Chess as a sport

reunion

After the Today FM interview with the Irish Chess Union (ICU) chair about chess being a sport, I was wondering if anyone had any links or references to any studies about chess being a sport.

I can't find anything on the ICU website about reasons why chess is a sport and the statement that chess burns as many calories as tennis is just silly. It might be beneficial to compile some research and/or studies and the benefit of chess as a sport in other countries.

Personally I don't know all the reasons, except that other EU countries recognise it as a sport but Ireland doesn't. Would appreciate any posts with relevant links

reunion

Goign to attempt to keep this updated (where possible) with links - here is a few to get the ball rolling:

Chess is recognised by the Olympics as a sport - http://www.olympic.org/chess

Sadly the Irish Sports Council do not regocnise chess as a sport (at least according to this paper) - http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Sports_Participation_Health_Among_Adults_2004_/Sports_Participation_Health.pdf

Debate in the senate about Chess being a sport - https://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2010-11-24.209.0

ICU's attempt in 2005 to get chess recognised as a sport - https://www.icu.ie/articles/8

EnPassant

Dáil questions on funding:-

From 1976:
Written Answers. - Chess Playing. Thursday, 5 February 1976

From 1998:
Written Answers. - Chess Funding. Wednesday, 28 January 1998

GoingBonkers

Why can't we just link to the webster dictionary?

mikhail

Well, we're not American for a start.

RQ_ennis_chess

A Non Executive Director of the English Chess Federation makes the case for chess to be recognised as a sport. http://en.chessbase.com/post/a-question-of-sport

sinbad68

Bridge joins battle to be recognised as sport.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/bridge-battles-recognised-sport-150923115719348.html

Ballynafeigh Chess

chess is a bit of a blood-sport at the moment does that count?

sinbad68

It's easy to make chess a sport , by adding physical activity and marksmanship to it. The electricity in the playing room should be provided by players peddling static bicycles, turning mechanical energy to electricity.If players get exhausted and stop peddling then it will be like playing blindfold chess.

http://www.thegreenmicrogym.com/the-story-of-the-upcycle-eco-charger/


If the game on board ends up as a draw , players stand a fixed distance away from each other ( about 6 meters/20 feet or so ) wearing protective gear ( goggles, etc) , each holding their 16 chess pieces and taking turns, throwing chess pieces at each other, one at a time ( obviously white will throw first) while their opponent tries to dodge, and at the end, the player with most hits wins the game. EASY !

Lecale

A lot of judges play Bridge, so that probably makes Bridge a sport.

sinbad68

Don't think so, If Bridge qualifies , what is stopping other card & non card games applying for sports fund. It would be better if governments accepted importance of mental activity outside education system and had a separate funds for "Mental sports".

Sparks

Once again, you're arguing from your definition of what the word "sport" means, without proving that definition is the one everyone else is using. An argument based on a faulty axiom like that cannot stand up to even the mild observation that everyone else already classes it as a sport.

sinbad68

Sparks wrote: »

Once again, you're arguing from your definition of what the word "sport" means, without proving that definition is the one everyone else is using. An argument based on a faulty axiom like that cannot stand up to even the mild observation that everyone else already classes it as a sport.

I don't understand you sparks.I post a video in which it states that The English Bridge union is going to court to be recognised as a sport, then Oxford English dictionary definition of " Sport" is given in the video as " An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment "

I suggest couple of ideas for adding physical exertion & skill to chess and having a friendly chat with Lecale and then you come here flustered arguing with me about definition of " sport "!. Your argument is Not with me but with Oxford English dictionary.Contact them and tell them you are not happy, but first watch the video in the link.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/bridge-battles-recognised-sport-150923115719348.html

Sparks

sinbad68 wrote: »

I don't understand you sparks

Let me highlight the problem:

I post a video in which it states that The English Bridge union is going to court to be recognised as a sport, then Oxford English dictionary definition of " Sport"

There's the problem. The courts do not use the OED as the arbiter of these things. Whether something is classified by the government as a sport is a completely different and unrelated question to whether the OED defines it as a sport because the government classification has far more to do with things like grant aid, official recognition of courses and qualifications and so on - for example, recognised sporting bodies here may have their coaching or other courses registered as FETAC-recognised courses. That means standardisation, it means recognition internationally is easier, it carries several benefits. But you have to be a recognised sporting body in the eyes of the Irish Sports Council first. And they do not utilise the OED in deciding who is and who is not recognised - it's an utterly irrelevant point to them.

This is why pretty much every other nation classifies chess as a sport, even though that dictionary you're reading can be read as saying it isn't one.

Tim Harding

Lecale wrote: »

A lot of judges play Bridge, so that probably makes Bridge a sport.

Unfortunately not. The English Bridge Union just lost its case, on a rather narrow legal point, relating to British legislation of the 1930s.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34537024

So now they will have to try to get that legislation amended. Not sure what it says except that I think it defines sport as physical activity.

So the grounds they lost on may not apply in Ireland.

sinbad68

As I predicted earlier on this thread, Bridge union will lose this case and they did.The Judge used Oxford dictionary definition of physical activity to throw out the case , had The English Bridge Union succeeded, It would have opened the floodgates and many other games including chess would have used the ruling in their favour.Talking about physical activity/exertion in sports, It is disgraceful that chess is not recognised as sport but rifle/pistol shooting has been allowed to call itself " sport" and enter the olympics. The amount of physical exertion in target shooting is much less than playing a game of blitz chess, But thanks to the powerful gun lobby and manufacturers rifle/pistol shooting is a recognised sport.

Sparks

sinbad68 wrote: »

As I predicted earlier on this thread, Bridge union will lose this case and they did.The Judge used Oxford dictionary definition of physical activity to throw out the case

Citation needed, because that wouldn't have been legal.
In fact, when you read the actual judge's opinion, the OED is never mentioned and the only time he even mentioned dictionary definitions was to state that the dictionary definition was not germane to the judgement at all (see section 33 of the judgement).

Talking about physical activity/exertion in sports, It is disgraceful that chess is not recognised as sport but rifle/pistol shooting has been allowed to call itself " sport" and enter the olympics. The amount of physical exertion in target shooting is much less than playing a game of blitz chess, But thanks to the powerful gun lobby and manufacturers rifle/pistol shooting is a recognised sport.

Nice try.