Chess is a bad game

Chess is a lot of things, but it’s hardly a game. Games have elements of fun that are not dependent on the outcome of the game. You can play sports or videos games and the highlight you remember is likely an exciting part of the match, not the result. No one thinks back on a chess match with fondness over some great move they made that ultimately led to a loss.

My friend used to tease me and say “you like chess? That’s basically doing homework for fun”. And you know what? He was right. The joy of chess is victory or learning from losses. This is a great lesson for life, perhaps, but terrible for a game. A game can be played casually. But have you ever felt the awkward frustration of defeating your friends at chess? Are the casual players that aren’t interested in improving essentially meant to avoid chess altogether?

When you come across a fellow chess player, one of you is the superior player. This means after your first match, there is very little motivation to ever play again since the outcome is almost predetermined. If the lesser player wins, is was likely caused by a blunder, which feels completely unearned. I would argue that a game needs some element of randomness or luck. That’s the only thing that makes a game exciting when one player is better than the other. Unpredictability is an essential element to make literally any event exciting.

I would argue that something that deters casual players and is only enjoyed by those on a strictly growth focused journey is a bad game. In fact, it isn’t a “game” at all. It’s just doing homework for fun. And being an American, it isn’t even a skill that will impress anyone you’ll ever meet outside the local chess club.

Wrong

As a casual player myself, I don't really care about elo growth. I know I will never be "good" at chess. I lost around 150 elo in the last month or so... and yet I still play.

In any game, for most normal people, there's going to be a lot of people who are astronomically better than you. Doesn't make the game less fun.

As far as being an American, I am as well, and I can say that very few people are going to be impressed by any game you play, unless it is a physical sport. I assume this is the same in the rest of the world as well.

Chess reinforces a really great life lesson. That anything worthwhile takes work and dedication. And that by putting in the work, you are rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment - an affirmation that you are capable of excelling at something.

If that's not what you are looking for in a game, that doesn't make it "not a game". It just makes it "not a game for you".

What is this person saying chess is amazing 👏

Hahahahahahahahahaha

Saying chess lacks elements of fun independent from the outcome of the game is just your short-sighted opinion. Some people can enjoy the game casually playing with a friend, win or lose who cares? Some may enjoy a well-played tactical maneuver from the opponent.

"No one thinks back on a chess match with fondness over some great move they made that ultimately led to a loss."

Wrong. I've had games myself where I either found cool ideas or played brilliant moves but still lost, doesn't mean I can't respect the brilliancy as a cool moment of the game.

Wins against higher rated players are actually the ones I'm most proud of. The incentive in playing them is to learn from them, or if you're playing casually then who cares about winning or losing. Besides that, every chess game ever played was won by a concession of advantage or mistake made by one opponent being capitalized upon by the other. So I suppose according to your logic no chess games ever won were deserved.

If you don't like chess that's fine, doesn't make it an objectively bad game. There is a reason it has been around for so long and a lot of people play it.

"[Chess]... is hardly a game"

Your subjective preferences of game qualities necessary for the enjoyment of a game do not dictate the objective definition of what a game is. Chess is a game.

Here is a Miriam-Webster's dictionary definition of the word game that chess definitely falls under: a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other

Chess isnt a bad game

It’s not a bad game but it’s a game and you can basically say any game (not a video game or sport) is bad they’re just a pastime. But calling it a ‘bad game’ isn’t true it’s the best and most popular board game out there.

Boohoo. Blame the playa not the game nor the country.

then.. why are you here? there's no point in playing a game you don't like

Some people have difficulty accepting that they are mediocre at something thus blaming everyone but themselves. Sad.

No. It is wrong. Yes I admit that chess is a hard game which requires knowledge to play, but it doesn't mean that it is 'BAD'. Some people might think it but the overall answer is "NO, they are living with a misunderstanding.

Chess is not bad. Some people’s brain is bad.

Chess is fun and intellectually challenging and interesting sometimes I get very happy when my opponent makes brilliant move it motivates me to beat him more