Olympic Esports Series 2023: Twitch has transformed chess into something entirely different

Arturs Neiksans remembers the box vividly. The 16-year-old was at a game store in Jelgava, Latvia when he found Heroes of Might and Magic, a strategy game set in a medieval fantasy world. He bought the game and jumped straight in.

"That's when I considered becoming a part of the gaming community instead of chess," Neiksans, a chess grandmaster, said. "I played it a ton. I was a part of that community. I even communicated with the developers often."

Neiksans spent dozens of hours in the world of Heroes of Might and Magic. He had spent nine years away from chess while at university after learning it as a child. He spent his free time during those years in university glued to the screen. It's the natural connection between chess and video games that eventually brought him back to the game he grew up learning.

"It rekindled my love for chess," he said.

Chess is one of the original strategy games that's inspired dozens of turn-based and real-time strategy games such as Heroes of Might and Magic. Now, Neiksans is one of dozens of chess players and grand masters who have competing in the Olympic Esports Series to become the first chess player to win an Olympic Esports Series title.

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a global virtual and simulated sports competition, created by the IOC, and in collaboration with game publishers and International Federations (IFs) such as the International Chess Federation (FIDE). And the finals of the Olympic Esports Series 2023 can be streamed on Olympics.com

"It's quite amazing. If you look at how chess was looking online prior to the pandemic, nobody really treated online high level tournaments seriously. Nobody was considering organising high level tournaments online," Neiksans said, adding that he's excited about what the Olympic Esports Series does next. "This is an awesome initiative. I don't know how it's going to expand, but it's a great initiative."

How online streaming changed chess

Chess players from all over the world agree the game has exploded online since the pandemic. Platforms like Twitch and YouTube have given players, including world-class champions such as Magnus Carlsen, a way to broadcast their practice matches, online tournaments, and day-to-day life to thousands of people.

The centuries-old game joins the likes of Fortnite and Gran Turismo 7 as one of the most popular online games in the world. More than 100 million people have signed up to play on Chess.com since the beginning of 2020.

"Chess has always been its own thing," said Woman Grandmaster Nemo Qiyu Zhou. "It's been a sport, an esport. It's more of an esport now because so many people play online. If tomorrow I'm part of the Canadian esports team that's cool. If I'm part of the Canadian national team then that's also great."

That explosion of popularity has led players of all ages – from elementary school kids to thirty-year-old professional esports players to – to chess for the first time. Online tools such as Chess.com have made it easier than ever to understand the depth of strategy it offers. The ability to watch amazing players make decisions in real time online has given chess students a valuable way to learn.

"Online chess as an esport is really fun, but I think that playing in-person [gives you] a whole different feeling," Zhou said. "It's easier because you have all these tools that aren't available offline."

Online chess growing in popularity

Platforms like Chess.com streamline the entire chess experience for players. It sets the board up, gives them a notification when they are in check, and prevents them from making illegal moves. Many online players who don't have experience in person may have trouble competing on a board. That may not be an issue as more organisers turn their focus toward online chess.

"Now I mostly play in online tournaments," said Olympic Esports Series chess finalist and grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk. "It's convenient for me now that I have a family."

Bortnyk is a prime example of how chess has transformed over the past three years. Before moving to the United States from Ukraine, he didn't even know that streaming was possible while traveling from tournament to tournament in Europe. Now he's a Chess.com streamer, online coach and an Olympic Esports finalist.

The chess eruption online has chess players hoping that the game will become even bigger and more inclusive than it already is. They believe the influx of players will bring more eyes, funding, and sustainability to a game that was founded more than 1500 years ago.

The traditional board and pieces will never go out of style, but the rise of chess as an esport has made it possible for thousands of players to get into the game for the first time. The chess transformation is far from over.

"In the future there will be more online chess," Bortnyk. said. "You can't replace in-person chess, but the online environment is only going to get bigger."