WTF????????? chess should not of bean rejected

Its hard to state my opinion on this article. It would be great if they included chess but 1. I cant really think of any mental sports in the olympics at the moment (or maybe thats just my lack of true intrest in the olympics). And 2. Chess games as you may know can take hours. Who wants to watch two men sitting around moving some small pieces of wood around a board for 2 and a half hours. It is engaging to play but boring to watch. Finnaly 3. Believe it or not some people dont know how to play chess and it would be difficult for this large group to understand what it is exactly there trying to do. Its not a watch and play kind of game. The non chess viewers would be so confused. As much as I hate to say it now I think the cons outway the pros.

What about the fact that we have the mind sports olympiad?

I agree Gonno the is no drugs in chess, hey pass the coke please.

It is a hopeless pipe dream. While I would watch, most tv viewers would skip it.

now thats a thought... hehe..

Are we sure it's safe for chess in the Olympic games, I mean when professionals in sport that can kill people attack the ref you can't rule out somebody chucking a pawn at somebody.

I say, scrap water polo and all the other sissy games, and include Chess !!!!

Maybe now they can do away with the ridiculous drug testing. 

chess is not in the olypics because chess is boring i've watched chess games on youtube and it's so boring there's really no excitement the only way i think chess could be on tv is if chess had it's own channel now i'm sure that would work like putting openings,interviews,events,endgames ,chess shows on a chess channel

What sport gear? head band, comrades!

I love chess chess but it's not a sport, it's an activity and or a game.  I don't think chess should be in the oylmpics because the oylmpics are lame and chess is not.  There are only five real sports in this world basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and boxing.  Just because something is in the Olympics doesn't make it a real sport is anyone really going to try to argue that shotput is a real sport?

Yes, there are a lot of demands placed on a player during a tournament or match, not the least of which are the mental demands; having been there myself, I will say that chess can drain a person physical in such circumstances. However, when I think of athletics, I see bodies in motion. And once again, chess is a board game. It is not a game played on a field, in a court, on a rink, within a gymnasium, upon a track, or in a pool. 

I wonder how much the sorry state of FIDE hurts chess?  I for one think chess is TOO good for the olympics.  Let them have their curling and rhythmic gymnastics . . .

Very sorry to hear and kudos for a great attempt!

I don't think it should be included. Not because of the main argument in that you don't need physical strength or fitness to play. I disagree the very top players all keep themselves in good shape. Kasparov played tennis, ran and worked out in the gym. He knew the physical demands a top level match makes upon a competitors body. Botvinnik once said a match for the world title takes a year off your life! For me there is a very easy criteria that should be met for an event to be admitted and that is winning the Olympic gold medal should be the highest  possible aspiration for any person competing in that event. Chess and for that matter many other sports already included such as football (or Soccer for my American friends) fail to meet that criteria.

chess is the perfect game! it invovles no luck! only skill!

I can speak from my most recent personal experience from participating in the CCO chess tournament - chess is a sport - a game of endurance and skill - to not recognize it as an Olympic sport is ridiculous - you have to be both mentally and physically fit in order to play at the top level.

I guess the only door this may open is that what happens if chess is accepted?  Will games like poker or checkers or backgammon or scrabble now want a piece of the Olympic pie?  I figure that is probably the biggest obstacle for the Olympic Committee - they do not want to open up all of those other games to having a reason to want to become Olympic material.  But as a chess player, I think chess could be argued to be more of a sport than any other game like poker or blackjack or checkers or backgammon - but I am sure there are those who would take a different position.

They are mind athletes, they work as hard as any other athlete

Chess is a game played on a board. Therefore, it is a board game. However, if the Olympics have chosen to recognize chess as a sport, then they must include in the Olympic events. Not every event is televised.

Also, if chess is a sport, where are the athletes?