Former badminton athlete Naganethra Reddy: 'Chess is one of the least expressive sports'

In a personal commentary piece published in 2026, former badminton athlete Naganethra Reddy drew attention by asserting that chess is "one of the least expressive sports." The remark quickly spread through the international sports community and reignited the familiar debate about how well the game of the mind retains viewers. According to the piece, Naganethra Reddy was born in Bengaluru, India, and now lives and works in London, United Kingdom. She competed as a professional badminton player before moving into sport sustainability, having worked on projects connected to Formula E, Extreme E and WEC. Coming from a sport that demands constant movement and openly displays emotion, such as badminton, shaped the way she views chess. Notably, the author's own chess experience is purely recreational. She said her brother taught her to play, and described him as "very difficult to beat." The article cites no Elo rating, title or competitive record, indicating that her reference point sits at amateur level rather than the elite arena. Naganethra Reddy's statement touches a genuine issue within the chess industry: broadcast watchability. Unlike direct-contact sports, most of chess's drama unfolds inside the players' minds, making it hard for casual viewers to follow events in real time. That is also why many observers have long argued that chess is less "expressive" than physically active sports. Experts, however, argue that the assessment is somewhat outdated. Online chess platforms and tournament organisers have introduced numerous improvements to lower the barrier for viewers, most notably the Eval Bar - a real-time position-evaluation graphic - alongside in-depth commentary teams and player storytelling. As a result, chess has recorded notable growth in streaming viewership in recent years. It should be stressed that Naganethra Reddy's article is the subjective opinion of an observer from outside the chess world, not a technical or professional analysis. It references no specific game, tournament, player or rule system. Its value therefore lies in offering an outside-sport perspective on chess rather than serving as an expert source. The episode also reflects a broader reality: as mind sports compete ever harder for attention against physically active sports, the spectator experience - from commentary quality and data presentation to player storytelling - will only grow in importance.