The festival will unfold within the grandeur of Heywood House’s Jacobean manor hall, surrounded by portraits steeped in history and tales of yore. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to delve into topics ranging from geopolitics to the therapeutic benefits of gardening, all while engaging with bestselling authors and thought leaders.
Exclusive Offer from Regency Chess: In celebration of our partnership with Heywood House Talks, Regency Chess is offering a chance to win two Saturday tickets, valued at £250. These tickets grant access to three remarkable talks and include a delightful lunch. To enter the giveaway, simply follow Regency Chess on Facebook and comment ‘Saturday’ on the Heywood House Talks post.
This is more than just a literary festival; it’s a gathering of ideas, a symposium of the curious, and a celebration of the written word. We invite you to join us for a weekend of intellectual exploration and cultural delight.
Why is Chess not an Olympic sport? Will it ever be?
Chess is a recognised and watched game, all over the world, but chess is not included in the Olympic games. There are many reasons for this, which I will break down in this post. Over 100 countries in the world officially recognise Chess as a sport, even the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially recognises it as one, but there are still many countries in the world that do not, including the UK but there are ongoing petitions to change this and make chess a recognised sport by Sport England.
Why is chess not suitable for the Olympics?
As I mentioned, there are many reasons why Chess is not suitable for the Olympic games. I believe the most notable reason is related to viewership. The Olympics mostly hosts games that are exciting to watch, and most people can follow them and understand what is going on – this would not be the case for the world watching chess games in the Olympics, for inexperienced viewers it would be near impossible to understand who is winning, or what is going on.
Chess games typically last for a long time, whereas Olympic games are usually over within minutes or even seconds. Although, the modern Chess world has introduced variations of the game such as ‘Rapid Chess’ and ‘Blitz Chess’. These versions of the games make Chess a much faster game, whilst still requiring significant mental talent, if not more. Is this enough to feature Chess in the Olympics?
Another arguable reason would be that Chess is not a physical sport and doesn’t require physical talent – However this does not mean that Chess is a talentless game. The games in the Olympics require strength, speed or agility meanwhile Chess requires a great deal of mental intelligence and foresight. Although chess may not fit the criteria as a physical sport, I do believe that its competitiveness can make it a worthy game for the Olympics.
What about chess boxing?
In 1992 an idea was created by Enki Bilal, a match that combined Chess and Boxing into one; Chessboxing. There is even a report that a match like this took place in a boxing club in London in 1979. The game requires considerable talent in both chess and boxing, and it’s relatively small following makes it quite a niche market. Do I think that Chess boxing should be in the Olympics? Probably not, but that doesn’t mean it’s unpopular, in fact it has been a growing topic for a long time, and the first international club match took place in 2011. Since then, there has been the creation of a World Chess Boxing Championship, and more competitions alike. Like many sports, Chessboxing tournaments took a hit during the pandemic, but they have come back and are still being hosted to this day.
Does chess have its own Olympics?
Whilst chess is not included in the Olympics, it does have its own tournaments that bring in a lot of international attention. The most recognised tournament is of course organized by the FIDE, which is the international chess federation. Every two years they host a Chess Olympiad, which allows the best players from around the world to compete for the number one title. The Chess Olympiad has a similar style to the Olympics, but it solely focuses on chess skills and not any other sport. The 45th Chess Olympiad is being hosted this year in Budapest, in September.
To conclude the blog, there are certainly good reasons for chess not being included in the Olympic games, but there are also arguments as to why it could be. It is an ongoing discussion and for all we know, we may see it introduced to the Olympics in the future. Would you watch Chess in the Olympics?
Ebony has been prized for its density, dark colour and high sheen when polished since the beginning of recorded history, and remains one of the most sought after woods to use in the production of luxury chess pieces. However, this popularity, combined with the ebony tree’s rarity and the unusually long time it takes to reach maturity, have led to values of the wood reaching levels that may make its future use for chess pieces unviable, except at ultra-luxury price points. This, then, begs the question: are ebony chess pieces a good investment?
