Chess is a sport because we have tournaments like any other team we have people to play against and we have to think hard before making our next move
Should chess be considered a sport?
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Jun 23, 2015
0
#24
Here's one HUGE difference between chess and any other "sport": I can enjoy ANY sport on television without knowing the first thing about it. I can enjoy the movement and excitement of baseball, football, soccer--even curling--without knowing any of the rules at all. Of course, a knowledge of the rules enhances one's enjoyment of the game considerably, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out when a homerun, touchdown, or goal has been made. Chess, on the other hand, requires a good deal of knowledge to enjoy even a game between Class A players, let alone GMs.
To me, this is the biggest dividing line between chess (and bridge and poker) and sport. Without a large body of prior knowledge on the part of the audience, the spectator appeal is zero.
Jun 23, 2015
0
#25
So, if intelligence and knowledge is required of the spectators, the activity is not a sport?
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Its better than a sport, what sport can you play well while drinking :)
Jun 23, 2015
0
#28
Ziryab wrote:
So, if intelligence and knowledge is required of the spectators, the activity is not a sport?
Intelligence and knowledge on the part of the spectators certainly IMPROVES the enjoyment of watching any sport. Figure skating, for example, has dozens of arcane terms to describe movements I can't even distinguish when I'm watching it. But I can enjoy watching it. I can enjoy watching a football game, but those who are expert in the rules and in the proper play of the game certainly enjoy the spectacle a lot more.
And this is true of every sport covered on ESPN, in "Sports Illustrated," in the sports section of your local paper, etc.
But chess is different from all of the others. Without the special knowledge, no one can enjoy watching it. I simply can't imagine ANY sport (other than perhaps cricket) where the spectators MUST know the rules before enjoying the show.
[COMMENT DELETED]
so you're a skinjob now then!
some killer crab you turned out to be :(
Jun 23, 2015
0
#31
MisterBoy wrote:
Ziryab wrote:
Of course it is a sport. Those who deny its physical aspects obviously have not attempted to compete on a high level.
Not the same thing. Getting tired will affect you but it's still not using physical skill i.e. muscles. Mental effort/fitness is a massive part of top-level sport of every type by contrast.
By "high level", I don't mean the bottom 50%. I don't think that you really understand chess well enough to back up your comment.
Ziryab wrote:
MisterBoy wrote:
Ziryab wrote:
Of course it is a sport. Those who deny its physical aspects obviously have not attempted to compete on a high level.
Not the same thing. Getting tired will affect you but it's still not using physical skill i.e. muscles. Mental effort/fitness is a massive part of top-level sport of every type by contrast.
By "high level", I don't mean the bottom 50%. I don't think that you really understand chess well enough to back up your comment.
That's a pretty stupid and arrogant remark. I'm not on the ATP tour either but I still understand what is required to be an excellent tennis player.
The fact that a healthy body aids a healthy brain is not enough to make chess a sport.
lisa_zhang_tok wrote:
Its better than a sport, what sport can you play well while drinking :)
Beer pong?
Chess is an intellectual, intricate sport. Other than the fact that it obviously involves competition, tournaments (often held in school gymnasiums or arenas), rewards (medals, trophies, money), it requires planning, tactics, strategy... You must be able to look at various angles, your "team" must work together, you must practice and train. It requires endurance and good physical condition in order to withstand hours of concentration. You may have a coach and fans.
Because it is a science and an art as well as a sport, it may differ from other traditionnal sports but that does not take away its sports attributes - rather, it enances them. Is it a popular spectator sport? Perhaps not but that depens on the audience: I've seen many chess-playing spectators watch quite passionately chess games... By the same token, if you don't play bowling, curling, darts or billards, you may not be very interested in watching these sports. Even the most played sports internationaly might be considered "boring" to those who are not part of that culture. For example, being Canadian, I love to watch hockey but I don't appreciate soccer and for my Romanian brother-in-law, it's the other way around. In brief, you cannot deny that chess is a a sport just because many people don't want to watch it. So, in all fair-play, I will shake hands with you and wish you good luck and after the game, I will shake hands again, be a good sport and congratulate you on a brilliant game. Perhaps I will ask you for a rematch. Need I say more?
