sport (spôrt, sp
rt)
n.
1.
a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b. A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
3. An active pastime; recreation.
4.
a. Mockery; jest: He made sport of his own looks.
b. An object of mockery, jest, or play: treated our interests as sport.
c. A joking mood or attitude: She made the remark in sport.
5.
a. One known for the manner of one's acceptance of rules, especially of a game, or of a difficult situation: a poor sport.
b. Informal One who accepts rules or difficult situations well.
c. Informal A pleasant companion: was a real sport during the trip.
6. Informal
a. A person who lives a jolly, extravagant life.
b. A gambler at sporting events.
7. Biology An organism that shows a marked change from the normal type or parent stock, typically as a result of mutation.
8. Maine See summercater. See Regional Note at summercater.
9. Obsolete Amorous dalliance; lovemaking.
According to definition 1: No
According to definition 2: No, it is Mental Exertion. (although the rest is quite similar)
According to definition 3: Yes
4 and onwards are meaningless for this thread.
In my particular opinion: Yes, chess is a sport. Or a Mental Sport if you want to be really specific. But it isn't a physical sport.
We could argue that sports are those games that develop and exercise a part of the body. Then in this particular case, Chess is the Mental Sport by excelence, since it helps fight memory loss and it raises mental acuity, specially in younger and older folks. (If practiced seriously, of course)
Contrary to popular belief, Chess doesn't make anyone directly smarter, it just develops a new way to think based on complex action/reaction calculation and more importantly, it develops patience and strategic planning, which are important things in life and will help you live longer (if and only if they are paired with physical activity, a good diet, and a good amount of good luck and genetic strenght)
=)
Lifted from a Health Book, circa the (early) 1970's?
"Chess is a sport that requires little or no body contact."