Is chess a sport or a game

I see sport as something which involves the body moving or being active ... and in a way Chess does sort of do that ... you move your hands and it keeps your mind active ... but I would say it was more a game than a sport in comparison to football, rugby, hockey, snooker, golf etc?

Alright now my question is to you.

What level of physical activity is required before you decide that a 'game' is a 'sport'?

Does shooting count as a sport to you?

Your idea of what makes a sport is absolutely ridiculous. Good day.

Whenever people argue over whether item x can or can not be described by term y, they are usually not arguing about the nature of x, but rather arguing over the definition of y.  This thread is a very good example of that principle.  We all know what chess is, but whether or not it can be considered a sport depends on your definition of the term "sport".  That term is just a tag; using or not using it to describe chess has no bearing on what chess is.

As to what words describe it:

I think we all agree chess is a game.

Chess is not a science, because it is fundamentally based in logic, not empiricism.

If we use the modern definition of art, by which the artist must have intent to convey an emotion, then chess itself is not an art, although some studies/compositions may be.

Sport has no agreed upon definition, as evidenced by the above, and as a result it is impossible to determine whether chess is one.

I agree that chess is not science but not for the above reason.  Science isn't just about empiricism but the entire process of doing science.  You may, however, approach chess in a scientific manner.

I don't agree with your definition of what an art is.  Little kids don't necessarily have the intent of conveying an emotion when they draw or paint but I'd still consider it art.  Plus, I think there are emotions and other messages conveyed in chess.  I don't even mean smashing your pieces down when attacking in an attempt to intimidate your opponent, but your whole style of play and the moves you choose says something about your personality.  When you are enforcing your will upon someone via the position on the chess board, you are most definitely sending the message that you are the superior player. 

Not every game has to have an emotional aspect to it.  Likewise, probably 99% of paintings are also void of emotion. 

But you're right.. this isn't a discussion about the nature of chess, but of the definitions of words like "sports," "art" and "science."

Chess is all those things but it is also fnord.

My personal rule of thumb...A sport ought to be any competitive activity where those taking part are free to determine their actions (e.g no dice, or cards) and judges are not required to determine a score.  Anything else is a game.

So monopoly, backgammon, poker, ice dancing, synchronized swimming etc. are games. 

Soccer, rugby, baseball, cricket, athletics, chess are sports.

Ski jumping is the great anomaly here.  It ought to be the one with the longest jump, but for some reason, you have to look good while doing it. Can you imagine Usain Bolt winning a sprint but being told that the guy in second was much more stylish and he was actually the winner.

Chess is two players, with the same forces.  There are no judges, nothing random and the winner is the one who beats the other.

Of course chess is a sport. 

I like the idea and thinking behind this, but it does then leave out a number of true sports.  Boxing is one I can think of!

The issue of judged events is a bit of sticky one -- I agree that in some "sports", such as figure skating, the judging is entirely too subjective but there are others, such as diving or aerobatic ski jumping, where it is more of a science than an art and you can actually get pretty consistent results irrespective of who the judge is as long as they are properly trained.  I'm not terribly familiar with how the judging works, but I suspect boxing falls into this latter category.

game

 It sort of involve physical skill. I mean if you play alot you can strengthen your finger muscles. LOL. but really I thought is was both but now I'm thinking more of strategic game. not game of chance like poker.

I know this thread is already long, but my definition a sport requires physical exertion. Chess does not.

Chess is a full-contact sport, of this I am certain.

Well despite everyones opinion chess is a recognized sport by the International Olympic Committee. I would give that more credence over a dictionary.

it is a sport as decleared by the the International Olympic Committee.

The answer for me is that it is both a game and a sport. 

It concerns me to see the credence that is given to a committee who has a proprietary list of what they consider sports for purposes specific to their own internal functioning.  What's worse, is that organizations representing those sports actively lobby for inclusion in that list and may well, in the process, do more than just lobby.  The IOC has a history of corruption when it comes to city selection so it stands to reason that one shouldn't be surprised if it were also found to be happening with event selection.

This does not seem to me to be a good model for establishing definitions, and certainly not an authority to whom we should defer over a dictionary.

hockey, soccer, chess, football

pick the one that doesnt fit.

a. hockey

b. soccer

c. chess

d. football

e. they all are to similiar to tell

good topic.. lol

Game, sport who cares, it's fun! Who wanna play?

i find a fantastic chess game to be just as beautiful as any work of art i have ever seen.

so then scrabble is a sport too, right??