Exploring the boom in popularity of the game and pinpointing when it became a phenomenon. 

In this first episode, originally released in August 2022 as part of the Leaders Sport Business Podcast feed, we cast our eyes towards the chess world to tell the story of the historical and ongoing popularity of the game. When exactly did the reputation of the game go from purely academic, and somewhat stuffy, to cool and accessible?

Throughout the episode, we seek to answer these questions by exploring the game’s universal appeal, the role that technology has played in its growth, and the momentous increase in participation throughout the pandemic, particularly following the release of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’. And we did so with the help of Malcolm Pein, International Master and former professional chess player, now International Director of the English Chess Federation (ECF); Emil Sutovsky, Grandmaster and Director-General of chess world governing body, Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE); and Henrik Carlsen, Board Member of the Play Magnus Group and father five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen.

This podcast is brought to you by 4se (pronounced 'force'), a collaboration between Leaders in Sport and our sister companies SportTechie and Sports Business Journal, in association with our partners, Constellation Brands and GMR. 4se is a collection of social and content experiences for leaders seeking to explore the growing intersection between those four key pillars, and create opportunities to align and collaborate.  

Our pilot event experience took place with a select group of executives from sport and entertainment back in May 2022. It’s set to become an annual fixture every year, with our big launch to take place on the 23rd/24th May 2023 in New York City. For more information, please visit the official 4SE website – www.4-se.com