Why is Ebony So Expensive?
Ebony’s high price – many times more than common woods such as white oak – is the result of a combination of factors on the demand and supply sides. Its extremely high density (some varieties are so dense that they won’t float in water) and decorative nature have meant that it is highly sought after for use in a range of applications, from musical instruments to religious artefacts such as crucifixes.
On the supply side, ebony trees have historically been over-harvested in many countries, leaving relatively low numbers of the slow-maturing trees available for future generations to utilize. The trees themselves are fairly small, typically growing to no more than nine metres in height, and, as they don’t respond well to competition with other trees or plants, tend not to be densely packed. These factors, combined with the fact that the most desirable, darkest wood, comes from trees that are a century or more old, severely restrict supply.
Is Availability of Ebony Decreasing?
Several varieties of ebony are now extinct and Diospyros crassiflora, often known as Gabon ebony, African ebony, West African ebony, or Benin ebony, is listed as vulnerable under criteria A4c of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The majority of the world’s ebony trees are located in developing countries in Africa and Asia. The combination of attractively high prices for the wood, and high levels of poverty in these countries has often resulted in unsustainable, and sometimes illegal, harvesting of ebony trees. Gabon ebony, for example, has experienced a 50% population reduction in the past three generations, and even varieties that have a relatively stable population, such as Ceylon ebony, have been subject to exploitation restrictions in their native countries.
Whilst ebony as a whole is not currently subject to the kinds of regulations imposed on rosewood by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the current direction of travel for the wood is one of increasing scarcity and further trade restrictions.
What’s the Difference Between Ebony and Ebonised Chess Pieces?
Ebonised
When demand for ebony for use in furniture, decorative objects and musical instruments began to outstrip supply in the 19th century, craftsmen sought a process that would imbue more ubiquitous woods, such as boxwood, with the dark hue of ebony. The most effective mechanism they discovered was ebonizing, which uses the chemical reaction between the wood and an acidic solution to permanently alter the colour of the material. Unlike painting or staining, this alters the tone of the wood at the atomic level, creating a finish that has startling verisimilitude with real ebony. This Video explains the ebonising process and how the very convincing ebony look is achieved.
Ebony
Of course, these pieces don’t attract the same kinds of values or investment potential as those made from actual ebony, but they do represent a more inexpensive entry point for those who appreciate the aesthetics of a traditional chess set.
Will My Ebony Chess Set Increase in Value?
Whilst we can’t guarantee that any investment will appreciate over time, a Staunton set, with the black pieces in ebony, is the most likely of any chess set either to hold its value or become increasingly valuable over time.
The Staunton design is widely recognised as classic from an aesthetic point of view. Ebony sets usually take the basic Staunton features and add extra embellishments, particularly to the knights, which often have exceptionally detailed features. This level of craftsmanship is likely to become more expensive over time, as labour costs in India, where all of the most detailed sets are produced, increase, and the availability of skilled craftsmen declines. Combine these factors with the likelihood that ebony will become increasingly rare over the coming years, and the fact that chess has experienced a sustained upswing in popularity in the last decade, and you have a recipe for rising prices on the new market, which has a similar effect on used prices.
Ultimately, though, a chess set should be purchased with the aim of bringing joy to the individual who owns it. Whether that is through using it to play games or admiring it from an aesthetic viewpoint, its monetary worth will generally be a secondary consideration, albeit, one that can help to justify the initial outlay.
£2,500 ‘Levelling Up’ Chess Tables – Is This the Best Way to Promote Chess?
The British press has been awash lately with stories of councils in the north of England accessing so-called ‘levelling up’ funds from the government to install permanent chess tables in public parks. The initial reaction from the media and many members of the public has been primarily one of incredulity, especially after learning that each chess table costs in the region of £2,500.
One of the new £2500 tables in Hull, UK
What has been lost in this furore over expenditure, however, is whether this is the most effective mechanism to promote chess, and the benefits that it provides to cognitive development, to the public as a whole. Let’s examine the objectives of this particular scheme and determine whether evidence from similar projects in other countries suggests that it will achieve its aims.
