Mark Crowther, the founding father of The Week in Chess (TWIC), single-handedly modified the chess panorama within the 90s and has supplied a useful free useful resource for chess fanatics and professionals for 30 years. He has no plans of slowing down.
Since TWIC’s launch on September 17, 1994, the 58-year-old from Bradford in Northern England has been a key determine within the chess world by publishing 1559 weekly problems with the sport assortment that accommodates a complete of 4,081,840 video games. With a number of exceptions within the early years of the location, he hasn’t missed a single Monday evening replace.
Chess.com took the chance to do an interview with the dwelling legend, who spoke passionately about his work with the location, his enterprise mannequin, and future plans.
Reflecting on the milestone, he mentioned smilingly: “I discovered it very disorientating, to be trustworthy. You do it one week at a time, after which 30 years go by.”
I discovered it very disorientating, to be trustworthy. You do it one week at a time, after which 30 years go by.
—Mark Crowther
Crowther famous how the chess panorama has modified since Chess.com’s Peter Doggers interviewed him 5 years in the past. A seemingly unending chess growth has led to elevated curiosity within the sport, which additionally boosted the quantity of tournaments and video games being performed, particularly on-line. Whereas that additionally means extra work for the pinnacle of TWIC, he stays constructive.
“That is my dwelling now, and I’m going to need to work for one more 15 years or so, however I really feel fairly constructive in regards to the anniversary. It appears like a line below a chapter.”
TWIC’s early days have been a far cry from the digital chess world we all know as we speak. Again within the mid-90s, earlier than platforms like Chess.com existed, Crowther’s weekly updates have been a lifeline for chess information and sport collections. Well-known GMs equivalent to Peter Leko, Viswanathan Anand, and Nigel Quick shared with Chess.com how getting the most recent TWIC was a vital a part of their profession and have become a part of their Tuesday morning routine.
One other avid TWIC consumer, GM Peter Heine Nielsen, known as for Crowther to be honored by the Worldwide Chess Federation for his work.
Pricey @FIDE_chess, Mark deserves recognition and honour for his work for chess.
30 years of serving the chess group, delivering chess video games simple accessible and free to the chess group.#FIDE100 https://t.co/cmE98JXSun
— Peter Heine Nielsen (@PHChess) September 17, 2024
As Nielsen factors out, the database has all the time been free, making it out there for amateurs in nations with restricted entry to chess sources.
“I’m positive I’ve contributed to younger gamers coming by who have no cash. It’s extremely essential that they’ve entry to all this materials for nothing,” Crowther mentioned.
I’m positive I’ve contributed to younger gamers coming by who don’t have any cash. It’s extremely essential that they’ve entry to all this materials for nothing.
—Mark Crowther
Whereas TWIC has been a beloved useful resource for the chess world for 3 many years, conserving it alive hasn’t all the time been simple. Crowther has relied on promoting and donations to cowl prices, however he has beforehand expressed issues in regards to the enterprise mannequin.
In his interview with Peter Doggers, he described it as a “enjoyable enterprise, however not very safe.” He nonetheless receives donations, specifically from two beneficiant sponsors, who helped him purchase a brand new laptop two years in the past. That drastically sped up the method of compiling the database.
He now takes two 12-to-14-hour work days to finish each problem of TWIC. “I’m saving hours. I’ve instantly bought extra hours than I had a number of weeks in the past. It’s insane.”
Regardless of this, Crowther stays pissed off by the shortage of direct assist from some companies that use TWIC’s database. Whereas he gives a useful service, not all chess firms have supplied compensation or promoting in return.
“TWIC materials appears to be utilized by increasingly more companies. I want they did give it some thought and truly gave me some cash… You might be purported to play honest on this house. For those who get up one morning and discover that I’m not there, it would have an effect on your online business.”
Crowther expresses regrets for not turning TWIC right into a extra complete chess information outlet earlier, and mentioned he wished he had shared information on his web site slightly than on social media platforms like X/Twitter. Now, he hopes to combine these tales into TWIC’s major content material.
“I need to do a sort of information ticker of one-line, two-line tales with video games hooked up, operating dwell.”
Crowther can be a eager participant in native tournaments, one thing he intends to maintain doing. And he needs to attempt to enhance his chess, noting that he spends numerous time on Chessable programs. Staying linked to the sport is crucial for reporting on it, he says:
“I do not suppose you have bought any enterprise reporting on chess if you happen to do not play.”
For Crowther, the following chapter of The Week in Chess appears to be like promising, but in addition relies on continued assist from the chess group and the companies that use his database.
His dedication is unquestionable, and he has no plans of retiring simply but. “So long as I could make a dwelling from it, I’ll proceed. I’m completely happy to do that for so long as I can.”
So long as I could make a dwelling from it, I’ll proceed. I’m completely happy to do that for so long as I can.
—Mark Crowther
