English Chess Forum

Joe Dilworth wrote:Is chess still classed as a sport ???

In which country?

I hope not. Because it isn't.

It's a mind game.

In many countries it is classified as a sport, a mind-sport. Having it classified as a sport in the UK would give chess access to lottery funds and the like.

If my uncle was a woman, he'd be my aunt.

If a circle was rectangular, it would be a rectangle.

Chess is a game. Having it 'classified' as a sport will not make it a sport. Time to stop this delusion that we're sportsmen because we sit at a table and push plastic or wooden pieces around a board.

We are playing a game, nothing more.

Andrew Camp wrote:We are playing a game, nothing more.

I agree. It would interesting to know what definition people can come up with that defines chess as a sport, but not poker or monopoly for example!

Indeed.

It's a game.

Bringing in a dictionary and the fact it has laid down rules
and a governing body then it can fit snugly into the sport category.

Some countires have made chess players their 'Sportsman of the Year.'
(sounds better than 'The Gamesman of the Year.')

A Sports Game?

Sean Hewitt wrote: I agree. It would interesting to know what definition people can come up with that defines chess as a sport, but not poker or monopoly for example!

Chess, poker and monopoly are clearly competitive activities, alongside football, rugby, athletics etc. Oddly there are activities defined as sports which don't contain any element of competition for example some of those listed on this page
http://www.ruralsports.co.uk/
Rambling for example.

The way to get chess and not poker or monopoly to be a sport is to have UK law arbitrarily define it as such. Sport England have defined Rambling as a sport, so it gets some money.

A game? Is football a game? A game of football and a game of cricket. So football isn't sport, its a game. Wonder if Sir Alex Ferguson uses his mind when he manages the team?

Chess is sport. Sport is defined as competition. Competitive chess is sport.

Warren Kingston wrote:Chess is sport. Sport is defined as competition. Competitive chess is sport.

I hate to break it to you, but it's not. According to Sport England, when deciding whether to recognise a sport the Sports Councils look to see if it meets the Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter 1993 definition of sport and if the sport is well established and organised within our jurisdiction.

Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter 1993 wrote:‘Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels’.

Hence rambling is a sport. Chess is not. In fact, until the bit about 'physical fitness' is removed, chess can never be a sport.

Andrew Camp wrote:If my uncle was a woman, he'd be my aunt.

Frankly, it's whatever you define the word to be.

See denksport. Denksport. Mind sport. You don't have to kick a ball around, punch another player in the goolies and shove your boatrace into the referee's, whilst subjecting him to a tirade of abuse and sputum for your game to be called a sport. It's a question of definition - and many countries have legislated a definition of sport which includes activities such as chess, bridge, go, etc.

I don't see why people should get so worked up about it.

And, frankly, I don't see why e.g. "motor sport" meets with the approval of some, whereas "mind sport" doesn't. One is hardly more athletic than the other.

Sean Hewitt wrote:

Warren Kingston wrote:Chess is sport. Sport is defined as competition. Competitive chess is sport.

I hate to break it to you, but it's not. According to Sport England, when deciding whether to recognise a sport the Sports Councils look to see if it meets the Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter 1993 definition of sport and if the sport is well established and organised within our jurisdiction.

Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter 1993 wrote:‘Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels’.

Hence rambling is a sport. Chess is not. In fact, until the bit about 'physical fitness' is removed, chess can never be a sport.

"All forms" Walking to the table, lifting your arm/arms, tapping your foot, stretching your legs under the table, twisting your torso, doing shoulder raises. Shall I go on? Er, no, bored now. Its not made a sport because it will cost the government money. One question, how does rambling obtain results through competition at all levels? Are there different levels of rambling? Maybe level one rambling is me and level five is Roger? Lol