Chess has seen a redefinition of sorts over the past few years, and it is one of the few positives to come out of the bleak COVID-19 pandemic era, at least in terms of esports and streaming. This rise means that today, it attracts millions of eyeballs, which was not the case even half a dozen years ago, and that is possible due to names like Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, and, of course, Chess.com, which has completely changed the ancient sports’ perception in the eyes of millions globally.
Users can now get analytics about the ancient game on ChessWatch, including info on event viewership analytics, influencer performance, custom solutions, and much more. Those who want to leverage data to unveil online chess potential and increase viewership performance can go here.
Most watched Chess channels in July 2023
In July, these streamers went live to broadcast different types of chess content, including official tournaments, streamer competitions, and special events that brought together celebrities, players, and content creators. PogChamps 5, Bullet Chess Championship 2023 - Main Event, and Arena Kings were some of the competitions that these prominent names participated in, giving fans of the sport a lot to look forward to.
Number one is the undisputed Hikaru Nakamura, who has been the face of the rebirth of chess in the 2020s, with 731K Hours Watched. The American current world number two continues to be successful in the sport and is currently participating in the tenth FIDE World Cup, where his last game was a draw with the spirited Karthik Venkataraman from India.
Second is GMNaroditsky, who has made a name for himself as an author, commentator, streamer, and chess celebrity. His real name is Daniel Naroditsky and he is a former World Youth Chess Champion. The American has also delved into coaching, which is one of the focal points of his streams and has helped him climb high up this list.
Next is akaNemsko, the 'Woman Grandmaster who travels the world playing chess and poker.' Her real name is Qiyu Zhou and she is a Chinese-born Canadian currently holding the titles of Woman Grandmaster and FIDE Master. She has competed for her country of residence at the Women's Chess Olympiad since 2014 and won the Canadian women's championship in 2016.
Levy Rozman, more popularly known online as GothamChess, is fourth on this leaderboard. The American, who calls himself 'The Internet's Chess Teacher,' is an International Master and commentator. He even has his own website where he creates chess courses that fans, players, and users can try out to test their aptitude and knowledge.
Rounding off the top five is none other than Magnus Carlsen, the World No 1 and perhaps the greats chess player ever. Of course, with such an accolade comes a million fans and enthusiasts who tune into his every game, every move as they look to mimic their favorite chess player and become better at a game that is most certainly in demand right now.
The last five names are a mixture of names from Europe and North America, with four being female: BotezLive, AnnaCramling, AlessiaSanteramo, and DinaBelenkaya. While most of these personalities are professional chess players who are even FIDE masters or host a chess show as a duo, the outlier is xQc.
The Canadian Twitch megastar is known to pull in thousands of viewers with every stream, and he was able to do with same with the chess audience. His was last month's most popular chess broadcast, registering 57K PV, with LOUD's Coringa in second despite streaming for just ten minutes in July.
Most watched Chess organization channels in July 2023
Chess.com's Twitch and YouTube Gaming combine to form the top two on this list, registering 969K HW and 360K HW, respectively, to cross 1.3M HW in total. This organization and its streaming channels have been the biggest reasons for the sports' renaissance, and with the way it is functioning, the future only looks brighter.
Third is BlitzStream, which also happens to be the number one chess website in France. Created by the country's most-watched chess streamer and National Master Kevin Bordi, it is dedicated to the sport, with users finding live blitz with commentary and educative videos to help them improve their chess skills.
Next is chess24, an internet chess server available in eleven languages, including English, and established by German grandmaster Jan Gustafsson and Bolivian pro Enrique Guzman in 2014. Again, users can play, learn, and watch live tournament action, making this one of the premier destinations for lovers of the game worldwide.
ChesscomPL is fifth, with this Polish version of the official Chess.com channel on Twitch perhaps being one of the most popular non-English channels for the game. The site has over 100M members from around the world, and they play chess online for free or have fun playing with friends or challenging the computer.
The next five entries consist of the Polish version of Chess.com on YouTube and chess24's Twitch handle. Sixth is TCEC_Chess_TV, the official page for Top Chess Engine Championship, a computer chess tournament organized and maintained by Chessdom in cooperation with Chessdom Arena.
ChessKid, the online chess portal for children, is ninth thanks to its promise to provide tactics, puzzles, videos, lessons, and more in a 100% safe environment. Last is chessbrah, one of the most popular chess channels on Twitch and YouTube hosted by Canadian grandmaster and commentator Eric Hansen alongside countryman and GM Aman Hambleton.
