The idea that American football is like chess on a field, with intricate tactics designed to break through an opponent’s defense or impede its attack, is an old and well-worn cliché. There are similarities, even though such a cliche invariably oversimplifies the relationship between the sports.
According to Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, “the pieces are established before a play starts, this is the position on the chess board.” When the play is performed, the execution phase begins. To a certain degree, it is chess, but as the play is made, it turns into football.
Awuzie joins an increasing number of NFL players who are finding that chess helps them relax, sharpens their strategic thinking, and gives them a means to express their intense rivalry off the field.
Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, was even playing chess before the 2022 Super Bowl. In fact, so many players are enamored that Chess.com hosts a tournament for NFL players, both past and present, which was the focus of a recent NFL documentary.
In its fourth year, NFL players compete in BlitzChamps to gain bragging rights and a $30,000 prize fund that will be given to their preferred charity.
Rensch’s connection with Larry Fitzgerald, the renowned former wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals and an enthusiastic chess player, gave rise to the concept of an NFL players’ chess competition.
In reference to the “movie scene version” of the tournament’s beginnings, Rensch recalls, “One night we were sitting in (Fitzgerald’s) Tesla.” “At the time, he was actively texting and contacting people while we were putting this material together.”
According to Rensch, Chess.com held its first tournament with the NFL in 2022 after “a lot of preparation” that included fellow stars Amari Cooper and Awuzie. Instead of competing on the field, players used to sit behind screens and move their pieces about the board. Ironically, players frequently use various types of competition as a way to kill time when they are not competing in the fiercely competitive world of professional sports.
Last year, eight NFL players competed in the BlitzChamps, and Justin Reid, a safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, defeated 2022 champion Awuzie to win the title of top chess player in the league.
Play more outside of the competition. “A lot more individuals (on the Titans squad) are interested and are beginning to play, or they have played in the past and are attempting to get back into it,” Awuzie says.
“I think about little things like that more frequently now,” he says. Things were just happening when I made my leap, leaving the Cowboys to join the Bengals, and I was able to react much more quickly. However, it was somewhat simultaneous because I had improved my chess skills at the same time.
Chess has become a lucrative industry because to the skills learned from the game. Prominent instructors like Seth Makowsky use it to train athletes, such as quarterback Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. The New York Times, the Athletic, and the LA Times have all featured his efforts.
