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Berlin, Germany – A recent survey, conducted by YouGov and World Chess, examining the popularity of chess, found that only 3% of Germans could correctly identify the current Chess World Champion.
Despite an estimated 19 million regular and casual players in Germany, the survey showed that only 3% of those surveyed could correctly name China’s Ding Liren as the current champion, after he took the title from Norway’s Magnus Carlsen earlier this year. The survey also observed that 10% believed that Carlsen still held the world champion title.
At the same time, a staggering 65% of survey participants stated that they simply did not know the current champion’s name, a further indication that elite-level chess still carries a relatively low profile compared to other sports.
The survey by research company YouGov and World Chess found that awareness in the UK was even lower, with only 2% able to correctly identify the current World Chess Champion, whilst, similarly to in Germany, 9% thought it was Magnus Carlsen.
Similar trends were observed when respondents were asked about the Champion's country of origin. Only 7% of respondents in the UK and 3% in Germany correctly identified China as the Champion's home country, while 16% in the UK and 11% in Germany erroneously believed the current Champion was from Russia. Norway followed closely, with 8% of respondents in the UK and 10% in Germany incorrectly assuming the Champion hailed from there. These findings indicate a persistent misconception among a growing percentage of individuals who continue to associate the World Champion with Magnus Carlsen.
Another finding in the survey suggests that chess appears to be more popular among the younger generation of both the UK and Germany. Notably, 7% of respondents aged 18 to 24 correctly named the World Chess Champion, compared to only 1% among those aged 55 and above.
Commenting on the findings, Ilya Merenzon, Chief Executive Officer of World Chess, said:
“The data shows that chess, despite its popularity, is still a startup and is phenomenally promising for us and other chess companies.
“We are focused on reinventing the sport for the lifestyle audience, investing in educational initiatives, engaging with communities, and celebrating all things chess. Our goal is to create an inclusive environment where every player, regardless of their experience, can find enjoyment in this centuries-old sport. We are also excited to establish environments, both online and offline, where chess fans can come together and enjoy each other's company.“
For full data please visit the website: https://worldchess.com/barometer
| Answer | Total | uk | ger | Men | Women | 18...24 | 25...34 | 35...44 | 45...54 | 55+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4402 | 2266 | 2136 | 2144 | 2258 | 445 | 672 | 722 | 770 | 1792 | |
| Which one, if any, of the following do you think is the current World Chess Champion? | ||||||||||
| Garry Kasparov | 5% | 3% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Viswanathan Anand | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Fabiano Caruana | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| Magnus Carlsen | 10% | 9% | 10% | 15% | 4% | 17% | 13% | 8% | 10% | 7% |
| Sergey Karjakin | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| Vladimir Kramnik | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| Levon Aronian | 1% | 0% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| Ding Liren | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 7% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| None of these | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 8% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 2% |
| Don’t know | 72% | 77% | 65% | 64% | 79% | 56% | 63% | 68% | 73% | 79% |
|
In which one, if any, of the following countries do you think the current World Chess Champion was born? | ||||||||||
| Russia | 14% | 16% | 11% | 13% | 14% | 14% | 12% | 13% | 15% | 14% |
| India | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 2% |
| United States | 2% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 2% |
| China | 5% | 7% | 3% | 5% | 5% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 6% | 3% |
| Norway | 9% | 8% | 10% | 14% | 4% | 14% | 12% | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| Armenia | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| UK | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Georgia | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| None of these | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| Don’t know | 61% | 59% | 64% | 55% | 68% | 48% | 55% | 55% | 62% | 69% |
The survey was conducted between August 25th and September 3rd, 2023, in the UK and Germany by YouGov on behalf of World Chess. It used an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc UK panel of 2.5 million+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Emails are sent to panelists selected at random from the base sample. The e-mail invites them to take part in a survey and provides a generic survey link. Once a panel member clicks on the link they are sent to the survey that they are most required for, according to the sample definition and quotas. (The sample definition could be "GB adult population" or a subset such as "GB adult females"). Invitations to surveys don’t expire and respondents can be sent to any available survey. The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample. The profile is normally derived from census data or, if not available from the census, from industry accepted data.
In Germany: Total sample size was 2136 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th August - 3rd September 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all Germany adults (aged 18+).
In the UK: Total sample size was 2266 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 25th - 28th August 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).
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