From Board Game to Icon: Chess in Culture
You’re watching Netflix. Suddenly—boom—there’s a chessboard. Maybe it’s a tense match. Maybe it’s just gathering dust in the background. Either way, it’s there. Again.
But why chess? Why this game, over and over, across books, films, memes, museums—even science? And why has no other board game come close?
In this talk, Peter Doggers traces chess’s wild journey through 1,500 years of Western culture. From medieval poetry to pop culture stardom, he unpacks how this ancient game keeps showing up—and why we still can’t look away.
Peter Doggers (https://peterdoggers.com/) is one of the most well-known and respected journalists in the chess world. An internationally ranked chess player, he is a senior global correspondent for Chess.com. Doggers has played chess for more than 35 years and has covered it for almost 20. He has interviewed dozens of grandmasters, played basketball with Magnus Carlsen, and interviewed Garry Kasparov at Bobby Fischer‘s grave. Doggers lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His first book, The Chess Revolution, was published in the fall of 2024.
Doors open at 18:30 – Arrive early, grab a seat, and settle in.
Talk starts at 19:30 and runs until around 21:00.
Price includes light drinks.
Stick around afterward—good conversations don’t have closing times.
About Think&Drink Different
Think&Drink Different brings science, philosophy, psychology, and more into everyday spaces. Each event features a live talk by a scholar or expert—followed by real conversation.
Big ideas, made social.
