Is chess a sport or a game

  My opinion is that the word chess does not have sporting connotations.  Although from what I can tell the world's best players have a rigorous training schedule to make sure they are in peak condition for the event they face. Perhaps this brings it closer to being a sport, I'm not sure. I think that whilst it's very easy to say that it is not a sport and to find reasons and comparisons to prove that it is not a sport, maybe we, as chess players, should look for reasons to claim that it is or can be classed as a sport.  maybe we could say it is a brain sport.

I think all sports have a champion or championship game. Chess has its champions and and they train and practice and drill just as much as say ball teams, But sadly i do not think it is a sport. If so all board games should be classified as sports. Who's the candy land or shoots and ladders champ. Ya feel me!?

It's more than a sport, many sports don't require much of a brain.

This is always a fun argument when you are at a bar with some buddies and everyone has had a few drinks.  To give you my personal definition, for an activity to be considered a sport, it needs the following:

• Either a concrete way to score points (e.g. putting a ball in a goal) or a specific objective.  Chess meets the latter requirement in that the objective is to capture the opponent's king.  Any sport that relies on judging, e.g. figure skating, does not meet either requirement.  As for boxing, I'd have to say, this is borderline - knockouts are a clear objective, but when there is no knockout, judging comes into play  (grrr...) 
• A substantial amount of rapid movement and athleticism.  This rules out activities like bowling and pocket billiards, which require a high degree of accuracy but no real athleticism.  This also rules out golf - sorry Tiger Woods fans.  And, it rules out chess, where about the only time you'll see someone running fast is when he has to take a bathroom break and there isn't much time on his clock.

Examples of real sports: Baseball, football, basketball, soccer, hockey, beach volleyball, swimming

Not sports: Golf, bowling, pocket billiards, darts, figure skating, diving, chess, American Idol   

only 5 sports exsist baseball, football, basketball, hockey and boxing.  soccer is not a sport because sports must use (really use) hand-eye cordination.   beach volleyball is not a sport because anything that girls can be good at are not sports. and swimming is not a sport because a sport must use a projectile.

I think its a game.

I think people take that the wrong way as if saying it's a Game just like Checkers or Scrabble or soemthing.

Where as a sport, well that just sounds like a higher level of gaming.

But I don't see it like that...It to me is a Game, but a game at the highest most peek of gaming. It's different to me than sport and one is not better than the other.

Shoots and Ladders champion would be me. I don't like to brag about it.

What do they use as projectiles in boxing?  Chairs when the crowd isn't happy with the result?

Evrything is a sport if you are in a really bad shape :)

-Oh the pices are to heavy for me, I need to win soon...

Chess boxing should count as a sport

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_boxing

You should read an entire comment before you choose to quote as you've misquoted me.  I actually said that perhaps this brings it closer to being a sport, but I don't know.  I also said that perhaps as chess players we should try and look for reasons to make it a sport is it is so easy to find reasons to claim it is not.  Tonymtbird - Is what you said a joke, football (or what you call soccer) is perhaps the most popular sport in my country and many others.  You've also missed out rugby and cricket and your so called, 'five true sports' do not even fit the criteria you set out for them to meet

not  fake wresteling man, boxing...In boxing your own fist is the projectile.....

I cannot see how a fist fits into the meaning of, projectile

pro·jec·tile

perhaps you should research things like this before you make absurd and sexist claims

perhaps you should research things like this before you make absurd and sexist claims

humm thrown hu? like you throw a fist?  a fist is self-propelled by the human body do you really want to get into the science of this because I HAVE done my homework.

I don't think it works that way Tony, but nice try!

well then we can agree to disagree, but if you ever train for boxing on the very first day any good coach will tell you that your fist is used as projectile.  shotput uses a projectile right?  it's literally the same science, the only difference being that you let go of the shotput. by the way shotput is not a sport for at least two reasons don't even try.

Nah, sorry!  You are wrong, the shot put is a projectile, not your hand.  Your hand is never a projectile mate, you are fighting a losing battle...but again, nice try!

 They were wrong. Chess is an art!

Yeah, calling a fist a projectile is infinitly stupid, but I loved this line:

shotput uses a projectile right?  it's literally the same science, the only difference being that you let go of the shotput.

Except in this case, the only difference (letting go), is the exact difference that makes the shotput a projectile and not the hand.

As long as it has high level competition, an international federation that hosts ¡¡¡156!!! countries, chess should be recognized as a sport... you dont need to do any physical activities to consider yourself a sposrtsman (Altho i heart that many Chess players run just to maintain condition, rofl)... But still... A sport only needs to be playable for every kind of human being, fun profile, it needs to follow rules, international presence and a very strict international organization dedicated to sportsmanship...

I mean yeah if u can call Poker a sports that needs to be played in the Olympics, (i read some comments about this, and i might just kill myself if this happens)... Why not Chess? Chess > Poker in every possible way.

And yes, for me, Chess is a sport.

Chess is a game.