Is Chess Elitest?

[Michael Mkpadi]

In my chess circles we welcome new members. We also make no assumptions about their chess knowledge or worthiness to play in our circle we just accept them as chess players. And by chess circle I mean any gather online or offline (real world/OTB club/OTB tournament/OTB match play)

I have however noticed that this is not always the case everywhere I go. There are cliques of chess players usually differentiated by elo but not exclusively that differentiating factor and they don't like you attempting to join their ranks or contribute.

It is just my experience and wondered if others had similar experiences and if it is enough to call chess an elitest sport?

Are some chess players snobs? I suppose people walking by a chess board as I ponder a move in my local chess park, glance at them and look away with a smug wry smile will assume I'm a snob too.

[MJMcCready]

I would say many chess players are snobs. Just a general observation from 30 years of play.

[MartinCarpenter]

The game is intrinsically fairly elitist. Playing against people of hugely different strength just isn't fun for either side.

I don't think the players are much. Engines sort of help with that

[Joshua Gibbs]

I started playing chess in Merseyside and I have to say two very kind players at Atticus and one at Aigburth were very very kind in teaching me. Despite being master level players they were definitely not elitist...

[Joey Stewart]

I think it can be difficult for clubs to be overly welcoming to new members when their only meeting night is when matches are played which, due to increased rent costs, can often be the case these days.

I dont mind helping lower rated players out, all I ask is that they THINK about the moves instead of blurting out the first semi interesting looking move on the board without any proper analysis, it is not a race. That is often the difference between those who pass through clubs and the ones who stick around.

[Brian Towers]

I think chess is unusual in managing to be both highly elitist and anti-elitist at the same time.

It is obviously highly elitist as regards chess ability. You only have to look at a sociopathic chess genius like Bobby Fischer. I still don't really understand why Spassky and the Russians put up with his abominable behaviour in 1972. At opposite extreme I've been told that my lowly FIDE rating disqualifies me from making critical remarks about much higher rated players.

At the same time it is socially anti-elitist. I remember in a Hampshire v Somerset match back in the late 80's Hampshire had what appeared to be a tramp on one of their higher boards. Even on the lower boards where I was sitting the smell was pretty intense. I can't imagine any other social gathering where such a large number of people would have sat there uncomplaining for several hours.