Chessmen Shake Off Dust of Neglect
Ancient and Honorable Game of Combat, Which Has a History of Thirteen Centuries, Returns to Popularity
Chess was surging in 1925, said a New York Times Magazine article. According to Google Books, the word “chess” reached its lowest usage in 1918, rising from then through 1925… and pretty much ever since.
In 1925, journalist Steuart M. Emery wrote of the then-current phenomenon. (And no, that’s not a typo: his name was actually spelled “Steuart.”)
The ancient and honorable game of chess, according to current indications, is on the upgrade again after a temporary lapse in popularity. Not long ago the chess rooms in various cities were scantily filled, their playing boards lonely monuments to a pastime that was once the delight of kings and philosophers. But the situation has changed. The boards in New York’s half dozen chess clubs find eager combatants gathered around them; there are contests between teams of different leagues; the king and the rook have even invaded certain colorful restaurants where patrons pit their wits against each other.
Google Books Ngram Viewer lets you chart the use of any word or phrase in books over time. From 1800 through 2019, the lowest year for the word “chess” was only seven years before that 1925 article: 1918. Then it slowly started picking up. And it never really stopped. By 2019, the word’s use reached its highest level since 1859.
Why was chess apparently so popular in 1859? Beats me. If anybody has an insight as to why, please post it in the comments.
Chessmen Shake Off Dust of Neglect: Ancient and Honorable Game of Combat, Which Has a History of Thirteen Centuries, Returns to Popularity
Published: Sunday, December 13, 1925