to be so popular that it connects the whole world together, more than any other board game?
A Brief History of Chess
After the ancient Egyptian board game Senet, which dates back to 3500-4000 BC, Chess is the oldest board game that the world has known. Although the foggy origin story of chess makes its true inventor imperceptible, the earliest origins can be found on the Indian sub-continent around 700 BC. The early forms of the game were also developed by Persia.
In the latest history and according to enthusiasts, chess has been considered a war game. The world believes that the tactical ways of chess are those which are also used in war. More so because of Napoleon’s passion for the game. Soon enough chess was also adapted by the Islamic countries that reject gambling and gaming. They accepted it by seeing it as a war strategy. Though in the Soviet Union, it is in the blue-collar culture rather than being a source of divisional inspiration.
The rules of chess as we know them today slowly evolved over the Middle-Ages in Europe. It gained its popularity when it appeared in the writings of 1200 AD Pope Innocent III and Rabbi Ben Ezra. The second writing came out translated from French to English. The book was called The Game and Playe of Cheese and it addressed the game of chess as an influence of morality. The Vizier which we know as the Queen today was made the strongest piece before it saw the renaissance period in medieval Europe. The authority of women over the renaissance changed the piece to the queen, projecting the increase in the range of women.
The International open chess tournament was organized in 1851, bringing all the countries together in London. By 1886 the world got its first undisputed chess champion Wilhelm Steinitz.
Chess Today as a Language between the Masses
Today’s intellectual society considers chess to be a social asset. Chess is being made an inspiration for children and parents by increasing cognitive intelligence in kids. Even if the activity is not considered as a professional life-skill carried into adulthood, it is considered a valued training-ground for life. On an estimated record from around the world, thirty-million children play chess professionally. Even in India, SMCA records almost 40% of chess masters to be kids. At the SMCA chess coaching center, we have found special talents and turned them towards the world pedestal as the youngest world-rated chess players. In India, almost 30% of chess players are children.
On average, a large scale open chess tournament finds itself crawling with, African Americans, South Asians, East Asians, Hispanics, and the eastern European population. It is not a rare sight at an open chess tournament to see a 7-year-old play with a 60-year old and yet beat them with six moves. The only demographic diversifying the chess world is gender. Although the world’s chessboard is still highly male-dominated even after the queen being all-powerful, more and more girls are appreciated on an international level. All it will take is encouragement from parents and teachers around the country. SMCA always pushes forward to girls being highly rated in the chess world.
The language of chess is fairly understood by the world even though we’re divided by borders. Being the prominent chess coaching center in India, SMCA organizes an open chess tournament every week on our online platform. We also call out to kids interested in the development through chess to learn with our coaches and build an expedient chess career.
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