Chess players on ice

We are what we do. Alas, in its zeal to suppress the virus, this government would have many people doing not very much. Since March, many musicians, actors, sportspeople and more have had precious few opportunities to perform. In his 2008 book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell claimed that the hundreds of live performances played by the Beatles in Hamburg 1960-1962 were a key ingredient in their later success. If he is right, 2020 marks a daunting setback for countless aspiring artists. Government handouts can mitigate the long-term damage to their careers, but they cannot possibly make them whole.

Chess is in the same boat: it’s a communal activity where performance and practice are central. This is particularly true for developing players, for whom over-the-board play is where the rubber meets the road. Poring over a game of classical chess for hours feels intimate and meaningful. Losing hurts: the experience itself is the teacher, as when you fall off a bicycle.