Originally Posted by
Solkern
The IOC has acknowledged it as such, and since they are the closest thing to an official global body for sport governance, their ruling is pretty clear.
Of course, "sport" means different things to different people. I did some research in the early 2000's in order to ascertain the support chess was getting from various National Olympic Committees post-recognition of chess as a sport by the IOC. The lessons were pretty interesting.
First of all, it is worth noting that chess is a medal sport at some NOC competitions such as the Asian Games. People have won medals in official IOC events for playing chess. (This had a tendency of shocking most people, by the way.)
Second, "Sport" clearly means different things to different cultures. In the native English-speaking countries (United States, Canada, United Kingdom) and other places like Scandinavia, "Sport" is taken by most people to refer to "Athletic Competition". As such, chess does not qualify by most people's definitions. In Russia, Chess most certainly was considered "спорт", which referred more to "Competition" in general, without concern for whether or not athletic prowess was part of the conversation. I found that in the rest of the world, "Sport" didn't have as strong an athletic overtone as it did to native English speakers.
I'd also like to pull up an Oxford English Dictionary definition for sport (#4), including the notes:
a. An activity involving physical exertion and skill, esp. (particularly in modern use) one regulated by set rules or customs in which an individual or team competes against another or others. Freq. in pl. In early use the sense of ‘sport’ as a diversion or amusement is paramount; by the 18th and 19th centuries the term was often used with reference to hunting, shooting, and fishing (see blood, field sports at the first element). The consolidation of organized sport (particularly football, rugby, cricket, and athletics) in the 19th cent. reinforced the notion of sport as physical competition (for contact, motor-, racket, spectator, team, water sport, etc., see the first element).
b. In pl. An occasion on which people compete in various athletic or other sporting activities. Cf. game n. 4b. In early use freq. referring to the ancient Olympic Games.
c. Participation in activities involving physical exertion and skill, (now) esp. competitive activities regulated by set rules or customs; such activities collectively.
As you can see, chess qualifies as a sport, most certainly under 4b and 4c as it is most certainly under "other sporting activities" and a "competitive activity regulated by set rules or customs". However, it most certainly does not qualify as a sport under 4a. I suspect the following passage gives you the clear clue:
"The consolidation of organized sport (particularly football, rugby,
cricket, and athletics) in the 19th cent. reinforced the notion of sport
as physical competition (for contact, motor-, racket, spectator, team,
water sport, etc., see the first element)."
So, it's a sport if you define sport as a "competitive activity regulated by set rules or customs", and it isn't if you define it as "an activity involving physical exertion and skill". The IOC, however, says it is a sport, so I'll use that as the tiebreaker for now.
(Stole this from a persons post, as I was too lazy to write this all out and this is pretty much what I agree with)
A sport is considered a competition of skills. Monopoly and gemstone are not a skill based game. It’s a luck based game. I think chess is the only sport/game where luck plays no role.
Regarding your other comment about gender, I don’t believe in this gender bullshit. You are a man or a woman, and nothing you can do will change that.
Men should not compete in woman’s sports and other activities designed for women. I don’t give a flying fuck what you identify as. I think we need to stop promoting this gender shit. 30-40 years ago we didn’t have this fucking issue and no one have a fuck. But all these ultra left liberal pieces of shit keep pushing this worthless agenda, and giving us non crazy liberals a bad name.
I’m liberal, but I don’t agree with everything. I disagree with my fair bit.
