Is Chess A Sport?

[Arturo Ochoa]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess is just that, a game, but a very good one.

Sports imply physical activities. I don’t know how physical activities can happen during a chess game.

The physical preparation to be prepared to resist 3 hours is not chess itself.

Apparently you are not aware of the physical preparedness required to play in tournaments. I used to loose 2-3kg's in 2-3 days of chess tournaments which consisted of playing chess almost 8 hours each day. I think chess is a bit like motorsports. People think that steering the wheel and changing gear cannot be physical until they hear that racing drivers are subject to g forces sometimes as high as 6g... So yes chess is a sport.

On the contrayy, I am awared.

What you say it is not part of chess itself.

You don't need to run during a chess game. Just to move your hands and your fingers.

Physical preparation is not chess. You can run, go the gym, walk, swim and they are not chess activities. They help to be in good shape for any activity.

I practice certain extreme sport and part of my preparation is a heavy GYM session. It doesn´t mean that GYM is part of that extreme sport.

Sorry, chess is just that, a game. A very good one.

Well I think using your brain for hours and consuming calories of your body is still quite physical. At the end of the day your brain is a physical part of your body. Besides just like in any other sport you start as a novice, you get better as you work on it and above all there is competition.

PS: Albert that is curling you are referring to I guess.

You can play piano, you can read, you can write and you consume calories. Every brain process consumes calories.

That chess is a complex games yes, of course. But, it doesnt mean it can be considered a sport. Just a very good table game...

[Arturo Ochoa]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess is just that, a game, but a very good one.

Sports imply physical activities. I don’t know how physical activities can happen during a chess game.

The physical preparation to be prepared to resist 3 hours is not chess itself.

moving the pieces and press on the clock is a physical activity.
People who do it faster can get a small time advantage on the clock that may be not important in tournament time control games but more important if you have only 1 minute for all the game.

When I play poker, I also move my hands and fingers. When I play scrabble, I also play against the time. That is not a physical activity the sport definition. When I drink a beer, I must move my hands, fingers, mouth, etc... than is that a sport?

[Arturo Ochoa]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess in itself, no, but competitive chess is without a doubt.

Competitive chess is the formal definition of a game

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/game

noun
1. an amusement or pastime: children's games.
2. the material or equipment used in playing certain games: a store selling toys and games.
3. a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.
4. a single occasion of such an activity, or a definite portion of one: the final game of the season; a rubber of three games at bridge.

[Arturo Ochoa]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess in itself, no, but competitive chess is without a doubt.

Competitive chess is the formal definition of a game

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/game

noun
1. an amusement or pastime: children's games.
2. the material or equipment used in playing certain games: a store selling toys and games.
3. a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.
4. a single occasion of such an activity, or a definite portion of one: the final game of the season; a rubber of three games at bridge.

More.

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

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chess

[Albert Silver]

That is because your definition of sport is muscles.

I'm guessing you don't agree that that game that is very popular in Canada, I keep forgetting its name, but resembles shuffleboard on ice with a bunch of maids sweeping the ice, is not a sport (even though it is a part of the Olympics).

You don't get it either. When I talk about muscles, I mean a physical activity. Look this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

What you talk about is a sport called curling.

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

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard.

Chess is just that a game, a table game.

So shuffleboard is a sport? How about pool/snooker?

[michiguel]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess is just that, a game, but a very good one.

Sports imply physical activities. I don’t know how physical activities can happen during a chess game.

The physical preparation to be prepared to resist 3 hours is not chess itself.

Apparently you are not aware of the physical preparedness required to play in tournaments. I used to loose 2-3kg's in 2-3 days of chess tournaments which consisted of playing chess almost 8 hours each day. I think chess is a bit like motorsports. People think that steering the wheel and changing gear cannot be physical until they hear that racing drivers are subject to g forces sometimes as high as 6g... So yes chess is a sport.

On the contrayy, I am awared.

What you say it is not part of chess itself.

You don't need to run during a chess game. Just to move your hands and your fingers.

Physical preparation is not chess. You can run, go the gym, walk, swim and they are not chess activities. They help to be in good shape for any activity.

