Is chess a sport?

Chess boxing is certainly a sport.

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

I would say chess is a sport. The brain does not sit in some spare room distant from the head, torso, arms and legs etc. If you, heaven forbid, injure your brain then this can have consequences for the rest of your body. They're kind of inter-connected.

A board game is a board game is a board game.

You play opponents averaging 500 points below you in blitz.

Needing help for your ego ??

Perhaps it's time to thicken up that skin a bit.

Nicholas Thomas sez "I would say chess is a sport. The brain does not sit in some spare room distant from the head, torso, arms and legs etc."

So...washing dishes is a sport. So is driving my car, eating, watching Desperate Housewives...the whole world is one continuous SPORT since the brain is close to the torso. 

I'm getting the picture about this Forum now...lotsa whacky people. How typical of chess...and we wonder why it's never on TV. 

There are never whacky people on TV.

I agree that Chess should not be in the Olympics. However, the Olympic announcers do not refer to "The Olympics Sports" but to the "Olympic GAMES".

I am not advocating for Chess to be considered a sport. But, as far as physical assertion goes, marksmanship is considered a sport (sporting clays). Not much physical assertion there.

I understand that some cultures do call Chess a sport. Fishing is called a sport in the USA. Not deep sea fishing. Fishing from the side of a small bass boat on quiet waters. I do not understand why it is called a sport when it is not a competition, you sit for hours and wait in a boat (very little thinking involved). I do not consider fishing a sport, although you can "sport fish".

While Chess excercises the mind, it can intice you to excercise your body to reduce stress during a tounament. That doesn't make it a sport.

So, what separates the low physically, low mentally assertion sports (marksmanship, billiards, fishing) from the low physically, high mentally assertion games (Chess)? I have found that all of the "sports" have a common element - they are physical in nature. They are physical activities. Chess is a mental activity, and that, I believe is the deciding factor.

I tend to think people who call particular sports "games" are narrow elitist type people who are similar to those within the field of art history who once insisted that "art" was something done by white, wealthy, able-bodied, European males and that everyone else [the Africans, the indigenous Australians, the native Americans, the Irish etc.]  did "crafts". We're living in a vain, body beautiful society and the intellect, judgement, reason and decision making is being grossly under-valued. Chess shouldn't be surrendering to swimming or running or cycling - chess is a sport and it belongs.    

It's BOTH game and sport.

Along with part Arts and Sciences, given all the Artificial Intelligence and Game Theory devoted to it.

Why is this so hard to conceptualize ??

Too many folks consult only Funk and Wagnalls.  Whatever.

Pacman used to be my favorite video sport, but these days I'm more into edgier stuff like Ms. Pacman.

In the english language the word sport seems to be defined as an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess. In chess, being athletic is probably an advantage - but not required. So technically it is probably not a sport.

But why is it important? Is being part of the "athletic club" that important? All sports are games, but not all games are sports.

Yes, chess is sport, and very, very brutal sport! When you start to play there is nothing else. Win or lose! Fight for yourself. 

http://www.norwaypost.no/index.php/sport/7-other-sports/29383-magnus-carlsen-chosen-name-of-sport-2013

Not really. its a game only. sport involves muscular activity /movement also.

There is already the well-established tradition of biennial chess olympiad , not to mention mind sports and other team championships. Do we really need another one in the Olympics Games ? I won't split hairs over whether chess is a sport or not as long as it gets enough exposure in our popular culture, and that young people care more about moving pieces instead of solving sudoku.

I had to do a 2000 word essay on why chess is not a sport because I bunked of rugby training to take part in a chess tournament. I concluded that it was, partly. But you were less likely to get your neck broken or are you?

I did get into a spat with the father of a young IM because I played for a draw. Bruised chin over a game of chess. What the heck?

I consider it a sport. I don't really care much about arbitrary definitions. It's competitve, requires coaching, training, effort, and practice.There's even chess olympiads and chess leagues with established teams if that's not enough resemblance for you.

Though, bearing that in mind, it probably would be a little out of place in something like the Olympics, I'll admit.

the problem with teachers is that they think they know it all. An essay might just as well be to write why the moon is made out of cheese.

you really cannot write the essay because the question is wrong to start with.