Sannah: Media Alters The Presentation of Chess

“In the initial moments of mentioning that I am a chess player, there are always these awkward giggles and smiles that appear on people's faces. The “Wow! Really? That is SO cool” in specific tones that sound sarcastic but expect you to be okay with it.”

BY Sannah Kumar
FIORELLO H. LAGUARDIA HIGH SCHOOL OF MUSIC & ART AND PERFORMING ARTS
HER LEAGUE COACH & HER NEWS COLUMNIST

fineartamerica.com

In the initial moments of mentioning that I am a chess player, there are always these awkward giggles and smiles that appear on people's faces. The “Wow! Really? That is SO cool” in specific tones that sound sarcastic but expect you to be okay with it. Throughout the 8 years of my life as a chess player, I don't think I have come across one normal reaction. By “normal” I mean reactions like the ones you get mentioning things like sports that require physical activity in general. And to be frank, I have also kind of played along with it. I myself attach negative and awkward qualities associated with chess whenever I mention it because that is how others speak of it. I have adapted to play along with the common nerdy and unhip qualities attributed to chess. It's all fun and games until these nuances and attached labels of chess start to become restrictive, and push people away from the sophisticated and beautiful game itself. Unfortunately, after conducting a series of interviews with four LaGaurdia high schoolers, I have concluded that the perspective people have on chess has been altered and plastered, often by the movies, television shows, and overall American media we consume.

NY Times

In many movies, chess has been painfully characterized as an activity that only geeks participate in. In many popular high school movies, we revisit that all-too-common lunchroom scene where viewers meet different cliques and are shown the so-called nerds playing chess. They are often portrayed as shy, introverted and socially awkward. These so-called jokes and “innocent” remarks are complicit in manifesting everyone's flawed perception of chess. One profound exception to this is The Queen’s Gambit (2020). This relatively new show has been praised for actively challenging many of these depictions and displaying a powerful female player. Viewers are introduced to Beth, an orphaned girl, who learns to play chess from the janitor in her orphanage. The show follows Beth’s quest to become an elite chess player and her obstacles along the way. Instead of hovering over the surface level features of the game, Queen's Gambit delves deep into the chess player's train of thought when playing a game. The show takes viewers through a roller coaster of thoughts from a very authentic perspective. We get to see all the nitty gritty aspects of playing the game. This authentic representation of chess is important to others’ perception of the game so people can finally see the game for what it really is and feel more welcome playing it. 

Netflix

From my observations, many people see chess as a genius-level, esoteric activity and something only targeted for “smart” people. Many of my friends are unmotivated to take on such activities that are plastered with such labels and expectations. Maya Vaknin, a student at LaGuardia High School, says that “seeing chess on TV makes me feel like it's something I can't really learn how to do.” We see that these simple illustrations of chess can so easily influence viewers such as Maya who have minimal experience with chess. Additionally, I have observed that there has been no effort to present chess as a game for most people. Another one of my fellow schoolmates, Tiffany Columna, says that a lot of media shows chess as “not very commonly played… as if it is not a regular activity.” She expressed that chess is portrayed as a “genius” level activity and requires something she's not capable of giving. Often, humans follow trends. Consequently, if chess is presented as an uncool activity, some may feel less drawn to the sport or feel uncomfortable participating in it. Patricia Gadir, a student at LaGuardia High School, said that she has seen chess portrayed as “lame.” She says that often, in elementary school, when she offered to play chess with her classmates, they would almost always refuse. Patricia’s former classmates would say things like, “What, no, who wants to play chess?” and “It is not fun.” It is interesting to see children as young as 10, like Patricia's former elementary school friends, have a strong opinion on chess. For most of them, the only information being fed to them about chess is through movies, articles and shows. As we have already discussed, most media portrayals of chess don’t do the game justice and that is very unfair. Ari Weinstien, another Laguardia school mate of mine, agrees with this. Ari, an experienced chess player, says, “I don't think chess isn't a nerdy activity; I wish more people tried chess. It activates a unique part of thinking from everyday, not only achieved by nerds… once people try it, their perspective will change.” Ari has played chess for years and has been able to form an opinion on it solely based on playing the game himself; and not based on what he views in the media. He argues that once you try the sport rather than judge it based on its poor presentation, you will discover what the game truly is. 

The Australian Ballet Company

We should separate these inaccurate portrayals and start presenting chess for what it really is: a magnificent and powerful game. I use words like sprohicated, intricate and powerful to describe chess because of the strategic components that make up the game. This game has millions of variations and outcomes that you can never completely be prepared for. However, the beauty of it is that, with the right knowledge, players can calculate several moves and variations without even touching the board. This game is spectacular, so let's do our best to preserve its beauty.

Chess Stack Exchange