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KUALA LUMPUR – As the recent Netflix series ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ rose to number one in 63 countries, chess has seen an increase in popularity around the world especially in America and Europe, but has it had the same effect here in Malaysia?
When The Vibes contacted General Secretary of the Malaysian Chess Federation, Mr. Najib Abdul Wahab, he shared that although the increase of participants competing or individuals picking up chess is not as prominent as our Western counterparts, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ has helped spark conversations around chess.
Wahab has received more calls from businesses and hotels, offering the Chess Federation a venue to hold tournaments. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, chess tournaments have all moved online.
It is a shame that the Malaysian Chess Federation, which has been running on its own, is not given more credit or publicity just because it is not a mainstream sport in the country.
Being ranked 89th in the world, as opposed to our Malaysian football team which is ranked 154th, Malaysian chess players have been steadily producing champions since 1974, with Yeoh Li Tian being the latest champion to bring back Malaysia’s first-ever Rapid Chess gold in the SEA Games last year.
Yet, chess in Malaysia is still just a pawn in this country, a runt compared to all the other sports.
Wahab shared that he understands how chess can be a niche game and might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
“It’s a dry game and only people who play chess can appreciate its complexity. It gets confusing and people tend to get fed up with it”
The level of strategising and skills in a game of chess is not as explicit as the skills seen in physical sports like football, but through a different lens, we start to see the amount of brilliance and excitement a game of chess can conjure as highlighted by YouTube stars The Try Guys.
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is yet another breakthrough for the sport.
The show may not have made a significant increase for chess in Malaysia, but Wahab still holds high respect for the sport as it provides an avenue for kids and individuals who aren’t as comfortable with physical sports to get competitive.
“Chess provides a sense of competitiveness for those who don’t want to play a physical sport. An escape to do something competitive.
“Chess is also associated with intelligence and smart kids, so when they play chess and look smart, it gives them confidence too.”
With or without ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, the Malaysian Chess Federation is confident that they would soon be able to get some funding from the National Sports Council to send athletes for the next major tournament in Vietnam. – The Vibes, November 27, 2020
