Chess as Sport: bien joue, messieurs

[Jonathan Rogers]

Good news for the English campaign - er, assuming that anyone in power in the UK cares about what the French decide to do:

https://sportbusiness.club/echec-la-fed ... ministere/

[Roger Lancaster]

My French was poor as a schoolboy and has deteriorated since, if that's humanly possible, but am I correct in thinking that the gist of the piece is that - as in England - chess isn't recognised as a sport in France but that their federation is making representations to its government?

[Jonathan Rogers]

I am an overgrown schoolboy myself, but I gather that the gist is that the French federation signed an agreement with the Sports and Education minister, which gives the label 'sporting federation' to the Chess Federation AND they are also subcontracted as a 'public service provider' -they get subsidies to train young players, distribute 5,000 chess sets in classes etc.

[Wadih Khoury]

I can do an effort to translate:

• The French chess federation is now recognised to deliver a delegated public service
• This means they now can access financial, material and human resources from the state through the minister of sport
• It is the highest recognition a mind sport has in France
• They'll use the support to detect talents and support elite players. They worded it as supporting "performance"
• There are 55k licenced players (Vs 10k in the 80s)
• They believe 5 million people played at least one game last year.
• The federation and ministry of sport will distribute 5k chessboards to primary schools. If they can demonstrate the benefits of 20 hours per year of chess, they will expand the scheme

[Roger Lancaster]

Thanks, both. I couldn't work out if they'd signed the agreement or were still negotiating! You've both made that, and more, clear.

[Joey Stewart]

If only it were possible to speak French it could be a great place to be a chess coach right now

[Kevin Thurlow]

"The federation and ministry of sport will distribute 5k chessboards to primary schools."

There will be a few visages rouges here if they succeed...

[Roger Lancaster]

If only it were possible to speak French ...

Indeed. One has to wonder how more than 66 million people manage it effortlessly.

[Paul Habershon]

"The federation and ministry of sport will distribute 5k chessboards to primary schools."

There will be a few visages rouges here if they succeed...

Sets supplied by Hollande Plastiques. I hope the ex-president declared an interest - everything above board.

[JustinHorton]

joué?

[Joey Stewart]

If only it were possible to speak French ...

Indeed. One has to wonder how more than 66 million people manage it effortlessly.

Most people in this world only have room for one language and those 66 million filled the word hole in their brain with French words.

[JustinHorton]

Most people in this world only have room for one language

No

[Jonathan Rogers]

joué?

is there a quick and easy way to give the accents?

[JustinHorton]

Copy and paste sir, the easiest way there is

[John Clarke]

66m? N’oubliez pas les francophones Canadiens (8.5m) et Africains (120m), etc, etc ….