Chess Playing Nations

 nope. he was born in osaka.

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

Is serbia any good at chess? What about croatia? I'm croatian so i'd like to know there are lots of kick ass players there. Where do you see these kinds of stuff? Do lots of players play chess in serbia, and are there lots of good ones there? 

 This is correct, but is is also a function of a country's official support, and the population size it can draw from. 

The Eastern Bloc dominated the chess world for such a long time since chess was officially supported at various governmental levels and school systems, and there has always been a sizeable number of people to statistically produce many outstanding players.

The U.S., with its huge population, was able to "produce" a Morphy, Reshevsky and Fischer, but just imagine what U.S. chess could be like with official support and encouragement!

My own country, Israel, invests loads of cultural and media support in soccer, even though Israeli teams always perform miserably in European competitions. Gelfand received hardly any publicity here when he recently won the World Cup. Israel has proved itself as an international factor by winning the silver medal in the last Olympiad, but the media didn't give a damn also then. So nationally speaking, here too chess remains a sleeping giant.

Schachgeek wrote:

The US Chess Federation stinks at supporting/encouraging chess in the USA. That is undeniably a factor in the poor showing of the USA.

I've read that New York City now has a chess instruction program set up in its school system. I don't know whether the USCF had anything to do with it, but I do know that they evicted the venerable Manhattan Chess Club from the premises they own. Sad.

The Soutrh African Chess federation has put a lot of emphasis on Junior Chess, for the past 15 years or so. Which is a good thing.

Over that time, Junior members outnumber senior members about 6-1. But that ratio has stayed the same forever now, which I think indicates that junior chess players dont become senior chess players.

I wonder if it could be a function of our segregated past. Last weekend the Piet Robbertse tournament was held in Pretoria. I found the make-up of the field quite interesting, don't know if it indicates something.

In the last round, in the top third of the field, there were many raiders from neighbouring countries, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia who come after the prize money. It's only a few thousand Rand, but in Africa that can feed a family of four for 2 months. All those countries have little or no chess infrastructure, but somehow they seem to produce many more IM's than we do.

In the junior section, there was hardly a Black face to be seen. Why, if so much is spent on junior development? I think White kids are still more privileged, they can afford books, computers, coaches, entry fees... Maybe we're just not tapping the well deep enough.

Antarctica wins hands down, for penguins cannot play Chess. 

 Not so fast. There are always scientists there, at least some of whom undoubtedly play chess.

Maybe in Disneyland are no chess players. (Incl. Duckburg and Mouseton)

I continually read this as 'Worst chess playing notation', and then get disappointed every time I click on the thread... 

But, ignoring my glaring short-term memory loss, the thread- the factors which affect the 'worst' chess-playing country, in my opinion, are population (more people -> more strong players) and perhaps more importantly, focus. If a country does nothing to promote the game, how can we expect strong players to emerge from it?

Vatican City hands down. Less than 1,000 people

And how much of them has no Alzheimer Disease?

Climate probably has something to do with which nations are stronger.  Iceland probably has the most GMs per person of any country, and Norway, Sweden, and Russia are all strong. 

But the Pacific Island nations are pretty weak.

Why would you play chess when you can surf all year?

Good point!

 Yes, and those long long nights with nothing to do.

Anyone know who is the strongest player Israel has produced, as opposed to inherited?

Well, equatorial nations tend to be more developed than temperate nations, so that can't hands down be the reason.

In regards to the question about certain races tending to be better at certain things than others, from where I am, a large proportion of the intellectual kids in the US end to be from countries such as Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, and India. I will give an example; in the International Geography Bee, one player was from the Philippines, one from India, one from Singapre, out of three. In the final round of the national Geography Bee, six of ten were from India, and one each from the same two mentioned earlier; Singapore and the Philippines. They seem to be taking the place the US Jewish population, which used to be so long the intellectual group. Right now, the Jews in the US have virtually become "americanized" caring more about sports and the like than intellect. I find it sort of embarassing, considering I am Jewish.

Worst chess playing nation?

The great nation of Oinquarkia of course!

I'm truly sorry if it came out that way, that's not at all what I meant. My point was that after 15 years of democracy in South Africa White kids still have better access to resources.

In my opinion, this is because of simple popular inertia. Appartheid was only abolished fifteen or so years ago, more powerful sections of the government are dragging their heels in the dirt. It happens everywhere; Brazil, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, the US, etc., and there is a term for it. Corruption. I think it works sort of in a vicious cycle; the "segregated" members of the community are denied or are unable to obtain a college degree or whatever, their children are not pressed as much by the parents to succeed above all others, it continues on and on. In my opinion, the thing that should be done is to generate widespread interest in the subject in question among the cultures in question, and push them to do better. Probably one of the best examples for chess in the US is the Shaun Alexander Foundation. (Alexander is apparently some football star.) He organized one tournament in his hometown in Kentucky, where the winner of each kid section would get a chance to play him. Perfect incentive. Unfortunately, this is the only real instance I know of like this.

The exact number is eleven.