content creator appreciation post
A recent thread about toxicity here got me thinking that, deep down, all appropriate and inappropriate criticism aside, I have a lot of appreciation for these content creator that took a game I’ve loved for most of my life and turned it into a global phenomenon.
I'm too old to be the parasocial type and I don't know much about their private life and any objectional things they might have done, so I'm sorry if I'm clueless about a lot of that, but I wanted to invite other to share something they love about these people that make chess feel more alive and relevant than I can ever remember or ever had thought possible.
In no particular order:
Ben Finegold: Might be the first chess creator I remember from his lessons at St Louis. his ability to turn repetitive dad jokes into legitimate teaching tools is legendary. You laugh at the same line for the hundredth time and then realize, annoyingly, that you now actually remember the principle. You find yourself losing a game thinking "that's why you never play f3... guess itS' time to cry like a grandmaster."
Levy: Polarizing figure, sure, but he understood better than anyone that chess is fucking fascinating. He captured that excitement and made it his brand. HE''s better than anyone at making chess accessible, not by dumbing it down, but by making a game between two people you’ve never heard of feel like something you absolutely need to see. People that don't even know chess watch an hour-long recap of the candidates and all of the sudden, they are a chess fan.
Hikaru: One of the best ever gave the world just gave us court-side seat into his chess intuition. There’s something uniquely valuable about watching his thought process as he dismiss 5 moves in 2 seconds, draws 17 arrows, and still explain enough that you can begin to understand why.
Botez sisters: I haven't seen a lot of there stuff and what I have seen was mostly before Andrea was a regular, but I feel like they are teh first that really made chess feel like social content. Alex showed us the hidden side of chess too, the anger than can come with blundering a piece, the insecurity of feeling like you'll never be good enough, but also all the work that goes into being a 2000+ fide. I know they weren’t the first women in chess media, obviously, but they proved that women could be at the absolute centre of the online chess world. The space feels much less unusual for women now, and I think they deserve real credit for helping make that happen.
Eric Rosen: For showing that calmness can be a form of comedy, that we can laugh at ourself and still be a force to be reckoned with. Nobody else can hang a queen, whisper “oh no,” and somehow leave you unsure whether you’re witnessing a disaster, a trap, or both. In a world a big personality and confrontation, Rosen is a moment of zen that heals the worried mind. When rozman screams with excitement, Rosen whispers a quite laughter.
Anna Cramling: For making me want to share chess with my son. The content with Pia and Anna's dad (sorry, the name escape me) captures something rare: chess not just as competition or improvement, but as a culture passed down. It makes me look forward to playing with my son and sharing this love. Also, she's better than anyone at bringing laugher and positivity to a game that can too often feel serious and cruel.
The big streamers that included chess in their rotations (Ludwig, MoistCritical, Tyler1, etc.): I don't know them well, but I know Ludwig helped make chess feel like a genuine internet event for the most unlikely of fans. I've seen so many kids that want to play chess because of him. (though I guess they are older now... time flies!)
I had the chance to see Charlie give us one of the most unexpectedly great complicity with Danya. The dry humour, Charlie’s willingness to look completely ridiculous, and Danya playing along with the weirdly vulgar and awkward questions about which move gives the most BDE. I don't know how much of it was just content, but it felt like watching the weirdest friendship form over the board.
Daniel Naroditsky: The professor, the boy-genius, the goat. He was sharp, gentle, funny... his ability to never making you feel stupid for not seeing what he saw is something I aspire to. Plenty of strong players can explain a position after the fact. Danya had the much rarer gift of reconstructing the thought process from where you were standing. He didn’t just show better moves, he made people feel capable of finding them. I don’t think online chess education will ever be quite the same without him.