I practice certain extreme sport and part of my preparation is a heavy GYM session. It doesn´t mean that GYM is part of that extreme sport.

Sorry, chess is just that, a game. A very good one.

That is because your definition of sport is muscles.

I'm guessing you don't agree that that game that is very popular in Canada, I keep forgetting its name, but resembles shuffleboard on ice with a bunch of maids sweeping the ice, is not a sport (even though it is a part of the Olympics).

You don't get it either. When I talk about muscles, I mean a physical activity. Look this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

What you talk about is a sport called curling.

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

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard.

Chess is just that a game, a table game.

Personally, I do not care, but If I am pressed to define it, chess is a sport without a doubt for me.

Including muscle activity is very narrow requirement. Otherwise, shooting would not be a sport. What is needed is

1) a activity in which we use our body (brain is part of it) and it is improved in the process. The sport should make us better and more skillful.
2) Competition, this is the main component of a sport. No competition, no sport. Athlete means competitor in greek, not "physically fit person" as it is used today.
3) Victory should be based on skills, not random
4) There should be always be a chance to win or lose and the result should not be predetermined (Who is tallest is not a sport)
5) It should be organized, played by many with a federation and a defined set of rules, to preserve its integrity.
6) The sport itself should grow with its practice. e.g. We should improve, and also learn about the sport and pass it on.

There are certain grey areas, and chess shines in all points except point one if you do not consider brain as part of your body and all the physiology that helps it (I physically trained 3 hours a day at least 3 months in advance for important tournaments).

Other sports are weak in this point too. Shooting, golf, curling, etc, but you should not forget that hand-eye coordination, pulse, precision etc. are certainly "body skills" that are good to have.

Other sports are VERY weak in key points like 2. For instance, figure skating, gymnastics, etc. The competition aspect is extremelly subjective. When you need judges to give a score the competition suffers (better to have goals, time, weight, checkmates, knock outs, hits, etc.) and it is a gimmick to hide its non competitve nature.

If you make me choose which one is ¨more" sport, I would choose chess over figure skating.
Miguel

[Albert Silver]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess is just that, a game, but a very good one.

Sports imply physical activities. I don’t know how physical activities can happen during a chess game.

The physical preparation to be prepared to resist 3 hours is not chess itself.

Apparently you are not aware of the physical preparedness required to play in tournaments. I used to loose 2-3kg's in 2-3 days of chess tournaments which consisted of playing chess almost 8 hours each day. I think chess is a bit like motorsports. People think that steering the wheel and changing gear cannot be physical until they hear that racing drivers are subject to g forces sometimes as high as 6g... So yes chess is a sport.

On the contrayy, I am awared.

What you say it is not part of chess itself.

You don't need to run during a chess game. Just to move your hands and your fingers.

Physical preparation is not chess. You can run, go the gym, walk, swim and they are not chess activities. They help to be in good shape for any activity.

I practice certain extreme sport and part of my preparation is a heavy GYM session. It doesn´t mean that GYM is part of that extreme sport.

Sorry, chess is just that, a game. A very good one.

That is because your definition of sport is muscles.

I'm guessing you don't agree that that game that is very popular in Canada, I keep forgetting its name, but resembles shuffleboard on ice with a bunch of maids sweeping the ice, is not a sport (even though it is a part of the Olympics).

You don't get it either. When I talk about muscles, I mean a physical activity. Look this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

What you talk about is a sport called curling.

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

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard.

Chess is just that a game, a table game.

Personally, I do not care, but If I am pressed to define it, chess is a sport without a doubt for me.

Including muscle activity is very narrow requirement. Otherwise, shooting would not be a sport. What is needed is

1) a activity in which we use our body (brain is part of it) and it is improved in the process. The sport should make us better and more skillful.
2) Competition, this is the main component of a sport. No competition, no sport. Athlete means competitor in greek, not "physically fit person" as it is used today.
3) Victory should be based on skills, not random
4) There should be always be a chance to win or lose and the result should not be predetermined (Who is tallest is not a sport)
5) It should be organized, played by many with a federation and a defined set of rules, to preserve its integrity.
6) The sport itself should grow with its practice. e.g. We should improve, and also learn about the sport and pass it on.

