Chess Getting Hip?

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Boston

Hello Queen’s Gambit fans. The “Chess Renaissance” workshop here featured two Chess Grandmasters, Fabiano Caruana (far left, below) and five-time U.S. champion Hikaru Nakamura (middle).

They were joined by leading chess competitor and poker superstar Jennifer Shahade as well as MIT Conference co-founder, Sloan alumnus, and Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey. Morey is also a highly regarded chesser, which is why the game gets attention here.

The panelists spoke of chess being historically an antisocial game. Morey and others said, however, that Caruana and Nakamura represent a younger generation of global chess stars who stream on Twitch and TikTok, do podcasts, and build community in the process. In fact, Nakamura stream-comments live during some of his own matches, which must greatly annoy his opponents. Morey asked, “Where else are competitors commenting real-time on their own performance?"

In a question I thought I'd never ask, is chess getting too hip? What are the risks and implications? As with all change, it will continue to be a sorting-out process. The best ideas will be adopted and the less effective ones will find themselves in checkmate. Of course, you won't know until you try.

(I attended the 2016 World Chess Championship won - again - by reigning champ Magnus Carlsen.)

The chess panelists at the MIT Sloan Conference.