why no chess in Olympics

Actually it depends where in the world you live. In the former Yugoslavia which I think -- not sure -- has held the greaest number of Olympiads, we were treated like Rock Stars. One morning at some ungodly hour of 7 am our team room got invade by the Novi Sad press  and everyone saw it coming except for me since I was deep in prep for my match that morning, and I was still in my skivies when the press broke in. I was interviewed wrapped in a blanket. Every night the LEAD STORY was what had happened at the WCO, which countries had distinguished themselves that day, top team rankings etc. And yes my infamous interview was seen later that night after it was translated. We could not go anywhere without being noticed: Each country was given a Team Car -- a Yugo of course -- and across the hood was amblazed "29th World Chess Olympiad -- Novi Sad".

  One of the days I was not playing I along with 3 other people decided to go to Dubrovnik. On the way back we got forced off the road when we hit a pot hole and blew a tire. We were in the middle of NO WHERE, as far from civiliization as you could get. We rolled about 200 yds and pulled into a farmhouse so we could change the tire. The farmer came out to see what his dogs were barking at. He took one look at the car, went back into the house and came out with a vintage bottle of schnapps. The farmer ionsisted we toast to this grand occasion. I had a splitting migraine. The Farmer offered our driver a toast but he declined and signed that he was the driver. Next up: me. I tried to sign I had a bad headache ( and was stoned out on a anti-migraine drug to boot) and so after a lot of back and forth I agreed to *1* shot. The stuff knocked me on my @$$!!! It was STRONG!!! After that we did the sign language thing again and I agreed to *1* more *final* shot. After that shot the farmer wanted me to follow him to see his prized WHITE SOWS. I've never seen such large pigs!!! The only word I knew in Yugoslave was the word for "good" = "dobro". I told him "dobro" to congratulate him on his sows he slapped me on the back  and smiled. We went back out side and the farmers son had brought his friends around and we gave each some of our Olympic pins. Before we could drive away the farmer insisted we have another toast. He offered it to our driver who signed he was the DRIVER, so for the third time that afternoon in the best Olympic spirit, I drank a final toast said "Dobro" and everyone shook hands and we were back on the road. Between the migraine drug and the 3 shotas I slept very nicely all the way back to Novi Sad.

I reiterate that story because we broke down in the middle of nowhere. Yet the farmer and everyone around him still had a TV and they were following the WCO - literally the Olympiad was the LEAD STORY every night, in spite of the prelude to the war that would eventually tear Yugoslavia apart (we were force to take an alternate route home because checkpoints were erected which is how we ended up on that road in the middle of no where ) which was usually the second story each night.

Just because the United States does not prize chess and chess players does not mean that holds true for other countries. The two most popular sports in many eastern european countries seem to be soccer and chess. In the countries that use to comprise what was once known as Yugoslavia CHESS was THE sport. I was there!! I LIVED it.

Sorry I disagree: The ONLY time the official Olympic Flag can be raised is during the OFFICIAL OLYMPICS, and for no other purpose. During the WCO the OLYMPIC FLAG is raised meaning that it is a sanction sport under the OIC. As far as I know the Olympic Flag is NOT flown (I could be wrong) at the World Cup any more than it would be flown for the World Series, or the Super Bowl.  The ONLY time the OLYMPIC FLAG is ever raised is A) The Summer Olympics B) The Winter Olympics C) The Para Olympics D) The World Chess Olympiad. 

Chess is kind of like a sport but it doesn't fit to be in the olympics. Of course, all atheletes, and chess players, have to work very hard for many years, be physically and mentally strong and be determined to achieve their goal. Chess is similar to other sports in this way but it just doesn't match the style of the olympics. 

Before i even explain how it doesn't match the style of the olympics, how about all of the people here who think chess should be in the olympics: explain how would it run. What would be the time constriant? What would the format be? Will it take ages? Who the hell is gonna commentate a game that is pretty much silent? Is it better than commentating a tortoise race? Well, who the hell is even gonna sit and stare at the same position without making a move for an eternity? Is it better than watching a tortoise race?

Edit: Yeah, after reading the first page, I guess those people are right about calling people who think chess should be in the olympics "idiots", unless they can respond to my questions with valid, suitable and realistic answers. Well my questions are rhetorical anyway but have a go at answering them.

