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Is chess a sport?

Is chess a sport?

Debates

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Simon Barnes has written a very good article in today's Times that argues that chess is not a sport.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8303-1550275,00.html

A lot of sports are minimal is physical excercise but still constitute sport because of their gladitorial nature. I say if snooker is a sport so is chess.

Any thoughts

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enjoyable article. thanks for the link.

to me chess is a game. it deserves all the tax breaks etc it can get but it's not a sport.

good games are chess, poker, risk
good sports are football (liverpool and ireland), hurling (come on wexford!), rugby (munster, leinster and ireland)

to me sports are for watching with guinness on tap.
games are for playing with guinness on tap!

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just a thought, but could a sport be classed by needing at least in part the use of physical skill, rather than physical excersize which as you point out would rule out sports such as snooker and darts?

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my thoughts are chess should be sporting but other than that its a game, like darts, snooker, monopoly, etc

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Hmmm. Could be classed as either/or really. Depends what the absolute definition of sport really. is. Why classify everything though? What's this human obsession with putting everything into nice little discrete pigeon holes?
Chess is errrr fun. 🙂

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If you can smoke and drink while you're doing it, it ain't a sport.

Damn fine game though.

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Originally posted by wib
If you can smoke and drink while you're doing it, it ain't a sport.

Damn fine game though.
I disagree, this make cricket a game, not a sport, and golf too.

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Originally posted by Starrman
I disagree, this make cricket a game, not a sport, and golf too.
Can you smoke at the crease at Lords? Or Old Trafford for that matter? Well i never new that.

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Originally posted by jimslyp69
Can you smoke at the crease at Lords? Or Old Trafford for that matter? Well i never new that.
you can't smoke at my local chess club either, you have to go outside, but that is due to club rules not physical practicalities

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The Oxford dictionary defines sport as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Chess is not a sport. Why argue over the definition of a word. It's like trying to say that American's didn't "invade" Iraq and "kill" 100,000 people.

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Originally posted by STANG
The Oxford dictionary defines sport as an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. Chess is not a sport. Why argue over the definition of a word. It's like trying to say that American's didn't "invade" Iraq and "kill" 100,000 people.
Yes Stang you are quite right you can compare the american invasion of Iraq with the question whether or not chess is sport - the comparisons are obvious (not)

However if you are a "sport" you can get funding from the sports council and I believe there might be variety of tax and social benifits from being classed as a sport.

I can't quite see it at the olympics in Bejieng though

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Originally posted by invigorate
Yes Stang you are quite right you can compare the american invasion of Iraq with the question whether or not chess is sport - the comparisons are obvious (not)

However if you are a "sport" you can get funding from the sports council and I believe there might be variety of tax and social benifits from being classed as a sport.

I can't quite see it at the olympics in Bejieng though
If it's "defense" you can get funding from the American public and I believe there might be variety of financial and political benefits from being classed as defense.

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Originally posted by invigorate
Simon Barnes has written a very good article in today's Times that argues that chess is not a sport.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8303-1550275,00.html

A lot of sports are minimal is physical excercise but still constitute sport because of their gladitorial nature. I say if snooker is a sport so is chess.

Any thoughts
It depends doesn't it.

If you're not playing in competition it's a game, when you're playing in competition it's a sport.

Like football. If you're playing a game of football, it's a game.
If you're playing in a competition it becomes a sport.

Sport is competitive at one level or another...you're out to win.
If you're not out to win, then it's a game.

I used to play games of badminton against opponents who were busy sporting.
It was hilarious.

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Originally posted by Starrman
I disagree, this make cricket a game, not a sport, and golf too.
Exactly. 🙂

And neither is bowling. Sorry Phlabs, but any so called sport that allows someone's skill to improve as they get drunker can't be a real sport. Hence the disqualification of golf for the same reason.

See the list of REAL Sports below. This is my official list of all Wib approved sports that are worth watching.

Women's Beach Volley Ball


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Originally posted by jimslyp69
Can you smoke at the crease at Lords? Or Old Trafford for that matter? Well i never new that.
There are no rules against it, and perhaps not advisable at international level, occurs regularly at my local club 🙂