Over the last year, sales of chess sets in the United States rose by around 25 percent, only slightly faster than the toy industry overall, but in the weeks since “The Queen’s Gambit” premiered, she said, sales have grown 125 percent – New York Times, 23/11/20

“Chess.com has seen a stratospheric rise in players since the release of The Queen’s Gambit on 23 October, breaking records for the site. Spokesman Nick Barton said they had seen a “surge in brand new players”. New members in the US have gone up from around 6,000 a day between 1 and 22 October to over 30,000 on recent days this month” – The Guardian 29/11/20

Against all odds, The Queen’s Gambit has become one of the biggest breakout hits of Netflix in 2020, intriguing and thrilling audiences worldwide and finally bringing the ancient sport of chess to the wider global stage. However, fact is often as fascinating as fiction and Chilean artist and chess player, Juga di Prima can legitimately claim to have lived a life as equally exciting as the book or the film. Since 2017, Juga has brought together her two passions: music and chess, composing and recording multiple chess-themed songs, as well as writing fascinating scripts to her conceptual music videos, highlighting the magic of chess and the legendary champions involved.

Her song Oh Capablanca has been considered by chess pros and fans alike as the best chess song ever written. The James Bond-like style Tactical has become most popular among chess players, a sensual yet edgy chess thriller about inner struggles. Juga was invited to perform her chess songs for top chess champions at the Batumi Chess Olympiad, World Chess Championship in London, European Golden Pawn in Montecarlo and Global Chess Festival Budapest, becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for Artistic values of Chess, an award received also by artist Yoko Ono.

In 2021, she looks to take this a step further, championing women chess players and their achievements from 1930 to the present, in an audio-visual event entitled, Chess Divas, which will be featured on Norwegian television, TV Norsk and other major online media in the New Year. Bringing together chess players around the world of all genders and ages and celebrating the art, science and beauty of chess, Chess Divas, Juga is looking to continue to build upon the extraordinary year for chess.

“Chess is a mirror of life, a treasure of humanity” Juga di Prima

Juga is a Chilean artist who is pioneering links between the worlds of art and chess, combining her life as a recording artist with her role as both a celebrated artistic ambassador for chess worldwide and a women’s chess activist in the English language and Hispanic worlds, as a guest and host of chess cultural events in Spain and Latin America.

Her passion and commitment for supporting and promoting women playing chess at all levels has seen her playing and performing at chess events around the world, where she has featured widely across the media, including Sky News, BBC World Radio and The Guardian, to Norway, Cuba, Greece, Germany and many other countries. By using metaphors about chess in her lyrics, she is able to create songs which discuss love and life whilst still encompassing every emotion and complex psychological state experienced during chess games.

In January, Chess Divas will be unveiled, an extravagant musical and audio-visual tribute to women chess champions throughout history. Singing whilst on a chessboard, she replays some of the most brilliant tactics and combinations employed by women chess players across the ages. Chess Divas is only the latest of Juga’s masterful moves to bring this most ancient of games to people of all ages around the world. Juga has already collaborated writing chess themed songs with stars such as Ex-World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, and World top 10 player Anish Giri (Netherlands #1)

Two of Chess Divas songs are collaborations with Russian ex-world women champion, Grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk, renowned as ‘Chess Queen’. With deep, witty, women empowerment chess-themed lyrics, these stories written by Kosteniuk are passionately performed by Juga.

On December 26th, ‘Chess Queen’ and Juga announced the release date of Chess Divas on a Chess.com TV broadcast show, talking about these creative collaborations whilst playing blitz chess games against each other and singing, including some exclusive footage.

Watch the announcement here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21RuVN6bgsA&feature=youtu.be

Praise for Juga:

“Amazing chess song, you will love it!” – Judit Polgar, Most successful female chess player in history

“Absolutely love this song!” – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russian Chess Champion

“The Passion of chess made art. Chess needs more artists like Juga”- Leontxo Garcia, El País (Spain)

“Every chess fan must listen. Epic, moving, authentic” – Anna Rudolf, Chess Commentator/Olympic Champion

“Chess has inspired many writers and painters throughout history but until now, very few songs had been written about the game. Juga has filled that gap. She has become the voice and music of chess” – David Llada Fide, International Chess Federation