What is ‘Levelling Up’?
At this point, for the sake of readers outside the UK, who are likely to have little knowledge of the current UK government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda, it’s probably worth defining exactly what is meant by this phrase, and why it has led to funds being made available for installing these chess tables.
Two Politicians in the UK promoting ‘Levelling Up’
In basic terms, many politicians perceive there to be a significant north/south split in England, with the south of the country (and by this, they mean, predominantly London and its surrounding counties) being significantly wealthier than the north, where de-industrialisation has been a major factor in creating pockets of poverty. The ‘levelling up’ agenda is a response to this disparity in average earnings and productivity between the north and south, and makes funds available for a variety of infrastructure projects that aim to address this.
The money available for chess tables falls within the Levelling Up Parks Fund, which aims to improve access to quality green space and associated facilities within deprived areas. It should be noted that this is being provided in tandem with a wider £1,000,000 package to support primary school children in disadvantaged areas to learn and play chess, and to fund players who are competing at an international level.
The proverbial elephant in the room is the cost of each chess table – £2,500. Whilst this might seem excessive, it should be remembered that permanent concrete structures that are designed to withstand years of use and weathering from rain, wind and snow, are never inexpensive. A cursory trawl of the internet reveals that concrete tables of the kind installed in countless New York parks retail at $1,700 each, excluding installation costs. A recent BBC article on the subject highlighted critics of the scheme who cited the cost as their main objection.
Chess tables in Central Park New York
Is anybody actually using the tables?
The more pertinent question, then, is whether the presence of these tables encourages more people to play chess. Antonia Hoyle’s investigation in a recent article for The Telegraph seemed to suggest not; she visited Pearson Park in Hull, and was unable to find a single member of the public who would agree to play with her. However, had she travelled to a similar site in a New York park, she would have struggled even to gain access to a table, such is their popularity. Is it just the case that the people of Hull and New York are so dissimilar that what works in one city is anathema to another?
I don’t believe this is the case, and I think the reasons are twofold. First, any new venture or idea will take time to capture the public’s imagination; to proclaim something a failure after only a few days is to ignore the fact that many activities are slow burners and take months or years to gain popularity gradually. In relation to this, New York has had chess tables in many of its parks for over 70 years, allowing their use to grow organically over multiple decades. It’s likely that many decried the cost of their installation in the 1950s, yet today they are seen as a cultural landmark, and have featured in numerous films and TV series.
Of course, one potential barrier to use is the fact that chess boards require pieces in order for games to be played. This is, perhaps, another reason why the efficacy of the project shouldn’t be judged after a few weeks; using a chess table for an actual game of chess requires a certain amount of pre-planning, as few of us happen to carry around a full set of pieces on a regular basis!
Perhaps more useful for those who don’t own a chess set, will be the installation of garden sets in parks where the logistics can be managed by the park’s café. Although sometimes dismissed as gimmicky, garden chess represents a route into the game that is especially appealing to children, who enjoy the novelty of an oversized board and pieces.
So, could this funding be used in other, more efficient ways, to promote chess? Perhaps, but this is to ignore the fact that this is an ‘in addition to’ rather than an ‘instead of’ pot of cash. Other funds are being made available to promote the uptake of chess in primary school via more traditional mechanisms. The chess table programme is part of a funding scheme ring-fenced for capital projects, and it’s difficult to see how this could be diverted to any chess-related activity other than the current proposition.
Ultimately, this project may be more about visibility than anything else. In recent years the maxim ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ has been used as a rallying call by those who wish to see greater diversity of gender, race and sexuality in businesses, sports and politics. This can be equally applied to the world of chess; if the game has more presence in the popular consciousness, even if it’s only through the visibility of public chess boards, this may encourage more people to play it. And that can only be a good outcome.
