Whether it’s rugby, football, swimming, cycling or parkour, people often think of sports as activities involving physical action. However, this narrow definition overlooks the original meaning of "sport," derived from the old French word "desport," meaning "leisure." This broader understanding includes a variety of activities, even those that don’t necessarily involve physical exertion! While chess might not involve intense physical movement, it undoubtedly demands high levels of skill and mental agility. So, is chess considered a sport? It absolutely is!
Key Takeaways: Why Chess Is a Sport
- ✅ Chess Has Rules: Like any other sport, the game of chess follows strict rules. An example is the touch-move rule, ensuring fair play and respect.
- 🧠 Chess Requires Mental Focus: Chess demands intense concentration, strategy and endurance, much like physically demanding sports!
- 🏋️ Physical Fitness Helps: Chess players need physical and mental stamina to stay sharp during long games and tournaments.
- 🏆 Chess Is Competitive: Players also compete for titles, rankings and tournaments.
- 🌍 Chess Is Global: Chess is played globally, bringing people together across the world for competitions!
- 📊 Chess Players Are Ranked: Players are ranked using the Elo rating system, which is similar to athlete rankings in other sports.
Keep reading as we highlight six compelling reasons why chess deserves it's recognition as a sport!
Sport Has a Code of Conduct
The phrase code of conduct is generally taken to mean the set of rules, norms and practices that individuals abide by. Your school or workplace likely has a code of conduct. Military personnel follow a code of conduct and so do civil servants.
Athletes also abide by a code of conduct: no cheating, good sportsmanship, respecting opponents, being a good role model, reject corruption in any form and maintain integrity, among others. These behaviors are reinforced by rules.
Chess players are also subject to rules, norms and practices. In tournaments, before and after each game, they are required to shake hands; failing to do so nets them a penalty. A player cannot simply walk away from a game in progress without saying anything, especially not if it's their move. And, they cannot touch any chess piece, their own or their opponent's, unless they're going to move it.
The touch-move rule in chess means that if a player touches a piece, they must play that piece.
Several high-profile cheating cases have made waves in the chess world. One instance saw a player repeatedly heading to the bathroom during their game; you might say he was phoning a friend to find out what move to make next. So, to prevent cheating, phones are not allowed during tournaments. Just like any other athlete, chess players lose out on endorsement deals when they're caught out.
Sport Is Mentally Intensive
Around the start of the new millennium, a new phrase cropped up: in the zone. Being in the zone means a state of hyper-concentration and focus, so much so that you are oblivious to everything else around you.
Soon, athletes were attributing their exceptional performance to being in the zone. Coaches urged their players to find the zone, get in the zone, you gotta be in the zone. In 2002, a book titled The Body Bears the Burden revealed that athletes feel the pain of injury only distantly because they are in the zone; nothing can get to them. Athletes aren't the only players who find their place in the zone. Gamers often get in the zone; that's what allows them to play for hours on end without food, drink or bathroom breaks. Every sport has a mental component!
Athletes must constantly think of defense, offense and strategy but some games are admittedly more reactive than others. For instance, when a basketball player fakes an opponent out, the 'faked' player must react instinctively, they cannot pause the game to analyze their strategy.
Chess is nowhere near that physically reactive. In fact, chess is far more cerebral than physical, which makes it more mentally intensive than most physically strenuous sports.
The mental intensity of chess is why it is officially considered both a sport and an art. The game of chess involves strategy, creativity and skill in every move.
Read more here on why chess is considered an art.
Sport Demands Physical Fitness
As pointed out above, sports, especially the more physically demanding ones require participants to be at least physically fit enough to practice it. Many sports require high levels of endurance and conditioning just to fully engage in them and, even for milder sports such as Nordic walking or aerobic dancing, you have to have a baseline of fitness to prevent injury.
Chess players may sit to practice their sport but that doesn't mean they can forego their physical training.
For one, playing chess can be a test of endurance, especially during tournaments. Imagine the conditioning needed to engage all of your mental powers while sitting still for up to two hours at a time - and not necessarily in a comfortable chair, either.
Finally, consider that chess is a form of mindfulness. Chess players must be wholly present while playing; their minds can't afford to wander for a moment without risking losing the game. The well of mindfulness flows from being in tune with one's optimal self: a well-conditioned body, a stress-free mind and a connection to one's purpose.