There are certain grey areas, and chess shines in all points except point one if you do not consider brain as part of your body and all the physiology that helps it (I physically trained 3 hours a day at least 3 months in advance for important tournaments).

Other sports are weak in this point too. Shooting, golf, curling, etc, but you should not forget that hand-eye coordination, pulse, precision etc. are certainly "body skills" that are good to have.

Other sports are VERY weak in key points like 2. For instance, figure skating, gymnastics, etc. The competition aspect is extremelly subjective. When you need judges to give a score the competition suffers (better to have goals, time, weight, checkmates, knock outs, hits, etc.) and it is a gimmick to hide its non competitve nature.

If you make me choose which one is ¨more" sport, I would choose chess over figure skating.
Miguel

I prefer chess, but the issue of needing judges may make the result more subjective, it does not make it less a sport, else most fighting sports that do not end in a decisive win (knockout or other) would fit into this category.

[Arturo Ochoa]

That is because your definition of sport is muscles.

I'm guessing you don't agree that that game that is very popular in Canada, I keep forgetting its name, but resembles shuffleboard on ice with a bunch of maids sweeping the ice, is not a sport (even though it is a part of the Olympics).

You don't get it either. When I talk about muscles, I mean a physical activity. Look this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

What you talk about is a sport called curling.

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

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard.

Chess is just that a game, a table game.

So shuffleboard is a sport? How about pool/snooker?

Yes.

Again, they all required physical skills, more or less.

Instead, chess, if you don't have your hands for example, you could play assisted by somebody else. Your capacities are in your brain.

[michiguel]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess is just that, a game, but a very good one.

Sports imply physical activities. I don’t know how physical activities can happen during a chess game.

The physical preparation to be prepared to resist 3 hours is not chess itself.

Apparently you are not aware of the physical preparedness required to play in tournaments. I used to loose 2-3kg's in 2-3 days of chess tournaments which consisted of playing chess almost 8 hours each day. I think chess is a bit like motorsports. People think that steering the wheel and changing gear cannot be physical until they hear that racing drivers are subject to g forces sometimes as high as 6g... So yes chess is a sport.

On the contrayy, I am awared.

What you say it is not part of chess itself.

You don't need to run during a chess game. Just to move your hands and your fingers.

Physical preparation is not chess. You can run, go the gym, walk, swim and they are not chess activities. They help to be in good shape for any activity.

I practice certain extreme sport and part of my preparation is a heavy GYM session. It doesn´t mean that GYM is part of that extreme sport.

Sorry, chess is just that, a game. A very good one.

That is because your definition of sport is muscles.

I'm guessing you don't agree that that game that is very popular in Canada, I keep forgetting its name, but resembles shuffleboard on ice with a bunch of maids sweeping the ice, is not a sport (even though it is a part of the Olympics).

You don't get it either. When I talk about muscles, I mean a physical activity. Look this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

What you talk about is a sport called curling.

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

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard.

Chess is just that a game, a table game.

Personally, I do not care, but If I am pressed to define it, chess is a sport without a doubt for me.

Including muscle activity is very narrow requirement. Otherwise, shooting would not be a sport. What is needed is

1) a activity in which we use our body (brain is part of it) and it is improved in the process. The sport should make us better and more skillful.
2) Competition, this is the main component of a sport. No competition, no sport. Athlete means competitor in greek, not "physically fit person" as it is used today.
3) Victory should be based on skills, not random
4) There should be always be a chance to win or lose and the result should not be predetermined (Who is tallest is not a sport)
5) It should be organized, played by many with a federation and a defined set of rules, to preserve its integrity.
6) The sport itself should grow with its practice. e.g. We should improve, and also learn about the sport and pass it on.

There are certain grey areas, and chess shines in all points except point one if you do not consider brain as part of your body and all the physiology that helps it (I physically trained 3 hours a day at least 3 months in advance for important tournaments).

