Chess and Football: Strategic Brothers in a Game of Wits

NFL Players Find Strategic Solace in Chess

American football and chess may seem worlds apart, but the tactical nuances of both have forged an unlikely bond. Players and strategists often draw parallels between the gridiron and the chessboard, where every move is calculated, and every decision can shift the tide of the game. Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie captures this connection perfectly: “Before a play starts, the pieces are set, this is the position on the chessboard. When the play happens, it’s now the execution part of it. It’s chess to an extent, but once the play happens, it becomes football.”

This metaphor isn’t just a casual observation; it reflects a growing trend among NFL players who are turning to chess as a way to sharpen their strategic thinking, unwind, and channel their competitiveness off the field. Even on the biggest stage—Super Bowl Sunday—Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow found himself playing chess before kickoff. The mental discipline and focus required in chess are traits that transcend sports, making it a natural outlet for athletes who thrive in high-pressure environments.

The NFL’s Chess Renaissance: A Competitive Oasis

What began as a casual hobby among a few NFL players has grown into a full-fledged movement. Chess.com, the popular online platform, has taken notice of this trend and now hosts an annual tournament called BlitzChamps, exclusively for current and former NFL players. The tournament, now in its fourth year, has become a hotspot for friendly competition, with players vying for bragging rights and a $30,000 prize pot donated to their chosen charities.

The idea for BlitzChamps was born from the friendship between Danny Rensch, Chess.com’s chief chess officer, and former NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, an avid chess enthusiast. Rensch recalls the moment the tournament concept came to life: “We were sitting in Larry’s Tesla one night, pulling this stuff together, and he was actively texting and calling people right then.” With the help of players like Amari Cooper and Chidobe Awuzie, the first tournament kicked off in 2022, attracting eight NFL players who traded their helmets for chessboards.

BlitzChamps has only gotten more competitive over time, with the quality of play improving each year. Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid emerged as the 2023 champion, edging out Awuzie, the 2022 winner. But the impact of chess extends beyond the tournament. For many players, the game has become a cultural phenomenon, with teammates sparking conversations about openings, strategies, and theoretical moves.

Chess as a Mental Gym: Transferring Skills to the Field

While chess and football may seem like vastly different pursuits, the cognitive benefits of the former have proven to be a powerful tool for the latter. Chidobe Awuzie credits his chess training for enhancing his ability to read formations on the field and anticipate changes in real time. “Little things like that happen in my head at a faster pace now,” he says. This mental agility wasn’t just coincidence; it coincided with his improvement in chess, demonstrating how the skills honed on the board can translate to the gridiron.

The connection between chess and football isn’t just anecdotal. High-performance coaches like Seth Makowsky are leveraging chess to train athletes, including Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. Makowsky’s unorthodox methods have gained national attention, with profiles in major outlets like the New York Times and the LA Times. For Rensch, the lessons of chess—such as adaptability and the ability to react to unforeseen situations—are timeless and universal. “There’s a real analogy there in what is asked of not just the quarterback but the safety or whoever to really react and read as to what’s being executed in any given play,” he explains.

Beyond Football: Chess Captivates the Sports World

The marriage of chess and sports isn’t confined to the NFL. Other professional athletes, from basketball stars to tennis players, are also drawn to the game’s intellectual challenges. Basketball phenom Luka Dončić is a well-known chess aficionado, while Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s rising star, has been spotted playing impromptu games in Washington Square Park. Even Derrick Rose, the former NBA MVP, admits to playing chess daily—even during a Drake concert.

What is it about chess that captivates elite athletes? According to Rensch, it’s the game’s paradoxical nature: it’s both an “unsolvable puzzle” and a pursuit where every position has a “best move,” whether or not you can find it. This duality creates a unique challenge that resonates deeply with competitors who thrive in high-stakes environments. “You know that there’s a best move, and can you find it? And yet, you also know that to play chess at a high level is almost impossible,” Rensch says.

The allure of chess lies in its ability to deliver both a sense of accomplishment and humility, qualities that mirror the highs and lows of professional sports. For athletes who spend their careers chasing perfection on the field, chess offers a new frontier to conquer—one where the only opponent is your own mind.

The Future of Chess and Football: A Lasting Synergy

As chess continues to gain traction in the NFL, it’s clear that this isn’t just a passing fad. The game has become a cultural touchstone, bridging the gap between sports and intellectual pursuits. BlitzChamps is now a staple of the NFL off-season, and the tournament’s popularity shows no signs of waning. With each passing year, the competition grows fiercer, and the chess skills of NFL players continue to improve.

But the real power of chess lies in its ability to enhance the mental toolkit of athletes. By sharpening their critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, chess equips players with skills that translate seamlessly to the field. For Chidobe Awuzie and others like him, the game has become more than a hobby; it’s a mental gym, a strategic laboratory, and a sanctuary from the chaos of professional sports.

As the lines between chess and football blur, one thing is clear: the synergy between these two worlds is here to stay. Whether it’s through BlitzChamps or late-night study sessions, NFL players are proving that the skills that make a great athlete and a great chess player are not so different after all. In the words of Danny Rensch, “There’s something about the fact that chess is simultaneously an unsolvable puzzle, yet in every position, there’s a best move” that speaks to the very heart of competition—both on the board and on the field.