Europe Respects Chess More Than USA?

Really?  Do his fans self apply that...um...pejorative?

Yes.

How can you be sure, though?

Earlier this afternoon i enjoyed a spot of delicious powdered egg soup.

I dont know, its not like Europa is fulled with chess groupies either. I read that 15% of grown americans play chess once every year. To me that sounds like alot. 

Also I think its all what you have time for. Europe with its maximum work houres and what not gives people the opertunety to praktis chess. Good luck acheving the same results working two jobs on minimum wage. 

Live_For_Chess wrote:

I agree with ChezBoy.

Thanks ;)

This got worse than I thought, as a lebanese citizen.. I have nothing to say :p

Thats ok...as with most posts, it quickly derailed into nonssense, personal attacks, and the grammar police will be showing up shortly.

My sources tell me that chess is no more popular in France than it is in the USA.  I don't know if this is true.  (my sources are not trustworthy on this subject.)

Anyone?

Good attempt to start a long heated thread...will probably succeed as people generally rise to the bait...

Until you are able to bet on chess in Las Vegas, chess will not be respected in the USA.

Ziggy_Zugzwang wrote:

ChezBoy wrote:

I notice Europe has excellent venues and prizes, while the USA doesn't in most cases. Why is this? Is it because Europe respects intellectual activities more than the USA? What do you think?

Good attempt to start a long heated thread...will probably succeed as people generally rise to the bait...

I don't appreciate trolls in my forums. Please refrain from your illogical, unhelpful, incorrect, and rude comments. Thanks!

but there is no reason why it shouldent

Its a game, so why does it need respect? Its not life or a person so I don't feel any need to....

The bottom line is that no-one likes chess, but European countries have a higher number of cranks and crazies who are willing to promote it.

The epitome of this is the lunatic from Asscrackistan who currently runs (and funds) FIDE. The farther East you go, the loonier it gets.

I couldn't (respectfully, of course) disagree more regarding your first point. Whatever your personal feelings about the game are, it's pretty difficult to deny that chess requires intellectual skills and mental exertion. We have to form strategies based on observations of the position, calculate possible scenarios in the future, remember technical procedures and principles... and it all has to be done mentally without taking notes or discussing it. That sounds pretty intellectual to me. Obviously, if we're talking about patzers who drop pieces left and right and don't really know or care what they're doing, it's not too intellectual, but at even intermediate levels the game requires considerable mental powers.

Certainly one must agree that chess is one of the most intellectual activities among games- Monopoly has too much chance, card games are even more random, football is tremendously complex but much of it is based on physical dominance, baseball is too dependent on physical strength and technique, etc.

As for the last sentence about losers and nincompoops, I think this is just an emotional statement. Obviously there are losers and nincompoops in almost every discipline, but it seems at best lazy to paint us all with such a wide brush. We aren't all antisocial nerds who never shower and can't hold a conversation. Many people view chess the way I do- as a fun hobby that challenges me mentally, presents a form of pure competition that adults rarely get (adults don't get to play high school/college sports anymore), and a pleasant diversion that can be either relaxing or exciting. Again I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I think this blanket statement shows a regrettable lack of objectivity and I sincerely hope your future experiences allow you to view chess in a more positive (or at least more objective) way.

why are you her?

Yep, uh huh......

I am not reading all of that

There's a happy medium between those that equate chess with tiddlywinks and those who equate chess with smoking jackets and brandy sifters...but I have to say, those that consider chess as a hobby that makes them intellectually superior are far more annoying than those on the other extreme of the spectrum.

>We have to form strategies based on observations of the position, calculate possible scenarios in the future, remember technical procedures and principles... and it all has to be done mentally without taking notes or discussing it.<

You can say the exact same thing about masturbating to pornography. It's not really a rousing endorsement of the game.