But seriously, don't we have enough tournaments, olympiads, world chess championships, etc.?
What is the point of putting chess in the Olympics, when it clearly has its place in separate events?

Because all the other sports have their place in separate events also.

But all the other sports have dozens (even a hundred) participants per country.

Chess doesn't.

Have the biannual Olympiads at the biannual Olympics.

No...it would not. Are you any more aware of Trampoline acrobatics than you were 2 months ago? Are you thinking about picking up Equestrian Dressage as a hobby. 

About your "is anybody outside of chess going to watch the olympiad" point.....if no one outside of chess will watch that, then how much airtime do you think it will get in the olympics....

Fact is, its better we have our own olympiad, where chess is the star of the show than being a side event competing for air time against soccer, basketball, swimming, etc....chess will lose that battle...chess wouldnt even show up to that battle.

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This thread is now at 15 pages and yet the question could be answered in one reply.  

Because its boring and even if your half decent you still probably have no real clue whats going on. Most events in the Olympics are very easy to understand and the ones that arent make up for it with action. Now if chessboxing was a bigger thing, that would make the Olympics in no time. 

Shooting isn't that physical (standing up sometimes, holding arms out), it's mental and about concentration like chess.  Mental concentration is a form of physical effort in any case.

And the silly remarks about tiddlywinks...Chess is more complex and with a far greater history.  Also it is played all over the world, I'm sure some Olympic sports aren't played as much as chess.

And on the argument that chess has loads of big tournaments, that's simply wrong.  There's two that has potentialy all the best players, the World Cup and the Olympiad.  And only one of them concentrates completely on what chess is really about, an individual sport.

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I strongly agree. the olympiad is better as a separate event. and best of all, the olympiad has been happening for quite awhile.

 many great gm's have had brilliant games during the olympiad

Wow! I missed this!

what a story. : respect

oh you little devil. you are tricky to place "S.W.Katz"

the last time the Olympiad was in Yugoslavia it was 1990- and it was just before the violence that war that gripped that part of the world.

I tried hard to see if I could find who exactly attended the 1990, but with 636 people and controversy of the olympiad..  it was more apparent who would NOT play.

"The 29th Chess Olympiad arrived to Novi Sad, Yugoslavia. Many expected it would not happen. In July it was even stated in the Scandinavian Press that the event was likely to be cancelled. The economy was in state of collapse and the directors and various other pre-Olympiad organizers had been replaced five months prior to the event. The organizers, however, went out of their way to make the arrivals most welcome. Overall organization and that in the press room in particular was excellent.

Prior to the opening ceremony Campomanes and Vlada Popović, president of the Organizing Committee, issued a joint statement rightly but regretfully rejecting the entries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania following the arrival of their respective teams. Despite a petition signed by many of the leading players including Ivanchuk, Gelfand, Beliavsky, Timman and Seirawan the three Baltic states were not allowed to play. Ehlvest, Tal, Oll, and Shirov's talent were not to be put on display.

All of top teams came to Novi Sad. For the last time we saw teams of old Eastern Block: the Soviet Union, East Germany and federal Yugoslavia. Even though Kasparov and Karpov were missing from Soviet team they were commonly recognized as big favourites for gold, led by Ivanchuk and Gelfand. England's trio: Short, Speelman and Nunn guaranteed them second position in the seeding table. The USA had refused Kamsky's demands for board one and an extra $10,000 fee. They thought that the extra 70 odd ELO points are less important than team spirit. Then came Yugoslavia (who had extremely strong "B" and "C" teams, seeded 10th and 17th respectively) and the Netherlands. Hungary were missing Portisch, Pintér and Sax, who only wanted to play at top board and Ribli was chosen instead. Iceland sent top 6 and were seeded in 7th. Other potential contenders for medals were Sweden, West Germany and Israel."

obviously you want to remain anonymous, but it would be SO cool "Az" for you to leak who you are and perhaps speak to who you played against and anything additional about playing in one of the greatest competitions in chess.

if 1990- there is 1972 and 1950.

I Suppose 1972 is also possible

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It's not actually the same as the Olympics, it's chess federations and so it's more like a club competition in which transfers can take place of people whatever their nationality.  Of course the official broadcast has Polgar talking about nations competing and interludes talking in an Eastern European style of 'pride of nations', but it's tacked on without real substance, somewhat like people do with Eurovision (which is broadcasters competing despite all the waving of national flags).