It doesn't matter if the argument that chessplayers are athletes because they play chess is completely laughable and ludicrous. If you want to argue against it, you can only use arguments that have been officially ratified by the "chess is a sport committee". They haven't actually ratified any argument at all as acceptable to them.
Are chess players athletes? 💨
Sort:
May 6, 2022
0
#103
paritoshkothari wrote:
I think they can be considered athletes. Studies show that people who play intense chess matches tend to lose a lot of energy and calories during the match as their brain is as focused and needs as much glucose as required by any other runner or swimmer in a competition.
A person can burn hundreds of calories by just sitting, for hours, while thinking about nothing at all ...
But that doesn't mean that mindless sitting = athleticism ...
It's absolutely true that a person can sit in a cold Himalayan stream and generate enough calories to stay alive. Such a person is exceptional mainly BECAUSE they aren't generating the calories by running around.
So if online chess is an e-sport and therefore they are e-athletes, otb chess issss a boardgame? And therefore boardgamers?
May 6, 2022
0
#106
Kangmas_inuina wrote:
Yes, like an esports athlete. IMO
competitive chess as a sporting endeavor is an immense struggle of wills, magnified by decision-making stress, nerves & constant clock pressure:
severe time control scrambles feature an additional (physical) element: the necessity of proper eye-hand coordination when inputting one's moves, similar to what is required in other e-sports such as 'starcraft';
besides which, there are several notable chess streamers which have been actively recruited into e-sports organizations in the recent past, as i recall.
if golf, archery & shooting enthusiasts can be regarded athletes, with such minimal physical exertion involved, i don't consider it much of a stretch to pay chess players the same courtesy:
my personal definition of sport is more along the lines of 'a non-violent, hard-fought battle to the bitter end between trained combatants' anyways... but chess definitely fits that description in my book.
in the information age online sporting contests are common, but does it really matter if chess is played mostly in your mind? is your brain not a physical organ expending plenty of energy during a match?
i rather find that it makes for a more pure & interesting fight between personalities. 🙂
technical_knockout wrote:
Kangmas_inuina wrote:
Yes, like an esports athlete. IMO
competitive chess as a sporting endeavor is an immense struggle of wills, magnified by decision-making stress, nerves & constant clock pressure:
I find that buying stamps in a philatelic auction is identical to that and generates exactly those pressures.
These arguments are pure nonsense! 
May 7, 2022
0
#108
yes ..i play football (real one)
and i used to go to gym
and i feel like being in good physical shape helps our brain
if golf, archery & shooting enthusiasts can be regarded athletes, with such minimal physical exertion involved>>
Minimal physical exertion involved in archery? You really don't know what you're talking about, you know. Shooting, fine, but giving incorrect examples like archery shows you aren't thinking too well.
May 7, 2022
0
#110
Can be, that some people focus only on chess. But, most of them are athletes also.
May 7, 2022
0
#111
Optimissed wrote:
if golf, archery & shooting enthusiasts can be regarded athletes, with such minimal physical exertion involved>>
Minimal physical exertion involved in archery? You really don't know what you're talking about, you know. Shooting, fine, but giving incorrect examples like archery shows you aren't thinking too well.
The physical demands of shooting requite minimizing physical elements. Breathe. Squeeze. If you think that’s easy, you should try it.
Ziryab wrote:
Optimissed wrote:
if golf, archery & shooting enthusiasts can be regarded athletes, with such minimal physical exertion involved>>
Minimal physical exertion involved in archery? You really don't know what you're talking about, you know. Shooting, fine, but giving incorrect examples like archery shows you aren't thinking too well.
The physical demands of shooting requite minimizing physical elements. Breathe. Squeeze. If you think that’s easy, you should try it.
I won medals shooting in my late teens. .22 and .303. But haven't you and I had this conversation before? I'm still thinking of getting an up to date air pistol again.
So I'm an athlete when I buy stamps in auctions?
CooloutAC wrote:
yes, they are athletes be it cyber athletes or whatever you want to call it. They are using exercised skills and burning calories. Chess players sometimes wind up in the hospital after tournaments too to disperse any doubts lol. Take Karpov, or Gotham Chess. Its not uncommon. Mental or physical strain, its all connected.
Don't any and all human activities involving living people require burning calories? Does this mean that literally anything any living person does (including nothing) elevate the person to athlete? I guess that also means everyone is literally born an athlete. And remain athletes until their last dying breath. It's almost, sorta, like diluting the meaning of athlete just a bit.
I do like the term cyber athlete though. It sounds like one of those made up terms they use now to declare everyone a winner.
just because e-sports is a thing does not mean e-athletes are a thing
CooloutAC wrote:
lfPatriotGames wrote:
CooloutAC wrote:
yes, they are athletes be it cyber athletes or whatever you want to call it. They are using exercised skills and burning calories. Chess players sometimes wind up in the hospital after tournaments too to disperse any doubts lol. Take Karpov, or Gotham Chess. Its not uncommon. Mental or physical strain, its all connected.
Don't any and all human activities involving living people require burning calories? Does this mean that literally anything any living person does (including nothing) elevate the person to athlete? I guess that also means everyone is literally born an athlete. And remain athletes until their last dying breath. It's almost, sorta, like diluting the meaning of athlete just a bit.
I do like the term cyber athlete though. It sounds like one of those made up terms they use now to declare everyone a winner.
But not all activities are sports. I'm not surprised you would ask such foo!ish question since in similar threads you have shown you have no concept of what that is
I have no idea what you have in your hand, thank goodness.
nor do you consider chess one.
one what? this is really confusing, as I'm sure Patriot will agree.
CooloutAC wrote:
Fire wrote:
Amansinha888 wrote:
Yes kinda right. For example Magnus carlsen.
He like football, badminton etc. But he is playing chess too.
dont forget poker
I don't consider poker a sport because it has elements of luck.
All sports contain elements of luck. The ball can hit the corner of the goal post and rebound for a goal kick, or the referee can wrongly think it was a corner. There's a myriad of ways that luck plays a very real part in all sports. Including even the sport of buying stamps in philatelic auctions, which really drains the calories and can burn you out. Not to mention loading the boxes in your car.
Adding on, sports could be considered luck based because calls on fouls are subjective. You ever watch a sport, and the referee doesn’t call something that’s TOTALLY a foul? Yeah.
May 7, 2022
0
#119
lfPatriotGames wrote:
I play golf, swim, and hike, which are athletic. So I am a chess player who is also an athlete.
when's your next hiking tournament? 😆
Yes kinda right. For example Magnus carlsen.
He like football, badminton etc. But he is playing chess too.
dont forget poker