Is chess a sport or not?

[northcity4]

That doesn't prove anything. Mental acuity= talent, not physical exertion. Just because it is in the olympics=/=sport.

[shadow303]

I've seen this discussion in many places before and fact is, chess doesn't meet all requirements of our current definition of a sport, because it doesn't include a significant aspect of movement, but at the same time it is legally and officially a sport and enlisted in the olympic sports. Yes, this is a contradiction - and there are many potential reasons for it. One might be that most of the national chess organizations are a lot older than the national sport organizations and therefore at the time when they were founded (and the definition of sport was a different one) they were included too.

It is correct that chess lacks a strong physical component in the game, even though it is very challenging regarding endurance, like other sports too (I know that too, I've been playing 5-hours chess tournaments for several years). At the same time also other sports are not strictly physical, they all have a mental component, regarding tactics or strategies. Some more, others less.

In addition chess meets all other requirements for the definition of a sport, especially the competitive character, organization (teams, clubs, leagues, tournaments and so on), strictly defined rules, and last but not least also aspects like the non-randomness of the game.

This would btw also one reason why Elements can't be a sport - it has also lots of random factors that do not depend from the human, but a machine (the computer).
In addition what I wrote initially (chess is officially a sport even though it does not match the current definition of a sport) prevents any other boardgame like it from becoming an (olympic) sport.

[northcity4]

No, cause in an argument, the board game people can argue the chess argument. The argument that chess has tradition and was before the Olympics is a fallacy in its argument because tradition/before hand have no bearing.

--->chess is a talent. Like teaching: you need to do a lot of homework/studying to teach and need to learn from others to do it right. In the end, all you have though is knowledge and your skill displayed simply is the movement of a piece that weighs practically nothing.

---> in sports most people agree are sports: lot of skill training that isn't just mental, but physical. Their talent is then displayed in games not just mentally, but physically and tests many aspects (endurance, strength, fatigue, etc.). Chess only tests your knowledge and most professionals do get bored eventually, but they don't suffer fatigue. Plus, they can take a long time to make a move, so even if they had fatigue, they have time to get themselves back on track. Sports (football for example), have fatigue and you must make quick paced decisions. The longest break you get is one half time and 1 minute time outs.

[bogtro]

Honestly, anyone saying that chess doesn't involve fatigue or physical exertion is simply demonstrating that they have never played serious competitive chess. Whether or not you think chess is a sport or not, this is a pretty ridiculous argument. Unfortunately, I don't really get the sense that pretty much anyone posting on here has any real experience with serious chess.

[TribalTrouble]

I play in actual chess tournaments. It is a sport. A rigorous one at that. You need to practice long hours to keep your skills at par with your opponents. You need to watch for your opponents' slightest gestures. The tiniest movement of their eyes, or their posture could provide information as to where they are planning to act next. The need to look ahead for the slightest quirk in your plan, and in your opponents' plan. It all causes a lot of stress as well as makes it challenging and fun. Some would say it is all about memorization. They would be wrong. The game of Chess is very, very much about strategy and tactics. Positioning your pieces just right can cause humongous combinations to reveal themselves to you.

For those of you who argue that it is slow, there are Blitz tournaments that can make a game take only as long as a few minutes. Most of the best chess players have played a mixture of both Blitz and regular Chess. Now go play Blitz Chess for the entire time you are watching a baseball game between the Yankees and Sox (4+hours) and then come back here and tell me you aren't exhausted.

edit: Oh, and the bonds you make with the other players can be amazing. Especially since sometimes you both live in the same area and then become practice partners.

[northcity4]

Honestly, anyone saying that chess doesn't involve fatigue or physical exertion is simply demonstrating that they have never played serious competitive chess. Whether or not you think chess is a sport or not, this is a pretty ridiculous argument. Unfortunately, I don't really get the sense that pretty much anyone posting on here has any real experience with serious chess.

The reason we are talking about it is kind of like the NASCAR discussion: is it a sport? It is important because people who do real sports want their own identity and for someone to be included in their place because they are good at chess or can drive a car? Hope you see why people who do real sports are passionate about this topic. I am a long distance runner and trust me, chess people don't do nearly the same amount of work I do.

Let me ask this: if chess is to be a sport, shouldn't all types of jobs then be as well? Teaching?

[TribalTrouble]

We do at least the same amount of work, if not more. It is just a different kind of work. We work the brain, you work the legs. I personally am an avid jogger and walker, although I am not a long distance runner.

edit: Also, to answer your question, Teaching could be considered part of a sport in that coaches are teachers. Are they not?

[bogtro]

Is teaching a competitive pursuit with a defined set of rules, winners, and losers? Not without greatly stretching the definitions.

I am a long distance runner and trust me, chess people don't do nearly the same amount of work I do.

Bluntly, this is (most likely) directly false. Just over the last week I've spent on the order of 60 hours working on/playing competitive chess (not that this is typical of course, but a major event just happened). If you put in this sort of time into long distance running, than I apologize (though obviously the point remains), but most likely this is probably more effort than you put in to your field over the last week. Certainly it's at least on the same order.

Fatigue plays a great part of chess. Think of how tired you are after taking a university exam (if this hasn't happened to you yet, input something on the order of 4-5 hours of mental strain). Now think of the fatigue involved in taking 2-3 of these exams, consecutively, 5 days in a row, on comparatively little sleep and fast food. Ignoring physical condition is silly.

Really the discussion depends on whether we refer to a sport as its rigorous textbook definition, or as its understood/implied/general meaning. The former case implies that it is technically not a sport, while the latter makes it fairly clear.

[TribalTrouble]

Why do you eat fast food... bring food to eat! D:

[bogtro]

Why do you eat fast food... bring food to eat! D:

Over a 5-day (or even the somewhat more typical 3-day) tournament? This isn't usually practical - food storage is not often possible at most "chess" hotels (it is rare to find a hotel with a refrigerator at most events, even with a significant charge). Of course, this is fine for 1-day events which most scholastic players will be used to, but these are rarely tournaments that can be honestly labeled serious.

[northcity4]

Yes there is fatigue and a lot of waiting, but at the end of the day:

One person is burning calories and staying fit. They are increasing their athleticism and ability to endure even more and exert even more.

The chess guy only gets fatter if he doesn't exercise on top of playing/teaching chess. Time is involved in chess I will give you that, but the term sport involves athleticism, increasing your bodies abilities, etc.

Talk to people who do real sports and try saying 'I play chess.' They will exclude you.

It's not the same backwards.