Chechmate: Chess in Politics

The history of chess dates back at least to the 7th century, while its international recognition came at the end of the 19th century. Since then, the game has become widespread.

The 20th century saw the popularity of chess peak, with more and more nations taking part in the world championships. Despite the fact that the Cold War divided the world into blocs, chess continued to contribute to the preservation of peace.

The USSR wholeheartedly endorsed the game, with top politicians often taking part in chess events. Virtually everyone played the game, thus the Soviet Union produced a string of chess grandmasters. Chess matches between Americans and Soviets became frequent, and were watched by the whole world.

And, of course, playing the game was a common thing for political leaders, as it provided them a chance to show off their strategic talents.

Take a look at Sputnik's gallery to see how politicians from around the globe enjoyed playing the Game of Kings:

1 / 10

Cuban President Fidel Castro, on the right, talks to Eriberto Diaz, in the middle, national chess champion in the 11-12 age range, and Lazaro Castro while playing chess during a tournament at the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana, Cuba on Saturday, December 7, 2002.

2 / 10

World chess champion Bobby Fischer, on the right, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, on the left left, play a ceremonial game of chess during the opening of the Philippines International Chess Tournament in M anila, October 16, 1973. In the background are the president's wife Imelda and Christina Ford.

3 / 10

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il looks at the chess set presented to him by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting in Pyongyang, July 5, 2004.

4 / 10

India's then-Gujarat state Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, on the left (seated), plays a game of chess with Indian chess champion Vishwanathan Anand at the Town Hall in Gandhinagar (around 30 km from Ahmedabad) on June 16, 2010. Mukherjee is on a one-day visit to Gujarat state.

5 / 10

Israeli President Moshe Katsav, in the middle, moves a chess piece during the World Team Chess Championship, opening the ceremony at the Southern Israeli city of Beersheba, November 1, 2005. Beersheba has the highest number of chess grand masters per capita in the world.

6 / 10

Slovak President Andrej Kiska plays chess with 10-year-old Lucia Kapicakova, a winner of the EU Youth Championship 2016 in the Girls U10 category, on June 28, 2017 in Bratislava. President Kiska gave up the match after about 30 minutes in a "no chance to win" situation.

7 / 10

West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt displays an optimistic smile during a game of chess which he eventually lost at a chess party on May 19, 1976 in Bonn. Schmidt organized the party, where politicians competed against journalists in chess. All in all, the politicians won 12.5-5.5, but a journalist complained that politicians had more time for practice than the journalists.

8 / 10

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak looks at a 3D-printed chess board as he visits Friendship Technology Preparatory High School in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2023.

9 / 10

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, 3rd on the left, makes the first move in the match between Russian-born Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri, 2nd on the left, and Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian, on the right, during the first round of the Candidates Tournament, part of the FIDE World Championship cycle 2014-2016, in Moscow, on March 11, 2016.

10 / 10

Bolivian President Evo Morales, on the left, and former chess world champion Anatoly Karpov shake hands during an exhibition match at the Presidential Palace in La Paz, Wednesday, June 23, 2010.

The Game of Kings: Politicians Playing Chess