Sport Is Competitive
Obviously, anyone engaging in sport is also engaging in competition, even if it's against themselves. Runners want to run farther and faster than they did on their last run. Weightlifters want to increase their reps and the amount they lift and we probably don't need to point out rivalries between football teams, do we?
Like every other sport, chess is also competitive. Chess players compete against themselves and each other to raise their Elo ratings. They compete to complete norms required to advance in the ranks and they compete in tournaments to earn chess titles:
National Master
A title for players who reach a strong national rating, usually around 2200.
Candidate Master
Awarded to players with a FIDE rating of 2000 or higher.
FIDE Master
Given to players with a FIDE rating of at least 2300.
International Master
A title for players rated 2400+ who excel in international tournaments.
Grandmaster
The highest regular title for elite players rated 2500+ with top-level results.
World Chess Champion
The title for the player who wins the World Chess Championship, proving they are the best in the world.
To make things a bit easier, the title of chess grandmaster is not an apex you must beat another chess player off of. Many accomplished chess masters have earned their grandmaster title and, once it's theirs, they keep it for life - unless they violate chess' code of conduct.
By contrast, there's only one World Chess Champion title. It is contested biennially, just as (some) other sports' championship titles are. Here's a short video on this year's youngest World Chess Champion!
Sport Is Played Everywhere
Every country embraces some kind of sport. In the US, baseball is called the national pastime but American football is really where the money and focus is. Basketball runs a close second, though. India has cricket and, while ping-pong used to be China's supreme sport, today, that country's athletes deliver strong performances in a variety of sports.
Here again, chess is on par with that standard.
As of 2024, the United States Chess Federation (US Chess) reports over 112,000 members, reflecting a growing interest in chess nationwide.
Not only is chess one of the oldest games still in play today but, even in antiquity, every region had its own variation of chess. Furthermore, the game has become standardized and, through rigorous analysis of past games and establishing new theories, chess has evolved over time - just as every other sport has.
That makes chess as much a science as it is a sport.
One of the more recent evolutions was computer chess. Now, anyone with an internet connection and a desire to learn or a passion for playing chess can log on to their favorite chess platform to play against other online players or against the machine.
A 2024 survey indicates that 54% of Americans enjoy chess, highlighting its widespread appeal across the country.
Thank goodness for those chess platforms! During the peak of the pandemic lockdowns, that's how tournaments were held.
Sports Players Are Ranked
Most Valuable Player (MVP), Player of the Year, GOAT - greatest of all time, Best and Fairest, Player of the Match, Athlete of the Year...
All of these accolades are usually given to athletes who've performed especially well or whose career has been exemplary. This year, two star athletes were accorded the GOAT title; Simone Biles and Roger Federer, although Novak Djokovic, this year's Wimbledon winner is running a very close second.
Those are all unofficial rankings, generally decided on by the public and the media. It's nice that sports fans get to show their devotion to their favorite athletes by up-voting them but public opinion does not an official rank make.
Formal ranking is achieved by assigning a numerical value to athletic performance, compiling and analyzing that data, comparing them to other athletes' statistics and, based on the numbers, determining who consistently delivers the better performance.
Chess players are ranked in much the same way. Players' Elo ratings rise and fall depending on their performance in each tournament game they play. As their Elo rating increases, so does their standing in the ranking. Here is a YouTube video explaining the Elo system!
Tournaments often structure their events so that players of similar ratings will face off in the first round. As you win points off your opponents' Elo ratings, your rating goes up. As you progress through the tournament, you will play increasingly-higher-rated opponents, earning points all the while
Provided you win, that is. If you lose a game, your opponent will be awarded points off your Elo rating. So, not only do chess players compete for titles, they are also ranked according to their skill level, just as any other athlete is.
Conclusion: Chess Is a Sport
Chess is recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with over 100 countries, including the United States, officially acknowledging its status. In conclusion, the definition of sport extends beyond physical exertion and athleticism. The origin of the word "sport" suggests it encompasses anything that people find entertaining or amusing.
While many may associate sports with physical activity, competitive leisure activities that require skill are also considered sports. Chess, for instance, excels in the skill aspect, demonstrating that sports can take on diverse forms, challenging traditional notions of athleticism.
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Now, discover some of the others facets of chess!
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