Other sports are weak in this point too. Shooting, golf, curling, etc, but you should not forget that hand-eye coordination, pulse, precision etc. are certainly "body skills" that are good to have.

Other sports are VERY weak in key points like 2. For instance, figure skating, gymnastics, etc. The competition aspect is extremelly subjective. When you need judges to give a score the competition suffers (better to have goals, time, weight, checkmates, knock outs, hits, etc.) and it is a gimmick to hide its non competitve nature.

If you make me choose which one is ¨more" sport, I would choose chess over figure skating.
Miguel

I prefer chess, but the issue of needing judges may make the result more subjective, it does not make it less a sport, else most fighting sports that do not end in a decisive win (knockout or other) would fit into this category.

It is somehow different because the judges are there counting hits and evaluating "damage" more than evaluating "artitisc component" of the routine. I should have been more clear. The difference of what the judges do, emphasizes the nature of both type of sports. Box is certainly competitive wherease figure skating is artistic.

I was trying to stress that there are other actvities with "weak points".

Miguel

[Taner Altinsoy]

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/sp ... =allsearch

Chess is just that, a game, but a very good one.

Sports imply physical activities. I don’t know how physical activities can happen during a chess game.

The physical preparation to be prepared to resist 3 hours is not chess itself.

Apparently you are not aware of the physical preparedness required to play in tournaments. I used to loose 2-3kg's in 2-3 days of chess tournaments which consisted of playing chess almost 8 hours each day. I think chess is a bit like motorsports. People think that steering the wheel and changing gear cannot be physical until they hear that racing drivers are subject to g forces sometimes as high as 6g... So yes chess is a sport.

On the contrayy, I am awared.

What you say it is not part of chess itself.

You don't need to run during a chess game. Just to move your hands and your fingers.

Physical preparation is not chess. You can run, go the gym, walk, swim and they are not chess activities. They help to be in good shape for any activity.

I practice certain extreme sport and part of my preparation is a heavy GYM session. It doesn´t mean that GYM is part of that extreme sport.

Sorry, chess is just that, a game. A very good one.

That is because your definition of sport is muscles.

I'm guessing you don't agree that that game that is very popular in Canada, I keep forgetting its name, but resembles shuffleboard on ice with a bunch of maids sweeping the ice, is not a sport (even though it is a part of the Olympics).

You don't get it either. When I talk about muscles, I mean a physical activity. Look this:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sport

–noun
1. an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.
2. a particular form of this, esp. in the out of doors.
3. diversion; recreation; pleasant pastime.

What you talk about is a sport called curling.

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

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard.

Chess is just that a game, a table game.

Personally, I do not care, but If I am pressed to define it, chess is a sport without a doubt for me.

Including muscle activity is very narrow requirement. Otherwise, shooting would not be a sport. What is needed is

1) a activity in which we use our body (brain is part of it) and it is improved in the process. The sport should make us better and more skillful.
2) Competition, this is the main component of a sport. No competition, no sport. Athlete means competitor in greek, not "physically fit person" as it is used today.
3) Victory should be based on skills, not random
4) There should be always be a chance to win or lose and the result should not be predetermined (Who is tallest is not a sport)
5) It should be organized, played by many with a federation and a defined set of rules, to preserve its integrity.
6) The sport itself should grow with its practice. e.g. We should improve, and also learn about the sport and pass it on.

There are certain grey areas, and chess shines in all points except point one if you do not consider brain as part of your body and all the physiology that helps it (I physically trained 3 hours a day at least 3 months in advance for important tournaments).

Other sports are weak in this point too. Shooting, golf, curling, etc, but you should not forget that hand-eye coordination, pulse, precision etc. are certainly "body skills" that are good to have.

Other sports are VERY weak in key points like 2. For instance, figure skating, gymnastics, etc. The competition aspect is extremelly subjective. When you need judges to give a score the competition suffers (better to have goals, time, weight, checkmates, knock outs, hits, etc.) and it is a gimmick to hide its non competitve nature.

If you make me choose which one is ¨more" sport, I would choose chess over figure skating.
Miguel

Thank you for explaining my points better than myself. And thank you for giving us those wonderful tablebases. I am physically applauding you atm