Chess is a game played all over the world, and possibly even the oldest table game in existence today.
According to historians, this ultimate battle of the mind dates all the way back to the 17th century, when the game was played on an 8×8 grid and known as “chaturanga”.
So embedded is chess in human culture, that games such as the 1972 battle between Boris Spassky and Bobby Fischer have become significant milestones in human history.
Because of the significance of the game, chess has not been overlooked by major sportsbooks.
Below is a quick and handy guide for learning the ropes of betting on this incredible game (and sport).
Popular Markets
Because of the nature of the game, chess lends itself to several interesting betting markets.
The most popular of these include:
- Total number of moves until the completion of the game
- Whether a tournament will be decided by special additional games like Armageddon chess, blitz chess, fast chess, etc.
- Betting on the specific outcome: this bet predicts who will emerge the outright winner of the game
- Double Chance: this type of bet favours a particular player to avoid defeat. This means the player of the punter’s choice will either win the game, or it will result in a draw
- Handicap betting. This type of bet, too, predicts that a loss will be avoided by a particular player. In the case of a draw, however, the punter will merely be refunded their wager.
Top Tips
When betting on chess, it is important to have a good understanding of the rules of the game.
With chess, the importance of this intensifies. This is because chess is both a game of specific rules as well as a psychological one – not entirely unlike Poker.
Since chess is a game of logic, and one that requires focus and concentration, even something like personal mood and the state of the weather can affect the final outcome of a game or tournament.
For this reason, it is important to know the players as much as this is possible – including personal habits and professional strategies. Having as much information as possible at your disposal is key.
Events To Bet On
While not every event is open for the betting markets, many offer fantastic odds, including a handful of major chess tournaments.
A popular choice for punters is the World Chess Championship, which is contested once every 2 years. This event also happens to be the premier title in amateur and professional chess, which means that winning this tournament is the top honour for players.
The event consists of 12 matches.
Second on our list is the Grand Chess Tour, an annual series of events played between August and September every year.
Regular stops on the tour include the Paris Grand Chess Tour, Chess Classic Romania, the London Chess Classic, and the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz.
Another top chess tournament to bet on is the Chess Olympiad. Teams from all over the world are invited to compete.