Chess is one of the most popular strategy board games that has been around for centuries and is also referred to as the “Game of Kings”. Chess indeed is a highly strategic game which demands thinking ahead and making wise decisions and as such has rightly been classified as one of the most stimulating games on the market.
In recent years chess has been popularized by shows like Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit”, online platforms like Chess. com, and personalities such as Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. This has in fact brought about a new question in the minds of many chess lovers – Is it possible to watch chess on television? This question is more specific, asking if there is a CHSS channel available via Dish Network?
Chess on tv today
As for now, there is no specific channel for chess to be aired through cable and satellite television such as through Dish Network or Direct TV. Chess historians suggest that specifically in the 1950’s, short chess sequences were broadcasted, however, the WCM was not watched by a great number of people on the American television until 1972 when the Fischer-Spassky match took place.
In the 1990s with the channels dividing more and more into areas of interest specific audiences a channel devoted to Chess resulted in the Chess Channel running on public access and local cable. However, because of the lack of distribution capacity and audience, the Chess Channel ceased to operate within several years.
For the next decade there were no championship games on TV with chess being shown only occasionally on PBS or ESPN specials. It was not until the early 2000s that chess games were first broadcasted through the Internet Chess Club (ICC) and then through sports networks to televise chess games.
This move in fact can be said to have laid down the foundation of the modern style of chess on TV. At the moment, live broadcast of the chess events is not regular and only the championships are covered with some of the networks as ESPN, CBS Sports Network, and NBCSN covering only a few events when the interest is high such as the recent World Chess Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi which received record viewership.
Apart from the tournaments, one has to watch chess on online streaming platforms such as Chess24 and Chess. com which provides a 24/7 content blend of shows, lessons and chess content for diehard fans.
So when will we see dedicated chess channels?
Since chess is not a popular spectator sport, 24 hour/7 days a week chess channel cannot be expected to be on Dish Network, DirecTV or other cable/satellite television networks in the near future. However, we may witness more chess content being integrated into streams of sports-related categories.
For instance, after purchasing the rights to stream the Champions Chess Tour, Chess. com signed a cooperation agreement with Twitch to bring high-level chess games to the platform’s gamers. If this works out well, we might see other sports streaming platforms such as ESPN+ offer more chess content for the fans.
The optimism among chess players is that the current revival is the first step towards proving chess’s viability as a mass spectator sport, which could motivate broadcasters to put more money into the game. Until then, cord-cutters can still get their fill of chess action through online sites and apps – all without Dish Network!
It is, thus, possible for one to wait a few more years before being able to turn on the television and stumble on chess but, in the meantime, fans have a lot of ways to get their dose of the classical strategy game they know and love. From watching the best Grandmasters compete in Tata Steel Chess to supporting your favorite Queen’s Gambit streamer, chess has never been closer to fans all around the world.
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