When a pop star includes passing references to chess in some of their songs, it’s not usually a big deal; after all, the game and its terminology have offered a rich vein of metaphors for songwriters to exploit over the years, making terms such as ‘checkmate’ or ‘pawn’ commonplace in the lyrics of modern music. If the pop star is the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift, however, with a legion of fans avidly deciphering the precise meaning of each of her words, and she has also commissioned a giant chess board to form a centrepiece on the set of her record-breaking world tour, maybe it’s time to take notice. Chess is back in vogue and this time it’s cool.
The Quens Gambit effect
Image: CHARLIE GRAY/NETFLIX)
Of course, this is not altogether surprising. The 2020 Netflix miniseries, The Queen’s Gambit, which follows the exploits of fictional grandmaster, Beth Harmon, clocked up an enormous 64 million account viewers in its first month of airing, and, with its sumptuous mid-century aesthetic, made chess both sexy and popular. As any chess retailer will tell you, this led to dramatically increased sales, as demand multiplied by as much as a factor of ten in just a few weeks, following the release of the show.
BBC revamp old chess TV show
So, it is against a backdrop of greatly increased interest in the game that the BBC has announced the revival of its chess show – a programme that last aired on the channel in 1983 under the title, The Master Game, and which will now be known as Chess Masters. The new show will involve participants from a wide range of backgrounds and age groups competing in a series of rapid chess games, with the winner being crowned ‘Chess Master’.
The original series was known for its innovative (for the time) use of graphics and commentary, so it is expected that Chess Masters will build on this legacy to create an accessible and engaging format. Full details are currently scarce, but the show has the support of the English Chess Federation and its Director of International Chess and External Relations, Malcolm Pein, and will air in 2025.
Taylor Swift fans hanging onto every word she sings, even words she doesn’t…
Image: Billboard via Getty Images
Interestingly, Pein was the subject of a Twitter based wind-up initiated by chess streamer WCM Tallulah Roberts, who, in a tweet, jokingly appended some chess moves to the lyrics of a recent Taylor Swift song, together with the line, ‘omg I can’t believe these are real lyrics from the new Taylor Swift album’. Pein referenced this information in the press release for the show without realising the joke, leading to swathes of people trawling in vain through Tortured Poets Department lyrics (actual chess references are, in fact, present in previous Swift songs and in her current tour aesthetics, as mentioned above).
Commissioning editors in the television industry are keen to spot a trend, and rarely put their necks on the line creating a show without first having a firm grasp of potential audience numbers. Two metrics that will have caught their attention are the number of people viewing Twitch chess streams (an average of 16,000 viewers per day in 2021), and the number of downloads of chess apps, with the Chess.com app having been the most popular free game on the IOS app store in February 2023. Celebrity endorsements of chess in recent months from the likes of Lily Cole, Madonna and Anthony Joshua will have further elevated its profile within popular culture.
Chess back on our screens
It seems, then, that chess is heading towards a position within society that it last attained during the 1970s, when Bobby Fischer became embedded in the popular consciousness, thanks to his famous battle against Boris Spassky at the height of the Cold War.
It may be pertinent, at this point, to ask whether this is an unreservedly positive development for current players and fans of the game. Popularity is often lauded as a beneficial quality, but it is not without its downsides. In the six months immediately following the release of The Queen’s Gambit, for example, demand for chess sets, pieces and boards greatly outstripped supply, leaving many enthusiasts either struggling to locate the exact items they wished to purchase, or having to join long waiting lists.
Will this cause another surge in chess set sales?
It must be remembered, however, that the Queen’s Gambit demand-side spike was not wholly a consequence of the success of the show; increased disposable income that resulted from lockdown restrictions in 2020 was also a major factor. As such, the current upwards movement of interest in the game feels much more organic and manageable from a retailer’s perspective. It is unlikely that a repeat of 2020 is on the cards, even with celebrity endorsements of the game and chess-related TV shows being made.
For many years a range of chess players, from amateurs to international grandmasters, have been decrying the lack of coverage of chess in the mainstream media; perhaps now is the moment when it can take centre stage.
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