Online chessischessthat is played over theInternet,allowing players to play against each other in real time. This is done through the use ofInternet chess servers,which often include a system to pair up individual players based on their rating using anEloor similarchess rating system.Online chess has existed since the 1970s, but has seen a rapid growth in popularity amidst theCOVID-19 pandemicand rise of chesslivestreaming.
History
editOrigins
editOnline chess has existed in various forms includingPLATOandplay-by-emailsince the dawn of theInternetin the 1970s. The first Internet server designed for online chess was theInternet Chess Club(known at the time as ICS), which started operation in 1992.[1]The first chess website, which allowed playing through a graphical interface, was Caissa (known at the time as Caissa's Web) which launched in 1995.[2]Since then, a number of chess websites have been developed. These includeChess,Lichess,andchess24,which were the largest chess websites as of 2021.[3]Since January 31, 2024, chess24 has closed their website.[4]
Growth
editOnline chess saw a spike in growth during thequarantinesof theCOVID-19 pandemic.[5][6]This was due to both isolation and the popularity ofNetflixminiseriesThe Queen's Gambit,which was released in October 2020.[5][6]Chess app downloads on theApp StoreandGoogle Play Storerose by 63% after the show debuted.[7]Chesssaw more than twice as many account registrations in November as it had in previous months, and the number of games played monthly on Lichess doubled as well.[8]There was also a demographic shift in players, with female registration on Chess shifting from 22% of new players to 27% of new players.[9][8]GrandmasterMaurice Ashleysaid "A boom is taking place in chess like we have never seen maybe since theBobby Fischerdays, "attributing the growth to an increased desire to do something constructive during the pandemic.[10]USCFWomen's Program DirectorJennifer Shahadestated that chess works well on the Internet, since pieces do not need to be reset andmatchmakingis virtually instant.[11]In 2023, Youtube revealed that the game of online chess had amassed over 4 billion views during the calendar year.[12]
Streaming
editOnline chesslivestreamingalso saw a surge amidst the pandemic. Players likeHikaru Nakamura,Daniel Naroditsky,andLevy Rozmanalong with many others streamed chess viaTwitch,with more than 41 million hours of chess being watched total on the platform from March to August 2020.[13][8]Chess teamed up with high-level chess streamers to organizePogChamps,an amateur tournament contested between popularInternet personalitiesthat was streamed on Twitch and at one point became the top-viewed stream on the platform.[13]
Operation
editRating system
editChess websites pair players based on achess rating system;after a game ends, ratings are updated immediately and players may search for a new game using their updated ratings.[14]TheInternet Chess Clubuses theElo rating system,whileChessuses theGlicko rating systemandLichesstheGlicko-2 rating system,which are modern and more complex versions of Elo.[15]
Speed
editOver-the-board(OTB) chess is traditionally played with a slowtime control,meaning players are allowed more time to consider moves. Online chess is often played faster, with 93.8% of live chess games on Chess being played with a time control of 10 minutes per side or faster.[16]International MasterAnna Rudolfsaid that "online chess' shift to speed chess has brought excitement to the game."[8]
Premove
editA premove is an instruction given by a player to a chess program to make a certain move on a following turn if possible. Premoving is a feature exclusive to online chess. It is offered by many chess websites, including theInternet Chess Club,theFree Internet Chess Server,Chess,andLichess.Chess allows players to make multiple premoves at once. The Internet Chess Club allows one to block players who use premoves.
There is some amount of strategy involved when premoving. Generally, premoves should only be used when the chosen move would be a good move in any subsequent position where it would be valid, such as if it is a response to a potential capture by one's opponent. Premoves may also be useful in extremetime troubleto avoid running out of time.
Cheating
editOnlinecheatingis an issue that has had a large effect on all levels of play. This is usually achieved by using achess engineto get the best moves in a given position, though it can take other forms includingsandbaggingandratingmanipulation.[17]Chess stated in August 2020 that they were closing roughly 500 accounts each day due to cheating, some of whom were Grandmasters and titled players.[17]
High-levelchess tournamentswere largely forced online during the COVID-19 pandemic, including theFIDEOnline Nations Cup and theMagnus CarlsenChess Tour.[18]These were played on websites like Chess and chess24, but enforced additional rules onwebcamusage and screen sharing in order to prevent cheating. Some tournaments also disallowed leaving the computer for breaks or to walk around, which would usually be allowed in an in-person tournament.[18]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^McClain, Dylan Loeb (14 March 2010)."Wherever You Are, a Game Is Just a Point and Click Away".The New York Times.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^"Checkmate – chess in the computer era".Newspapers.22 October 1996.
- ^Torres, Luis."Chess vs Chess24 vs Lichess: The Ultimate Review".ChessScience.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^"Chess24 closes tomorrow".Chess Topics.30 January 2024.Retrieved17 February2024.
- ^abRuiter, Chananya De (16 November 2020)."The Queen's Gambit And A Rise In Online Chess Playing".Tatler Thailand.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^abJibilian, Isabella."Netflix's hit show 'The Queen's Gambit' inspired a chess surge — but now Chess is seeing a surge in cheating, too".Business Insider.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^Howell, Toby."Netflix's 'The Queen's Gambit' is Causing a Surge in Online Chess Play".Morning Brew.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^abcdDottle, Rachael (16 December 2020)."The Chess Boom Goes Digital After 'The Queen's Gambit'".Bloomberg.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^Settembre, Jeanette (9 November 2020)."Online chess classes see record interest amid pandemic, and after release of Netflix's 'The Queen's Gambit'".Fox News.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^Rothman, David (November 2020)."Online chess makes its biggest move".CBS News.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^Robertson, Noah (20 August 2020)."Online chess is thriving, a calming constant in a chaotic year".Christian Science Monitor.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^Kish, Paul (8 August 2023)."Chess Is King Of Youtube – 1500 Year Old Game Racked Up 4 Billion Youtube Views in 2023".Popculturizm.Retrieved10 September2023.
- ^abBrowning, Kellen (7 September 2020)."Chess (Yes, Chess) Is Now a Streaming Obsession".The New York Times.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^erik (9 April 2018)."Chess Ratings – How They Work".Chess.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^"Chess rating systems • lichess.org".lichess.org.Retrieved24 February2022.
- ^erik (5 May 2017)."Interesting Chess Data: Time Controls And Game Results".Chess.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^abKhandekar, Omkar (24 December 2020)."2020: The year of a pandemic of cheating in online chess".Mintlounge.Retrieved10 January2021.
- ^abLoRé, Michael."Online Chess Taking Advantage Of Opportunity To Grow, Entertain During Coronavirus Pandemic".Forbes.Retrieved10 January2021.