Chess is also and sport.
Amen
Chess can be called a sport, sure. Really though, it's a game. A great game but a game. And don't get me wrong, games are no less important than sports. However, chess is a game, just as monopoly is a game.
Go chess!
That's not an argument ih8sens as tennis is a game too, while people do consider it a sport. So what are the criteria for something to be a sport as opposed to a game? I think something becomes a sport (wether it is a game or not) when there are championships for it.
Let's start a monopoly worldchampionship!
"Sport" according to Websters:Adjective1. (Maine colloquial) temporary summer resident in inland Maine. Noun1. An active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition. 2. The occupation of athletes who compete for pay. 3. Someone who engages in sports. 4. An organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration. 5. Verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun". Verb1. Wear or display in an ostentatious or proud manner; "she was sporting a new hat". 2. Play boisterously; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the palyroom". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "sport" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references) |
According to wikipedia, which is in my opinion accurate:
Sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
So there is no need for that activity to be physical
chess is not a sport ...sadly. It is a game.
Although it should be considered "officially" a sport if poker is a sport
Well i know i would feel pretty silly if someone asked me "Do you play any sports?" and i answered "yes, chess." I just couldnt do that with a straight face...
Heart rate is a really bad measure. For example 'getting excited' increases heart rate, but isnt a sport. Same goes for 'getting scared'. Really, for it to be good for you, and a good guide for whether it could be a sport is, you need to be 'getting out of breath'.
To me, chess is a game that can "crossover" into sport. At the highest levels and when truly dealing with exhaustion, you can see the sport angle. Also, unlike monopoly that was mentioned earlier, there is no "chance of the dice," which to me seperates it from most all games.
The flip side of this is playing chess with my younger kids....that to me has a feel of a game completely.
I was just reading the posts for "is chess racist?" and saw that some how the discussion had shifted to what qualifies for a sport... I have no idea how, but these sorts of things do seem to happen. Anyway, I thought that was something that could have its own forum. So, what do you think? is chess a sport?