While not as widely followed as during its lockdown-era renaissance, Chess still enjoyed a solid 2024, culminating in a record world championship encounter. There were numerous events to keep fans satiated throughout the year, led by series like the Grand Chess Tour and the Champions Chess Tour.
There were also multiple competitions from Chess.com, including streamer-led events, that kept the game in the collective conscience of fans and players globally throughout last year. The likes of Hikaru Nakamura, Anna Cramling, and Sergei Shipov also had busy years, helping take the game and its unique tournaments to different parts of the world.
Most Watched Chess Events in 2024
The number one competition in terms of watch time throughout last year is Chess' most prestigious one. The 2024 FIDE World Championship notched almost 13 million Hours Watched over around 67 hours of airtime as India's D Gukesh and defending champion Ding Liren went all the way in a tense 14-game series. In the end, it was the former who created history, becoming the sport's youngest world champion and the second player from India, after the legendary Vishwanathan Anand, to etch his name in the history books.
Next comes the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournaments 2024, which acted as a qualifier for the world championship. Gukesh made history here as well, becoming the youngest ever to win this prestigious event, having entered as the second youngest player ever to compete. The field of eight participants was pretty stacked as well, as the likes of Nakamura, GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Alireza Firouzja, and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi competed to earn the right to face world champion Liren later in the year.
Third is the Speed Chess Championship 2024, which Chess.com labels as its "most elite blitz and bullet event" and features the strongest speed chess players in the world. This edition was the first to host the Finals live as thousands gathered at the ESpot Internet cafe in Paris, France, to watch World No 1 GM Magnus Carlsen ease past Firouzja 23.5 : 7.5.
The 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2024 finished as the fourth most-watched chess event of the year with 3.75 million HW as India took home the Open and Women's championships. In the process, it became the third nation to clinch both tournaments at the Olympiad after the Soviet Union and China. Interestingly, Nakamura chose to cover the tournament on his Kick channel instead of participating, leading to more speculation about what his future in chess might look like.
Rounding off the podium is the Norway Chess 2024, one of the biggest events in the sport that saw six top players from around the globe battle it out. In the end, it was the home favorite Carlsen who emerged as the victor, clinching his sixth trophy out of 12 editions held so far. A 59th major career title also meant that this Chess event ended as the most popular one in the series and the first to cross the 100PV mark.
Among other competitions to make this top ten are two more FIDE World events in the form of the Blitz and Rapid Championships. There was also the Tata Steel Chess 2024, conducted annually in India, with Chinese GM Wei Yi claiming the title to enter the world's top 10 for the first time.
The Champions Chess Tour Finals 2024 came in the eighth spot as Carlsen sealed a fifth consecutive CCT title by defeating Nepomniachtchi 4-1. Last but not least is the innovative Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge 2024, an eight-player over-the-board classical Chess960 tournament held in February 2024.
