Chess is art (or not...)
In this world there are two kinds of people. Those that believe that chess is art, and others that do not.
If you think that it isn’t, I respect you, but this website is not for you.
It’s not difficult to find on internet some webs selling imitation chess, plastic, imported, made in China or India, sold at ridiculous prices and always very cheap.
I anticipate this.
In these markets will try to sell you a kind of book to learn the thousands of opening moves that your brother-in-law seems to have mastered, or an online course given by a down-at-heel ex-grandmaster, with the promise of making you become the new Magus Carlsen as if by magic, in less time than you spend doing a scholar’s mate.
They must be joking!
But if you really believe that chess is art, then stay. Maybe what I’m going to explain could be of interest to you.
First of all, I want to let you know that you are not alone.
Hundreds of real people with names and surnames think like you.
What is more, the best legends of history have also believed this.
The Cuban José Raúl Capablanca, considered the greatest natural talent of this game, once said: “Chess is undoubtedly the same kind of art as painting or sculpture”.
Also the mythic Bobby Fisher, in a moment of sobriety (or not), stated: “Chess is certainly an art, although I did not think about it”.
Other historical players like Mikhail Tal, Mikhail Botvinnik or Anatoly Karpov also had something to say about it. If you don’t believe me, you can Google it.
After reading these quotes you may think that to make chess become an art, you have to be an amazingly cracking player.
This is not true and I’m going to tell you a secret: I’m chronically bad at playing chess!
However, I love playing chess and I think that when talking about chess, art goes far beyond player’s level.
The art in chess is winning a game against your best friend as if you were participating in Sevilla 87 World Championship.
Art is in gifting the handcrafted chess set that your father has wanted all his life for his birthday, and personalising it with his name and date of birth.
Art is to be the envy of your guests when they see the set made with premium woods that you have displayed in the living room of your house.
Art is buying your son a set that equals the excitement that he shows when he plays against his friend at school.
Art is becoming Beth Harmon from The Queen’s Gambit and beating the Russian Basily Borgov in the finals in Moscow in 1968.
Okay, it’s just a series, but for heaven’s sake… who has never dreamed?
If you believe that chess is an art like me, welcome to Chess Is Art.
PS: remember that hundreds of real people with names and surnames think like you.