I think the 6k calories figure is disputed; according to this Reddit post ( www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/s0tqcd/chess_grandmasters_do_not_burn_6000_calories_a_day/ ), that number hasn't been back up by a published study. On the other hand, this study ( link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-008-0908-2 ) found far fewer calories to be burned during a game of chess.
I was interested in your comment that you don't consider eSports to be sports, because they fail the 'no randomness' condition. It's admittedly been a while since I've played an FPS, but in the games I remember playing, you would buy weapons using cash you earned through your actions in the game. While there was perhaps some randomness with spawn points, do chess tournaments not also depend on RNGs to determine colours in pairings?
I was interested in your comment that you don't consider eSports to be sports, because they fail the 'no randomness' condition. It's admittedly been a while since I've played an FPS, but in the games I remember playing, you would buy weapons using cash you earned through your actions in the game. While there was perhaps some randomness with spawn points, do chess tournaments not also depend on RNGs to determine colours in pairings?
The fact is that chess is misunderstood, and hated, by the vast majority of people because they just can't win at it. And also...
How many people like mathematicians? It is the same problem with chess. The learning curve is too steep and unfortunately for the past many years, under the mismanagement of FIDE has become a game of memory than skill. The preponderance of opening preparation has ruined the game.
It would be great to encourage chess960 and other modes of chess. The best way to play chess should be downplay the role of rote learning as far as possible. Then, we are talking about a true sport where training matters, but not going through the motions from memory.
How many people like mathematicians? It is the same problem with chess. The learning curve is too steep and unfortunately for the past many years, under the mismanagement of FIDE has become a game of memory than skill. The preponderance of opening preparation has ruined the game.
It would be great to encourage chess960 and other modes of chess. The best way to play chess should be downplay the role of rote learning as far as possible. Then, we are talking about a true sport where training matters, but not going through the motions from memory.
Really enjoyable article, thanks for an instructive read. I certainly agree that chess should be regarded as a sport and its top talent should receive the same support as other top sportspeople do.
A couple of minor talking-points do leave me wondering a bit.
(1) You argue that there is no luck element in chess because no cards are dealt and no dice are thrown. I would say that there most certainly is some luck involved in chess, but then no more so than with some other sports whose status is not questioned. Since players cannot exhaustively analyse the position on the board and have to make imprecise judgments whose outcome they cannot predict with 100% reliability and which they hope will be more accurate than the judgments their opponent makes, luck does play a part. But many competitive sports have something similar about them. Taking a penalty in a soccer match involves guessing which way the goalkeeper will jump. Similarly with deciding in which part of the court to aim your tennis serve. So luck in chess does not particularly set it apart from other sports.
(2) You indicate correct motoric activity and the fact that this is not important in chess as a downside to the status of chess as a sport, but again, some other sports share this feature too at least to a large extent, and here I have in mind ones where pure physical strength (like weightlifting) and physical endurance (marathon running) are involved.
If chess becomes an olympic sport that will surely put the discussion to rest and even the UK should then hopefully fall into line. I grew up in the UK and remember the complaints of its top players back then about the total lack of support they received. No longer British, and Dutch since the 1990s, these days I can appreciate the fact that in the Dutch language part of the world the game falls under a wider category called "denksport" (German has the same word, I believe), with sport in the name, using the powerful tool of language to emphasise that we are talking about sport just as much with chess as with any more physical sport.
A couple of minor talking-points do leave me wondering a bit.
(1) You argue that there is no luck element in chess because no cards are dealt and no dice are thrown. I would say that there most certainly is some luck involved in chess, but then no more so than with some other sports whose status is not questioned. Since players cannot exhaustively analyse the position on the board and have to make imprecise judgments whose outcome they cannot predict with 100% reliability and which they hope will be more accurate than the judgments their opponent makes, luck does play a part. But many competitive sports have something similar about them. Taking a penalty in a soccer match involves guessing which way the goalkeeper will jump. Similarly with deciding in which part of the court to aim your tennis serve. So luck in chess does not particularly set it apart from other sports.
(2) You indicate correct motoric activity and the fact that this is not important in chess as a downside to the status of chess as a sport, but again, some other sports share this feature too at least to a large extent, and here I have in mind ones where pure physical strength (like weightlifting) and physical endurance (marathon running) are involved.
If chess becomes an olympic sport that will surely put the discussion to rest and even the UK should then hopefully fall into line. I grew up in the UK and remember the complaints of its top players back then about the total lack of support they received. No longer British, and Dutch since the 1990s, these days I can appreciate the fact that in the Dutch language part of the world the game falls under a wider category called "denksport" (German has the same word, I believe), with sport in the name, using the powerful tool of language to emphasise that we are talking about sport just as much with chess as with any more physical sport.
Another example: as of 2022 the services of Dutch chess (and checkers/bridge/...) clubs are taxed, unlike other sports, because chess has a 'negligible physical component' and is thus not considered a sport anymore for the purpose of taxes.
Agree with "conclusión" = " Chess is a sport.... But..." ...
Chess is neither recognized as sport in the Netherlands, Belgium ....
Do we want tax money to be spent on supporting a few chess grandmasters? Any country has today huge economical, climate, military ... expenses to do in the next years to come. Big cuts on expenses are needed by everybody. No government can defend financial support for chess as a clever investment of the resources.
Do we want tax money to be spent on supporting a few chess grandmasters? Any country has today huge economical, climate, military ... expenses to do in the next years to come. Big cuts on expenses are needed by everybody. No government can defend financial support for chess as a clever investment of the resources.
@peppie23
Ypur argument should hold true for sports, arts, almost anything at all, other than survival.
Ypur argument should hold true for sports, arts, almost anything at all, other than survival.
@Bxf7wins said in #8:
> @peppie23
>
> Ypur argument should hold true for sports, arts, almost anything at all, other than survival.
For employers it is important that their employees are healthy. For governments healthy people means more tax money. Sport is considered as the most optimal activity to keep people healthy so politicians will promote sports. Chess has a much lower return for the economy (if any).
Yes it is unfortuantely always about money.
> @peppie23
>
> Ypur argument should hold true for sports, arts, almost anything at all, other than survival.
For employers it is important that their employees are healthy. For governments healthy people means more tax money. Sport is considered as the most optimal activity to keep people healthy so politicians will promote sports. Chess has a much lower return for the economy (if any).
Yes it is unfortuantely always about money.
I think chess is a sport