Russian chess grandmaster and former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov is in Seoul to participate in a local sports fair. And since South Korea is the capital of eSports, it was inevitable for him to weigh in on League of Legends and StarCraft, which are essentially the number one rivals of chess.
Here are his thoughts on these games and eSports, shared on Twitter. Pretty solid ones I have to say:
Hello from Seoul, Korea. I bet only Santa Claus spent more time in the air than I did on Christmas Day! Here for Youth Mind Sports Fair.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Chess & baduk (go) are far less popular here than "e-sports", the multiplayer computer game competitions Koreans love & dominate. For now!
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Tough for chess to overtake League of Legends, the most popular game here, but I don't think they'll play that in 100 years. Chess, yes!
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
People get bored with a computer game as soon as a new one comes out with slightly better graphics. Chess has captivated us for centuries.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
As lazy as we like to pretend we are, our brains crave challenge & development all our lives. Chess feeds this need perfectly for all ages.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
You can't change your hardware, that's your DNA. But you can definitely upgrade your mental software by questioning & learning every day.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Actually, I do know quite a bit about videogames thanks to my son, who is a big expert at Warcraft among many others.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
I have also talked & worked with many game makers over the years. Narrative & graphics are great, but they also age, often quickly.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
I am in no way dismissive of e-sports or videogames. Many offer rich environments & strategic decision-making, not just cool pictures.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Point was that the strategic purity of chess (or go, etc) is timeless for a reason. No storyline to tire of, no expansion packs to buy!
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
A group of business school students I spoke to at Oxford-Martin are interested in collaborating on an online decision-making game with me.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Not expecting that decision-making game to require good graphics. Or if it does, I can get some CGI hair out of the project!
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Only the best books, movies, & songs age well & only classics last many generations. Videogames too, but much newer form so more change.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Yes, I have often joked that like many Soviet kids I got good at chess because of limited options for entertainment! @Northsealimpet
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
I will know much more about eSports after today's visit to the World Youth Mindsports Fair here in Seoul! They are the best, I'm told.
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 26, 2013
Garry Kasparov [Twitter]
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