Computer age has been notable in its contribution to the democratization of chess

Shelby Lyman on Chess: Chess Everywhere
Sunday, April 19, 2015

The computer age has been notable in its contribution to the democratization of chess.

The availability of inexpensive computer players and easy access to software for the downloading and reviewing of games — only seconds or minutes after they have been played — have leveled the chess playing field.

Web-available analysis by elite players and the growing multiplicity of strong international tournaments are also factors.

Geography and national origin are no longer the trumps they once were. Individual predilection and motivation have taken center stage.

How else is one to account for the success of such players as Magnus Carlsen, of Norway, and Wesley So, of the Philippines, or even Hikaru Nakamura, of the U.S., each of whom has had to look, for the most part, outside his national boundaries for top-notch competition and inspiration?

A look at the recent FIDE rating list of the top players confirms the trend.

Individual players from 16 different countries are currently listed among the top 20 players in the world, including four from Russia (one, Sergey Karjakin, originally a native Ukrainian grandmaster) and two from the U.S. (including So, only recently registered as a U.S. player).

From the perspective of the pre-computer era, when 30 percent or 40 percent of those among the top group were from the Soviet Union, the change in the chess landscape is remarkable.

Full article here.