That's faulty logic. X is a sport and requires attributes A,B,C does not mean that any activity requiring attributes A,B,C is a sport. That's the logical equivalant of "all women have arms therefore everyone with arms is a woman".
GMrisingJCLmember1 wrote:
Recently in one of my chess groups our group members have been having a bit of talk about the question: Should chess be considered a sport? I want to ask people on this site their opinions (I think chess should be considered a sport).
In my few years on this site, this question has been put at least half a dozen times in the forums. If you call chess a sport, you must also call tiddlywinks, monopoly, ludo, draughts, mahjong, shove ha'penny, all card games (hundreds or even thousands of them), risk - in fact, all board games, again, thousands of them, darts, pool, snooker, all children's nursery rhyme games, "rock, scissors and paper", all of these and countless more, sports.
In case the point has not got home, chess is not remotely comparable to genuine sports like soccer, rugby, tennis and so on.
Jun 24, 2015
0
#37
RG1951 wrote:
GMrisingJCLmember1 wrote:
Recently in one of my chess groups our group members have been having a bit of talk about the question: Should chess be considered a sport? I want to ask people on this site their opinions (I think chess should be considered a sport).
In my few years on this site, this question has been put at least half a dozen times in the forums. If you call chess a sport, you must also call tiddlywinks, monopoly, ludo, draughts, mahjong, shove ha'penny, all card games (hundreds or even thousands of them), risk - in fact, all board games, again, thousands of them, darts, pool, snooker, all children's nursery rhyme games, "rock, scissors and paper", all of these and countless more, sports.
In case the point has not got home, chess is not remotely comparable to genuine sports like soccer, rugby, tennis and so on.
I have to disagree. Most of the things that were mentioned were games and activities that depend on luck, whereas chess is solely based on skill. Chess is a competition between two people based on skill, with championships and a ranking system, and for all intents and purposes should be considered a sport.
All sports have a physical, athletic element. Chess does not.
RG1951 wrote:
GMrisingJCLmember1 wrote:
Recently in one of my chess groups our group members have been having a bit of talk about the question: Should chess be considered a sport? I want to ask people on this site their opinions (I think chess should be considered a sport).
In my few years on this site, this question has been put at least half a dozen times in the forums. If you call chess a sport, you must also call tiddlywinks, monopoly, ludo, draughts, mahjong, shove ha'penny, all card games (hundreds or even thousands of them), risk - in fact, all board games, again, thousands of them, darts, pool, snooker, all children's nursery rhyme games, "rock, scissors and paper", all of these and countless more, sports.
In case the point has not got home, chess is not remotely comparable to genuine sports like soccer, rugby, tennis and so on.
What RG1951 said...
With the addition of noughts and crosses (tic tac toe) - which, if it doesn't seem unduly immodest, I would like to add that I play at World level.
Jun 24, 2015
0
#40
RG1951 wrote:
GMrisingJCLmember1 wrote:
Recently in one of my chess groups our group members have been having a bit of talk about the question: Should chess be considered a sport? I want to ask people on this site their opinions (I think chess should be considered a sport).
In my few years on this site, this question has been put at least half a dozen times in the forums. If you call chess a sport, you must also call tiddlywinks, monopoly, ludo, draughts, mahjong, shove ha'penny, all card games (hundreds or even thousands of them), risk - in fact, all board games, again, thousands of them, darts, pool, snooker, all children's nursery rhyme games, "rock, scissors and paper", all of these and countless more, sports.
In case the point has not got home, chess is not remotely comparable to genuine sports like soccer, rugby, tennis and so on.
Sport requires skill, and I'm sure that monopoly doesn't require skill.
Of course it is a sport. Those who deny its physical aspects obviously have not attempted to compete on a high level.
Not the same thing. Getting tired will affect you but it's still not using physical skill i.e. muscles. Mental effort/fitness is a massive part of top-level sport of every type by contrast.