The Roller Coaster Chess meme stems from a series of staged photographs where people brought chessboards onto high-speed amusement park rides to contrast intense adrenaline with quiet intellectual focus. First appearing in the late 2000s and gaining viral traction on platforms like Reddit and Tumblr, the image serves as a visual metaphor for maintaining composure in stressful situations. It is widely used to represent individuals who remain unbothered by surrounding drama, or to mock someone performing an unnecessarily complex task at the wrong time. The juxtaposition of the screaming passengers and the stoic chess players makes it a staple for relatability and ironic humor.