For International Chess Day, we created something special to capture the beauty of this game - just for you. ▶ Press play and enjoy in full screen.

If you've never played, there's no better time. If you haven't played in a while, you know what to do.

Chess is, and always has been, a game for the ages. ♟️

Why July 20th?

July 20th, 1924. A group of chess enthusiasts gathered in Paris and founded FIDE - the international governing body of chess. The date stuck. International Chess Day has been celebrated every year since 1966, first proposed by UNESCO, and officially recognised by the United Nations in 2019.

Today FIDE has 201 member federations. Over 600 million people play chess regularly. Same board, same rules, everywhere in the world. As FIDE's own motto puts it - Gens Una Sumus. We are one family.

A Game Without Barriers

One of the most beautiful things about chess is that it belongs to everyone. It does not matter how old you are, where you come from, what language you speak, or whether you move, hear, or see the world in the same way as the person across from you. Chess does not require speed, strength, or physical advantage.

The rules are the same, the board is the same, and every player begins with the same pieces. A child can sit across from a grandparent, a beginner can challenge an expert, and for a little while, everything outside the board falls away. Chess simply invites you to make the next move.

Every year on International Chess Day, the message is the same: teach someone how to play. Just sit down with someone who has never played and show them how the pieces move. It takes ten minutes. What happens after that is up to them.

Never played yourself? Our Beginner's Guide is the best place to start. And if you want to take it further, learning to read and write chess notation opens up a whole new world - every game ever played, recorded and waiting to be explored. And if you get hooked, we asked a professional chess coach how to actually get better - read what he had to say.

Is Chess Trending Right Now?

Chess has been around for over 1,500 years. It has outlasted empires, wars, and every trend that promised to replace it. But something has shifted in the last few years - and if you've noticed more people talking about chess, you're not imagining it.

The Queen's Gambit brought millions of new players to the game overnight. Online chess exploded during the pandemic and never really came back down. A new generation of fans followed Magnus Carlsen - the world's number one player - not just for his chess, but for his personality.

Magnus has also been one of the driving forces behind Freestyle Chess - a reimagining of a format Bobby Fischer invented that is finding a whole new audience today. Chess has no shortage of ways to play - Bughouse being one of the most entertaining, a team variant where the pieces never stop moving never goes out of style.

Even AI has chess at its centre. The story of computers learning to play - from the Mechanical Turk to Deep Blue to AlphaZero - is one of the most fascinating in the history of technology. We covered the whole story here - it's a good one.

Chess isn't trending. It never stopped. It is the most popular board game in history.

Ready to Play?

The biggest misconception about chess is that you need to be half a genius to play. Or have exceptional memory. Or be good at math. This is not true. Chess is for everyone who is curious. Just bring your curiosity, sprinkle in a bit of patience, and a dash of humility - the losses will come, and that's part of it.

We at Chess World think chess is best enjoyed in 3D. With no screens. On a beautiful chessboard with your friends and family. With some laughter and a few actual facepalms.

The games are just as meaningful on a $50 chessboard as on a $1500 one. We can't help you with the patience or the humility. But we can help with the board!

Helping you find the perfect chess set is our mission:

 

1) Best Seller for Aussie homes: Double Weighted Pieces & Silicone Roll Up Board Bundle

★★★★★ "I wish I had bought this set sooner!" John

 

2) Back in Stock: Tournament Classic Wooden Chess Set 

★★★★★ "This chess set is absolutely wonderful It is exactly what I was looking for At only $199 I couldn't believe my eyes." Richard

 

3) Top Pick for Travel: Flip Magnetic Travel Chess Set (various sizes)

★★★★★ "I bought this set to take camping and its perfect. Good size with quality pieces - I would recommend." Matt

 

4) Fan Favourite Gift: Green Onyx & White Marble Chess Set

★★★★★ "Absolutely amazing product - it is beautiful. And super speedy shipping." Matt

 5) Just landed: Battle of Waterloo Chess Set with Alabaster Board