Is Chess A Sport?

[Arturo Ochoa]

When I played casual games against my grandfather, it had nothing to do with sport. He was fast, attacking, talktive 1600-ish player with no desire to improve, but wanted to keep his wits sharp and enjoyed the game immensely. When his neighbours visited him, he asked them to play checkers or rummy; with me, since the age of 10 or thereabouts, it has always been chess.

We played our last game a couple of hours before he has been found on a pavement, with a nitroglycerie pill in his hand, brain-dead. And it's a good thing to remember that his last games didn't show any signs of decline, apart form the complaints concerning eyesight. His attitude towards chess was that of a jogger, not of a runner, a kind of "mental fitness".

When, a couple of weeks ago, I lost an intense tournament game (black side of Bogolubov with d7-d6, e6-e5 and King's Indian-style attack - or was it a more sophisticated reminiscence of grandfather's trademark pawn storms?) and came home completely groggy, wondering whether people in the bus think I am drunk, there was no question that this game has been a sport. In fact, I feel that I'm unable to break 2000 barrier for the reasons associated with body and sport: lack of stamina, low melatonine/serotonine levels, long periods without proper training of any kind.

I my family it is quite common to play some bridge at family reunions. It's basically only little more than a pretext for chatting and - let's face it - drinking. But I know that bridge can be a sport, having played in a couple of tournaments and seeing a difference of skill between me and the real players.

I also play Go at a semi-decent level (6 kyu EGF, 4-6 kyu on KGS server), I feel it taxes my brain even harder than chess, but my game lacks that quality that would make me feel about it like about a sport. At some point I practiced it quite intensely, not without good tournament results, and some people still find me an interesting sparring partner. There are stronger players, insisting to play me without a handicap, for fun of seeing the final result of less than 20 points of territory for either player. Then they go on and play Go as a sport.

In short, I think that an activity requires 3 things to become a sport:

1) effort
2) skill
3) competitive attitude

My grandfather's chess was not a sport, because of the lack of effort. My bridge is not a sport, because of the lack of relevant skills. My Go is not a sport because of the lack of attitude.

Botvinnik was the first one to sell this crazy idea about this board game.

Again, you don't need physical skills to play chess. You are blinder, you can be assisted by somebody else.

Still, it is your brain.

You can't play soccer assisted by somebody else.

It is just so difficult to understand?!

Continue, go ahead. All this debate is all funny.

Have a nice day.

[Michael Sherwin]

Also, if a person is running away from an attacker is that sport? If a person is jogging for pleasure or for fitness is that sport. What about weight lifting for the same reasons? The essence of sport is not defined by how much physical effort it takes to compete in the sport. It is defined by a certain level of perfection that is the goal to be achieved. Baseball can be played as a simple and fun game that would not be considered sport at a family gathering. Or it can be played as a very serious sport. Chess can be played as a simple game. Or it can be played with the idea of achieving a certain level of perfection just like in any sport!

If a person is running away from an attacker = you are running for your life.. unless you are talking about karate, or a combat sport...

More? You can play hockey for pleasure ans still hockey is a sport.

Please, I already gave the definition of sport linked to a dictionary.

If I take my friend to play baseball is just that a session of baseball: pratice or a game.

I know somebody who plays scrabble professionally, that makes it a sport? This person answerered: scrabble is a board game as chess is.

Ok, no I changed the name of Monopoly for another board game. The explanation is the same.

Have a nice day.

Well, sport is one of those words that has changed in meaning from its beginnings. In 1300's English, Monopoly would have been considered a sport. The word sport would back then have been used in a context similar to the following; 'be a sport and join in the fun'. The meaning of the word sport only took on the requirement of physical activity as certain games with demanding physical requirements became professionalized. That is then what the majority of people started to associate the word sport with. Therefore, physical activity became a major component of the definition of the word sport. But, that is just due to peoples propensity for narrowing their focus to their interest. To people that play competitive chess they can understand that the word sport has a bit broader meaning to it than what is in the modern dictionary. If Webster would have been a tournament chess player then I am 100% sure that the definition of the word sport would be slightly different today. There are people that have a wider focus than just their simple interest and can see past the ever changing definitions in a dictionary to arrive at a more robust understanding of a word. Just because the framers of a definition in a dictionary suffer from short sightedness does not mean that I have too. Besides, there are definitions that allow for more than one type of sport. Physical sports are one type of sport and mind sports are another type. They both are sports!

[tmokonen]

A sport implies physical skills. How many times must I repeat that?

If that's the case, then why does the sports channel on my TV always show poker, pool, billiards and darts?

