Chess and sports

In addition to being really into chess, I am also a huge sports fan and I have been since the time I could walk.

I'm watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament right now and I heard an announcer say the seemingly obligatory line, "...and the coaches continue their chess match against one another."

This got me wondering - for about the thousandth time or more - why is it that people seem to think chess and team sports have so much in common? They really don't - primarily because any athletic endeavor depends on the athletes' performances, while chess pieces always do the same thing, no matter what. In other words, a coach can direct his team to do any number of things that he believes to be strategically superior to the other team, but if the players do not execute at the level necessary to achieve the task (scoring a goal, shooting a basket, etc.) then all is lost. The strategic wit performed by the coach can be nullified by something as simple as a bad pass.

So I ask the chess.com community:

What do you see as the biggest similarity between chess and team sports like football, baseball, or basketball (and others)? Do you even buy the argument that they are similar? I'm interested in what other people think about this, since I find it offensive and somewhat insulting when broadcasters (and I used to be one!) use this comparison - and they do it A LOT!

Thanks everyone!

I like sports broadcasters' use of the term "chess match". I think it fits. Sports and chess are alike in a number of ways. The most significant similarity is that you need to adjust your strategy based on what your opponent does. That is where the "chess match" comes in. If your opponent is playing a zone defense, for example, you need to run offensive sets that match up against zone defenses. But why would the opponent play a zone defense? Perhaps that is the defense they are best at. Or perhaps they think that is the best defense for a particular offensive team.

The same is true in chess. You might have an idea of how you want to play, or of a certain opening or style you want to use, but the flow of the game is largely dicated by how the two opponents adjust to each other. If you do not adjust well to your opponent, you will lose.

IT'S WAR!!!

At high levels of competition, nobody's just playing a game. There is a determination to win that KNOWS this is not merely a contest of skills we're engaged in, but also a matter of wills and wits, and so engages the enemy on all those fronts. A good coach perceives the game on all those levels, and knows how to use his available resources.

^ For a guitar guy you are kind of high-strung.

I think hockey is like chess. You have to think about not only where everyone is, but where they can move to and how they interact. And in both cases being checked is painful...

I like it. Hockey is my favorite sport to watch and I've never looked at it like that before, but you're totally right.

Certain centers are matched up on a line with certain wingers because of their chemistry and their ability to work together cohesively. That is the same demand on a chess player with regards to his pieces.

And it's easy to see the parallel between a kingside attack and a team that's on the power play.

Okay, maybe I can get into this. Keep the comments coming!

ouch! but of course a check isn't a goal. Chess can be compared a little to wrestling (pins in the latter are a little more decisive)

Hey, ivand! I never said that I played at high levels of competition .