I admit I'm one of the people who has gotten into watching chess streaming online during the pandemic.

It's thrilling to watch some of the greatest to ever play this extremely difficult game explain their thinking as they play in real time. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/technology/chess-new-streaming-obsession-twitch.html

Chess now has many (all?) of the characteristics of other e-sports. The vast majority of chess is now played online. It's very easy to stage chess matches in a way that others can watch you play. Anyone can go online and play, but the skill level almost infinitely scales.

Accessibility is key. You or I can't just go out and dunk a basketball or hit a slider, but after watching world champion Magnus Carlsen stream his chess games, you can immediately go online and try out some of the tricks you learned against people on your own skill level.

Also, so many of today's chess stars are extremely charismatic. Chess used to be a game for middle-aged men, because so much over-the-board experience was needed, but now with computer engines and rapid and blitz online chess, it has become a young person's game.