Maybe speed chess(blitz with really short times) could be sorta considered a sport. If a player's ability to move his arms, and hands quickly have an effect on the game.
Is chess a sport? Ending the debate
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Drawgood wrote:
I disagree with the claim that chess is a sport. I remember back in Ukraine people would keep referring to it as "sport" and usually it was just the people who spent too much time playing chess in their leisure time. They wanted to give weight and purpose to their hobby. I think especially with video games emergence over last decades it only shows that either chess is not a sport or the video games must be considered sport. I do not consider something like Call of Duty, Starcraft, or Civ games to be examples of sport. These games either require honed reaction time, skill with hand, knowing the maps, and strategic thinking. One most similar to chess are probably many turn based games like Civilization etc.
Video games like chess do not really require physical fitness. Yes. I know professional chess players exercise to improve their thinking and general stamina. But it is not required at all in general. Physical fitness and development of some physical abilities is what separates sports from non sports. And not every physical activity is a sport of course.
Chess doesn't have to be a sport for people to enjoy it. It makes no difference at all.
Video games like chess do not really require physical fitness. Yes. I know professional chess players exercise to improve their thinking and general stamina. But it is not required at all in general. Physical fitness and development of some physical abilities is what separates sports from non sports. And not every physical activity is a sport of course.
Chess doesn't have to be a sport for people to enjoy it. It makes no difference at all.
Great comment. I'd like to add that if an old man in a wheelchair, with a breathing tube, can play it, it's not a sport. It's a board game, pure and simple. The most popular and arguably the best board game of all time, but still a game. There's nothing wrong with that though. Not everyone can participate in sports, due to age, handicaps, poor health, etc. But everyone can learn to play chess. So, in some ways, it's better than a sport.
Old man in a wheelchair could take part in many number of sports, but just not be very good at them.
TheEinari wrote:
There are other ''sports'' the recuier very little physicality from the ''athlete'' such as racing, shooting, golf and horse riding (the horse does most of the physical work but yes, it does take effort from the rider to stay on).
Thus speaks someone that has not raced a car or motorbike and does not shoot, play golf or ride a horse ... (at least, not at a high standard).
TheEinari wrote:
Old man in a wheelchair could take part in many number of sports, but just not be very good at them.
That's why I added "with a breathing tube". lol Yes, there are handicapped athletes. Most are young and in good shape otherwise though.
ModestAndPolite wrote
Thus speaks someone that has not raced a car or motorbike and does not shoot, play golf or ride a horse ... (at least, not at a high standard).
I have ridden horses and wouldn't really consider casual riding to be a sport. I would however classify riding a wild bronco at a rodeo as a sport and also thoroughbred horse racing as a sport. Golf is definitely a sport if you walk the 18 holes. With a golf cart ..... ehh.
Chess is a game not a sport how does that matter
I think chess is a sport-I think sports do not necessarily have to be active, as DoctorKraken42 said, it has a the qualities of a normal sport like football or tennis.
chess IS a sport, the same way pocket pool is a sport
Sep 29, 2016
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#73
You are all morons, the words "physical exertion" are in the definition of the word sport. So no it is not a sport, discussion over
Sep 29, 2016
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#74
Lasker1900 wrote:
There's something hilarious about all the jerks who like to say "discussion over." It's like they imagine that they get to decide.
Yeah, its quite funny.
I have thought about this, and studied it for quite a while(years). While I used to be one who supported that chess was a sport, and wished that it was(and I still do really). The truth is, chess is not a sport.
A sport requires a 'physical action' that can be honed(a skill). It can be argued that a craft like putting together model airplanes is a 'skill' that can be honed, so yea that is a good point(because building model airplanes is not a sport), but it does not help the case for chess to be classified as a sport.
Chess is not a sport by definition.
No sport can be done completely in the mind. It's not a sport.
“It made me sad when I caught myself pretending that everybody out there in cyberspace cared about what I thought, when really nobody gives a shit. And when I multiplied that sad feeling by all the millions of people in their lonely little rooms, furiously writing and posting to their lonely little pages that nobody has time to read because they’re all so busy writing and posting, it kind of broke my heart.”
― Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being
Miriam Webster's Simple Definition of sport
a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other
sports in general
a physical activity (such as hunting, fishing, running, swimming, etc.) that is done for enjoyment
First let me say that i fully understand this will not settle anything. But with that said, i do believe chess is a sport. Karpov lost over 20 lbs of body weight in his first match with Kasparov. Is chess "physical" obviously not, but it does mentally, and physically wear on you during a tournament.
- “Our cyberworld and cyberspace are infested with so many cyberscoundrels, cybercriminals, cybersluts and cyberpunks - that is virtually impossible for the cybercops (cyberpolice) to catch or stop them using known cybertechniques and save the cyberphobia of millions of cybernauts, many of whom are cyberholics.” ― Tapan Bhattacharya, The Shrinking Universe
One individual's personal opinion doesn't give much in defining anything. I could go and float and splash around in water for a while and think ''Swimming is not even close to a sport.'' Same as you might go to chessboard, push wood mindlessly around for a few minutes and think ''this is nothing but a silly game.''
IOC has recognized chess as sport. We all can have our opinions about it but it doesn't change the fact that one of the most highly respected sport organizations has given chess it's blessing.
For once, I agree with you. Well put.