Gaming
esports
Anna Cramling - the chess queen of Sweden
Anna Cramling is the Swedish teenage chess star and influencer who's making the sport cool again.
Join in on the fun and be a part of the Red Bull Gaming community on Facebook 🔥
Anna Cramling Béllon is a big reason why chess has become popular again. The 19-year-old chess player and influencer is the child of Pia Cramling and Juan Manuel Béllon Lopéz, two international chess Grandmasters - so it's no wonder that Anna herself is such an accomplished chess player, holding the title of Woman FIDE Master. However, Anna is far from "just" a regular chess genius, she's also one of the standout Swedish content creators - established on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch. Although thousands of people watch her make clever chess moves on Twitch, Anna's multifaceted and is beginning to delve into the lifestyle category on social media, vlogging, doing let's plays and chatting. We had the chance to interview her during a show match at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere. Here's what the multitalented youth said 👇
Why do you think that chess has become such a big thing on Twitch?
I think that chess has become so big on twitch because online chess has a lot of emotion and adrenaline. The short time control of typically around 5 mins, makes chess a fast-paced esport, that's quite easy to follow, as it is quite visual as well if you know the rules, you can get a sense of how most games are going typically by counting pieces, seeing what side your opponent’s pieces are etc. During the pandemic many people discovered chess, as many were under lockdowns and had to find new ways to spend their time. As many people have played chess at some point in their lives, it was something familiar for everyone. I think that during the early pandemic chess had already seen a rise in popularity, but thanks to shows such as the Queens Gambit, and the work of many chess content creators, it became even more popular and got to the levels we are seeing today.
What about the prospect of chess as an esport?
I think that chess has a great prospect as an esport, because it is such a high-paced game that is also very strategic. For the audience it's fun to watch and is also like I mentioned before quite easy typically to follow visually. If all white pieces are close to blacks’ king, well that means that black is in trouble - for example. I don't see any reason for why chess would not be prosperous as an esport, and I think that many esports teams think the same, which is why chess players have lately become an addition to many of the world's biggest esport teams.
What do you think the future holds for digital chess? Will it enable younger people to discover the sport?
I think that digital chess is great as it allows people to play chess from anywhere. It's easy and convenient for everyone. I think that higher-level chess tournaments will be on normal boards and not online, but that is no different from higher level esports, typically you compete in person and not from your homes online. However, I think that the era of digital chess and the widespread use of it has just begun. And that it will keep getting more popular because of how easily accessible it is. I think that digital chess will make younger people play it more, because it's something that they can do on their phones from anywhere, the bus, the train etc. I think that playing chess on your phone also helps remove the stereotypes of chess being a slow game that only "old, intelligent" people play, and that it becomes something easy and fun for everyone.
Do you have any tips for beginners?
My best tips for a beginner would be to play a lot and see where you make mistakes in your games by analyzing them, also I think that doing chess puzzles is a fun way to get better and helps spot wins during games.
Why did you decide to start streaming?
I have always wanted to create my own content on the internet. When I was around 8 years old, I filmed myself explaining different things to a camera - like things I bought, how to play a game etc. Being in front of a camera has always been something I dreamt about; I just never really knew I could do that with chess. However, I started streaming back in February 2020 because I realized that commentating chess was something I really loved. I had just gotten a commentary job in the Swedish chess tournament Rilton Cup, and after that I also got the opportunity of commentating the Women World Championship on chess.com.
Anna Cramling
© Red Bull Gaming Sphere
I want my channel to be about me and the life of a teenage girl, more than about just a chess player.
Is chess the centerpiece of your streaming?
I used to only play competitively, but I always felt like there was something missing - probably because I have a hard time sitting still and I'm quite a social person. I love being able to explain chess to people, and I also love the fact that chess can be so many different things, it can be a competitive sport, entertainment, a fun thing to do when you want to relax, etc. Creating different types of chess content was something I realized I was very passionate about. and that was why, when I discovered twitch and the fact that you could livestream chess there, I decided to do it.
Are you streaming any other games?
I mostly stream chess, although I would say that what I try to provide is more entertainment than just chess. In the future I want my channel to become a bit more varied, and I have already started exploring other games and things to do on stream, such as playing games like Valorant and CSGO, cooking, vlogging etc. I want my channel to be about me and the life of a teenage girl, more than about just a chess player.
Anna winning against Zaitr0s
© Red Bull Gaming Sphere
Anna Cramling streaming from the Gaming Sphere
© Red Bull Gaming Sphere
It's fun to be the champ
© Red Bull Gaming Sphere
Keebabb's thinking about his next move
© Red Bull Gaming Sphere
What does the future hold?
I am now taking a gap year [she just finished high school in Sweden], and will go full-time streaming for a while. I want to create as much content as possible during this time, both on twitch and YouTube. I also want to travel and compete in chess, to create more IRL content around chess, by vlogging or streaming from tournaments to show people what it's like. I am really excited about this year!
Thanks Anna - we're looking forwards to what you're going to do next! Join in on the fun and be a part of the Red Bull Gaming community on Facebook 🔥
