Is chess a sport?

Well, I read Karpov lose around 20 lbs against Kortchnoï in their 1978 World Championship Match. Of course there are many factors like stress and fatigue who was present, but with the subject of "chess is a sport?" wanted to highlight this little point...

As I stated much earlier, "sport" is a cultural issue. The International Olympic Committee considers a competition with a single international organization that controls the rules and competition to be a sport. By that definition, scrabble could be a sport if all nations agreed on a single dictionary to use. 

Whether chess is a sport or "just" a game depends entirely on the definition used to define sport. Most definitions of sport have no clear amount of physical activity or dexterity required. Is playing darts badly still a sport? Competition chess probably burns about the same amount of energy, but over a longer period.

Chess will become a sport when war is declared a sport.

Chess isn't war. It's a board game.

it is a sport

You haven't played seriously then, Scottrf.

Never serious enough to be shot at.

You don't know what you're missing.

I once froze an opponent in carbonite. Does that make it a sport.

Seriously, it is a board game; a uniquely competitive board game. I understand the cultural differences in defining a sport, but this is a highly competitive board game.

Chess with the advent of quantum computing will soon be solved and obsolete like checkers or backgammon. Chess is a board game, and nothing else. 

Chess is not a sport because, by definition, a sport involves physical activity

It depends on your definition of "sport". You could argue that you have to physically move your hand while playing.

And I have to physically roll my eyes when I read some of the posts in here, it doesn't make chess.com's forums a sport.

A sport is defined as "an activity involving physical activity and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment".

So no, rolling your eyes does not make chess.com's forum a sport because you are not competing.

Chess can be argued as a sport. Notice how the AMMOUNT of physical need is not listed.

-Chess requires physical usage of the hand.

-Chess requires skill

-Chess can be played with a team

-You compete in chess

-It can be done for entertainment

According to the definition of "sport", you are wrong.

in order to make chess a better sport, people should be played at tables standing

instead of sitting.

The simple act of standing instead of sitting may help you burn 20 to 50 more calories per hour, depending on your size

this is of course unrealistic to play chess standing otb and therefore you should eat very little on days you play chess since you burn nearly no calories sitting.

I stopped otb chess because I didn't want to sit for 4 hours anymore.

I still think is a sport.

Some people walk outside to smoke a cigarette.

I said it before and I'll say it again, it depends on your personal definition of "sport".

sounds healthy (the walking part ) .

When you play blindfolded you have to think, your heart has to beat, and your lungs have to breathe, among other things.  All this burns more calories than moving your hand.

Yeah.  But post #31 was a good answer too.