IST 605: The Queen's Gambit - A History of the Recent Chess Boom

Remember when The Queen's Gambit hit Netflix and everyone started talking chess? In late 2020, 62 million households tuned in to watch Beth Harmon's fictional rise, and real-life chess interest exploded, almost overnight. Chess sets sold out (one toy company saw a 1,048% jump in sales!), and online chess platforms gained millions of new players (Ulaby, 2020). Suddenly, folks who had never played were asking to start a game, and veteran players welcomed a fresh wave of competition and eager learners.

This guide is a friendly starting point for exploring why chess is booming again. Gathered here are resources for beginners and seasoned players alike, covering everything from the cultural impact of The Queen's Gambit to the game's rich history. You will find sources on the recent chess craze, the centuries of history and tradition riding behind it, the role of women in chess (Beth Harmon is not the only woman making waves!), chess in popular culture, and even tips on how to start playing. Whether you were inspired by the TV drama, intrigued by chess culture, or itching to learn your first moves, there is something here for you. Enjoy the journey and happy checkmating!

There are also plenty of general databases to find chess-related content. Although, you will need some good search strategies to find it! Try checking out these free databases:

1. Google Scholar — A freely accessible search engine that indexes scholarly articles, theses, books, and conference papers from a wide range of disciplines and sources. Great for quick discovery of academic materials.
2. JSTOR — A digital library providing access to thousands of scholarly journals, books, and primary sources across the humanities, social sciences, and more. Ideal for historical and peer-reviewed research. 
3. Project MUSE — A database offering full-text access to high-quality humanities and social science journals and books from university presses and scholarly societies. Especially strong in literature, cultural studies, and education.

Here are some recommended search strategies for browsing these general databases effectively:

• Start broad, then narrow:
  Begin with a simple keyword like “chess” to explore the general scope of content. From there, use filters (date, subject, peer-reviewed, full text) to refine results based on your needs.

• Use quotation marks for phrases: 
  Searching for "Queen's Gambit" will yield more accurate results than typing Queen's Gambit without quotes.

• Combine Keywords with Boolean Operators:
  Use AND to combine ideas (e.g., chess AND gender), OR to include synonyms (e.g., media OR television), and NOT to exclude terms (e.g., chess NOT "video game").

• Explore Subject Terms and Abstracts:
  Once you find a relevant article, use its subject terms or abstract to uncover more precise terminology for follow-up searches.

• Search Within Specific Fields:
  In advanced search, limit keywords to the title, abstract, or subject fields to return more relevant results.

• Use Database-Specific Tools:
  JSTOR’s topic filter, Project MUSE’s academic discipline filters, and Google Scholar’s “cited by” feature can help trace the scholarly conversation around chess-related topics.

If you know what you are looking for or want to explore chess-only databases, check these out for some deep research!

• Chessgames.com — massive, searchable archive of historical and modern games, complete with chess community discussions. It's fun to explore master games and read “kibitzer” comments for added insight.

Search Tip: Use the advanced search to filter by player or event and save favorites to your account to find related content. Help

• 365Chess.com — largest online chess game database, great for researching openings and famous matches. You can make a free account to bookmark games and track your study.

Search Tip: Use the “opening explorer” to see win rates and trends by move. Help

• ChessBase Online (Live Database) — professional-grade online search tool with millions of games and weekly updates. You can make a free account for cloud saves and extra features.

Search Tip: Try searching by player, event, or moves, and use the “live book” feature for stats and recommendations. Help

• Chess Life and Chess Review Digital Archives (US Chess Federation) — free digital archive offers full PDFs of Chess Life and Chess Review magazines dating back decades. It's a treasure trove for exploring historical articles, interviews, and analyses. These are all considered primary sources in chess journalism.

Search Tip: Use the built-in PDF search to find names, openings, or topics across issues. Help