4SE Material: When Did Chess Become Cool?: Changing Perceptions of the World’s Most Played Sport

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We investigate the boom in popularity of the game and pinpoint when it became a phenomenon.

4SE Material is a new podcast series in which we explore some of the many stories at the intersection of four key pillars: sport, entertainment, lifestyle and culture.

In this first episode, we cast our eyes towards the chess world to tell the story of the historical and ongoing popularity of the game. When exactly did the reputation of the game go from purely academic, and somewhat stuffy, to cool and accessible?

Throughout the episode, Leaders' Jade Amies seeks to answer these questions by exploring the game’s universal appeal, the role that technology has played in its growth, and the momentous increase in participation throughout the pandemic, particularly following the release of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. And we did so with the help of Malcolm Pein, International Master and former professional chess player, now International Director of the English Chess Federation (ECF); Emil Sutovsky, Grandmaster and Director-General of chess world governing body, Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE); and Henrik Carlsen, Board Member of the Play Magnus Group and father five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen.

This podcast is brought to you by 4SE, in association with our founding partners, Constellation Brands and Nielsen, and in collaboration with Leaders’ sister companies SportTechie and Sports Business Journal. 4SE is a collection of social and content experiences for leaders seeking to explore the growing intersection between those four pillars, and create opportunities to align and collaborate. Our pilot event experience took place with a select group of executives from sport and entertainment back in May. It’s set to become an annual fixture every year, with our big launch to take place in May 2023 in New York City. For more information, please visit http://www.4-se.com.

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