National Chess Survey Reveals The Truth About Chess:
Why People Play and What Scares Them Away

Commissioned by Fluent Entertainment, Developer of Hoyle® Majestic Chess™

The Survey Results

• Chess is Huge!
  Today, according to the US Chess Federation, between 35 and 40 million people play chess in the US.
• Developing a strategy
  81 % of people associated chess with strategic thinking, while 43% associated it with intelligence.
• Better than barter
  57% of people surveyed believed that chess improved or would improve their ability to negotiate with people.
• A question of Intelligence
  48% of men associated chess with intelligence while only 38% of women saw the association.
• A competitive difference
  32% of men play chess to win while only 18% of women play for this reason.
• Intelligent choice
  56% of those 24 and younger associated chess with intelligence 48% of those 25-44 and younger associated chess with intelligence
  37% of those 45-54 and older associated chess with intelligence 29% of those 55 and older associated chess with intelligence
• Easy as 1…2…3…Mate
  65% of people surveyed believed the number one way to attract more chess players to the game would be making it easier to learn
• Chess improves with age
  20% of those 24 and younger that play chess believed it improved their life
  30% of those 25-34 and younger that play chess believed it improved their life
  35% of those 35-54 and younger that play chess believed it improved their life
  38% of those 55 and older that play chess believed it improved their life
• The biggest hero
  Bobby Fisher is seen by 61% of those surveyed to be the biggest hero in chess, followed by sixteen-time World Champion Anatoly Karpov.

The national survey of 1054 qualified respondents (525 male and 529 female) was conducted for Fluent Entertainment by Greenfield Online, in October 2003.

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