Why is chess a sport

loool, um I do not know if you know this but all kinds of games have players and sportsmanship, and if chess is not a sport then it can be called, a competition, a game, a board game, a hobby, a academic challenge, and go ahead and even call it a sport but that will not make it one. I also encourage yall to look up "what is chess" in google and see what comes up. for me it said it was a board game. just another source that says chess is not a sport.

go ahead and defend chess as a sport but dont attack on other sports that you have never played before professionally, table tennis, and curling actually do require a lot of skill and physical power, as for bowling... bowling is not a sport, just like chess, fortnite, break dancing, and many more. 

Honestly i have much respect for all of you guys that play at a professional level, it is a difficult game to master or even get good at. i think that the word sport can be used with chess and that is fine, i just dont think it should just "be" a sport. 

The explanation that I've come across in these discussions before (and one that I agree with) is that "sport" requires some kind of physical *skill*.

Not just physical exertion, but physical ability.

In darts, for example, you can't just place the dart wherever you want on the board. You need physical skill to properly place it.

In chess, you can place a piece wherever you want, assuming the move is legal. There's no physical skill required to do so, aside from the mere ability to move a chess piece (an ability that an average 2-year-old has).

The main difficulty in chess is mental. It's a thinking game.

In classical chess, no actual physical skill is needed, because you could merely say your moves aloud, the entire game, without ever moving a finger. (This is actually allowed, per FIDE rules.) You could even keep your eyes closed the entire game, and have the moves spoken to you.

Speed chess, though is something that I'd consider more definable as a "sport". Especially over-the-board bullet chess, as it does require physical skill to play.

Go and play chess

best post so far!!!

so chess

I love telling my friends that I'm very sporty and saying chess is a sport

Chess is a sport because of the physical skill required to play. The pieces must be placed precisely, and at the right time to determine the winner. It doesn't matter where the pieces are put, what matters is HOW they are placed there. Therein lies the physical talent, the physical skill, the physical power, that makes chess a sport.

For example, in basketball if the ball is not placed correctly in the basket, it wont go in, and there will be no score. But in chess, what matter is the technique. Is the pinky extended when placing the piece? Is the piece centered on the square? It doesn't matter which square, what matters is the orientation of the piece. Is the knight facing the opponent? Is the cross on the king parallel or perpendicular to the opponent? These things matter. If the physical skill component is done correctly the opponent has no chance. The opponent will be overcome with feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. With the right physical skill, physical talent, and pure physical strength you can expect the opponent to resign shortly.

That's true, spectators DO watch chess. Just like football. Go into almost any sports bar and you will see the big screen TVs filled with the days action. Occasionally you will see someone want to see a football game but usually the throng of chess fans at the sports bar will tell them to go somewhere else, chess rules the day at sports bars. Especially this time of year.