[Michael Sherwin]

Now that I think about it, a definition in a dictionary is not absolute. It is merely a guide into the common usage of a word. Just because the top most definitions all use a certain term like the word physical does not invalidate the lower usage definitions that do not contain the word physical. Therefore you are free to be short sighted if you wish and not think of chess as a sport and I am free to think of chess as a sport. You are wrong to say that I am wrong just because you choose to glaum onto a narrow subset of the meaning of the word sport and I choose to understand the complete meaning of the word.

[Arturo Ochoa]

Also, if a person is running away from an attacker is that sport? If a person is jogging for pleasure or for fitness is that sport. What about weight lifting for the same reasons? The essence of sport is not defined by how much physical effort it takes to compete in the sport. It is defined by a certain level of perfection that is the goal to be achieved. Baseball can be played as a simple and fun game that would not be considered sport at a family gathering. Or it can be played as a very serious sport. Chess can be played as a simple game. Or it can be played with the idea of achieving a certain level of perfection just like in any sport!

If a person is running away from an attacker = you are running for your life.. unless you are talking about karate, or a combat sport...

More? You can play hockey for pleasure ans still hockey is a sport.

Please, I already gave the definition of sport linked to a dictionary.

If I take my friend to play baseball is just that a session of baseball: pratice or a game.

I know somebody who plays scrabble professionally, that makes it a sport? This person answerered: scrabble is a board game as chess is.

Ok, no I changed the name of Monopoly for another board game. The explanation is the same.

Have a nice day.

Well, sport is one of those words that has changed in meaning from its beginnings. In 1300's English, Monopoly would have been considered a sport. The word sport would back then have been used in a context similar to the following; 'be a sport and join in the fun'. The meaning of the word sport only took on the requirement of physical activity as certain games with demanding physical requirements became professionalized. That is then what the majority of people started to associate the word sport with. Therefore, physical activity became a major component of the definition of the word sport. But, that is just due to peoples propensity for narrowing their focus to their interest. To people that play competitive chess they can understand that the word sport has a bit broader meaning to it than what is in the modern dictionary. If Webster would have been a tournament chess player then I am 100% sure that the definition of the word sport would be slightly different today. There are people that have a wider focus than just their simple interest and can see past the ever changing definitions in a dictionary to arrive at a more robust understanding of a word. Just because the framers of a definition in a dictionary suffer from short sightedness does not mean that I have too. Besides, there are definitions that allow for more than one type of sport. Physical sports are one type of sport and mind sports are another type. They both are sports!

Mind Sports Look this, The Mind Sports Organisation (MSO) is a vehicle for promoting mental-skill games, including Contract Bridge, Chess, Go, Mastermind, and Scrabble.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Sports_Organisation

Thiis is just too funny. Sorry, they are all board games.

So, the definition in all dictionaries is incorrect: an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition.

Oh my God… when the pride is hurt. Sorry, man.

I see this is not easy to understand: I could play chess assisted by somebody else if I were blinded. Sports require physical skills.

Have a nice sunday, practicing a sport!

[Arturo Ochoa]

Now that I think about it, a definition in a dictionary is not absolute. It is merely a guide into the common usage of a word. Just because the top most definitions all use a certain term like the word physical does not invalidate the lower usage definitions that do not contain the word physical. Therefore you are free to be short sighted if you wish and not think of chess as a sport and I am free to think of chess as a sport. You are wrong to say that I am wrong just because you choose to glaum onto a narrow subset of the meaning of the word sport and I choose to understand the complete meaning of the word.

Well, this is about my shortness or what you can't see.

The concept is so simple: Chess is a board game, a great and complex game. Mixing that with sports is like to go far in your pretentions. But... ok, it is good to dream

The last part: "I said that you said that I said that you said". Is this some kind of play? I just came with the correct definition about what chess is: a board game.

Easy

[Michael Sherwin]

Chess today is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee.

[OliverUwira]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

That was a great report. I happened to see it on the TV and couldn't believe my eyes.

As for poll. Of course chess is a sport. Kasparov and Anand exactly explained why.

[Arturo Ochoa]

Chess today is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee.

Yes, it has to do with commercial interests to sell this idea.

Look also, how bridge wants to be recognized...

http://reports.chessdom.com/chess-olympic-sport

But, man... what ever you want to show, chess is just that a board game.

There are several sports (physical skills) not recognized by the IOC because they are not popular around the world.

They consider chess or bridge because they are popular board games.

Let me know the cardio aspects of chess... I did not find anything about it

[gerold]

Sport(winning)
Board games are classified as mind sports.
Some board games are Olympie sports.

Best,
Gerold.

P.S. You are a good Sport.