Is chess a sport or not?

[Bonestorm]

Most people who say no haven't been to an actual competitive chess event. 8 hours of almost non-stop chess play is fatiguing.

Sitting a 4 or 5hr exam is probably more intense and just as if not more fatiguing, is that a sport?

[Uppercut]

Most people who say no haven't been to an actual competitive chess event. 8 hours of almost non-stop chess play is fatiguing.

Sitting a 4 or 5hr exam is probably more intense and just as if not more fatiguing, is that a sport?

Maybe if you're graded on a curve.

[bucky1andonly]

If the world calls it a sport, then it is a sport.  Golf is a sport, and it is less demanding than chess.  People make fun of curling and it's a sport.

-edit-
@bonestorm
if a 4-5 hour exam exhausts you, maybe you shouldn't be out partying all night eh

[Thalas]

Mental Fatigue =/= Physical Fatigue (Imagine some people playing Dragons and Dungeons for 5 hours, they are mentaly tired so they are [sarcasm]doing sport    [/sarcasm]
In sport (if sport is meant as physical activity, with competitive or recreational purpose) you can be stupid or smart as you like you just need strenght, good reflexes or agility/speed as long as you understand the rules. In chess applies smarter the better, in chess you don't need strength, good reflexes or agility/speed (I mean inhuman strength.....speed)
It's competitive, so it isn't sport but competition.

Please for all those who think that chess is a sport write a definition of sport.

[bucky1andonly]

sport   

sport [spawrt]
n (plural sports)
1.  competitive physical activity: an individual or group competitive activity involving physical exertion or skill, governed by rules, and sometimes engaged in professionally 
2.  competitive physical activities as group: competitive physical activities considered collectively as a group 
3.  pastime: an active pastime participated in for pleasure or exercise 
4.  somebody cheerful: somebody who remains cheerful when losing or in an unpleasant situation (informal) 
5.  somebody who plays fairly: somebody noted for abiding by the rules in a game or for generally honourable behaviour (informal) 
6.  good companion: a good-natured, easy-going, or sociable person (informal) 
7.  joking: good-natured joking (formal)
a harmless prank done in sport
 
8.  derision: contemptuous mockery (formal) 
9.  object of ridicule: an object of ridicule or mockery (formal) 
10.  somebody or something manipulated by others: somebody or something manipulated by external forces (literary) 
11.  gambler: a gambler, especially somebody who gambles on sporting events (informal) 
12.  Australia US New Zealand form of address: a casual form of address, especially used between men or boys (informal) 
13.  biology mutated organism: a plant or animal that deviates markedly from its parent stock or type, usually as a result of mutation, especially mutation of somatic tissue 
14.  biology unusual character: the mutant character of a mutated organism 
15.  amorous behaviour: amorous behaviour, e.g. kissing or cuddling (archaic) 

Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

[harakirinosaru]

Most people who say no haven't been to an actual competitive chess event. 8 hours of almost non-stop chess play is fatiguing.

^this

I would rather run the 3200 and the 4x4 back to back than try to stick out a chess event.

[Lukwos]

I'm an occasional chess player, and in my opinion, it depends on the player (or on the player's mood): if he plays 'just for pleasure', without thinking a lot I would say it' is more a game, because you do not predict enough to do without luck, but hard players, with experience and intense mental working, almost not count on luck. Then, in the last one, it depends directly on players skills, and I think we can call it a sport in this case. I do not know how it is in another countries, but in France there is an expression which is litteraly 'spirit gymnastic'. An intense chess game is really tiring (most of the time, I tend to avoid that ), and as in all sport, you train a specific part of your body.

An exam can not be considered as a sport, because you only make rote learning, and answer to questions with that you had learn.

And I think it is interesting to bring up the question of videogames, especially with all the new technologies that emerging, some videogames require a lot of concentration, skills and good reflexes, therefore maybe we can call some of them 'sport'...however, maybe I'm wrong, gain reactivity in one videogame do not always help in real life, then we can say that there are better sports than others (healthy speaking) .

[Thalas]

sport   

sport [spawrt]
n (plural sports)
3.  pastime: an active pastime participated in for pleasure or exercise 

Then in this definition it's a sport, however does that mean that people doing it for something else as money or ranking aren't doing sport while some amateur who plays just for fun is doing sport?

And how do you define sport?

[bucky1andonly]

The world has defined chess as a sport, that should be good enough.  If you don't agree, well, you're wrong.  You can't beat a majority.

[Lukwos]

But thinking by yourself is always better than following the others blindly...Remember the Flat Earth theory for example 

[Scaredgirl]

The world has defined chess as a sport, that should be good enough.  If you don't agree, well, you're wrong.  You can't beat a majority.

How the "world" defines chess, makes no difference to me. One person can be right and a billion can be wrong. The fact that more people have a certain view, doesn't make that view any more correct. Just look at religion.

I define "sport" as something that requires physical effort and technique. Darts and Snooker are sports because although they are not physically demanding, they require lots of technique. Chess on the other hand requires only thinking. Only physical part is moving the pieces which requires zero technique. That's not sport.

I think it's silly to say that games like chess are sport. It's an insult to real sports really. If chess is a sport, then so is playing Monopoly. The reason some people (aka chess players) define chess as sport, is that they want to make chess sound more legit. It's marketing, nothing more.

I think that chess is really cool but lets call it what it is, ok?

[Lukwos]

Chess on the other hand requires only thinking. Only physical part is moving the pieces which requires zero technique. That's not sport.

I think it's silly to say that games like chess are sport. It's an insult to real sports really. If chess is a sport, then so is playing Monopoly. The reason some people (aka chess players) define chess as sport, is that they want to make chess sound more legit. It's marketing, nothing more.

I think that chess is really cool but lets call it what it is, ok?

Hohooo, really scary

First: you could not say there are no technique in chess, even in elements there are...the term technique is not a term you can use just for physical movments.

Second: in my mind high level chess is sport, and I do not want to legitimate anything, it is really the least of my worries, I am just saying what I'm thinking...And I will tend to think that you have never really played a great chess game, just like I said it is really tiring, and then physical. Do you know that the issue of a game between Karpov and Kasparov was determined by their endurance? I do not remember who won this game, but the fact is the winner was training phisically itself in sight of this game!

Third: no, Monopoly is not a sport because based entirely (or almost) on luck.

Finally, if you think sport is borned to enhance its physical condition, it is the case : some studies showed that train our brain limits mental diseases in older ages, and keep you more 'reactive' over the years.




Edit: This is it, sorry, he had not win this game, but if the game has continued....
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=55015

And sorry for my grammar, it is probably a mess