OT: is chess a sport?

[rainier2004]

Not a sport, its a game...beautiful game at that.

[barrysloate]

I was just playing out some games from the current 2018 Tata Steel Chess Tournament before I read this post. Incredibly complicated and beautiful game, but probably not a sport. BTW, part of a world class chess player's regimen to prepare for a tournament is to get into top physical shape, as many games last four or five hours and demand great stamina. But I still feel it is a game.

[HercDriver]

I have my own personal rule. To be a sport, it has to have a score. Most points, least points (golf), fastest, highest, longest, whatever. Something measurable. Everything else is entertainment, that is being judged. Like gymnastics. Ice skating. Equestrian events. Gymnastics would be a sport if they two girls were each on one end of the balance beam and had to push the other one off. My daughter is a horse jumper, and I hate the judging. I think they should just keep moving the jumps up. Or joust. So does that make chess a sport? Probably not, since you wear a tie.

[bauce]

Originally Posted by HercDriver

I have my own personal rule. To be a sport, it has to have a score. Most points, least points (golf), fastest, highest, longest, whatever. Something measurable. Everything else is entertainment, that is being judged. Like gymnastics. Ice skating. Equestrian events. Gymnastics would be a sport if they two girls were each on one end of the balance beam and had to push the other one off. My daughter is a horse jumper, and I hate the judging. I think they should just keep moving the jumps up. Or joust. So does that make chess a sport? Probably not, since you wear a tie.

Score: 1-0 or 0-1 or draw is not a score?

[bgar3]

Henry Chadwick covered chess and wrote books about it along with his baseball stuff. I know that doesn’t make it a sport, I just thought it was interesting.

[HercDriver]

Yep...that's why I said it sort of could be a sport. But not if you are wearing a suit. That's like a sub-rule. My kids are also familiar with my "pet rule." If I open the door to let it out, and it comes back, it's a pet. If not, it's an animal and doesn't belong in my house.

[bauce]

It's funny how important sports events are equated to a chess game.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by HercDriver

Yep...that's why I said it sort of could be a sport. But not if you are wearing a suit. That's like a sub-rule. My kids are also familiar with my "pet rule." If I open the door to let it out, and it comes back, it's a pet. If not, it's an animal and doesn't belong in my house.

They used to wear pretty snazzy outfits to play tennis.

[bobbyw8469]

Not a sport. It's a game. Just like poker.