Should Chess become an olympic sport?

[Zalatix]

Timed matches, touchy-movey, that sorta thing?

I think it's time to create an entire academic competition and roll it into the Olympics. Bring in the sponsors and medals and big time name recognition.

What could possibly make this a bad idea?

[cthulu2016]

1. Yes! I would love that.

[TlalocW]

2. I'm in favor of anything

That will destroy the Olympics and the expectation that I have to pretend every 4 years that winning the pole vault somehow brings glory to the country.

TlalocW

[rad51]

3. Maybe chess boxing.

[Motown_Johnny]

50. +1

[PoliticAverse]

4. Sure, it has a lot in common with other sports...

[jberryhill]

5. Team Rhythmic Synchronized Chess Dance

[RedStateLiberal]

6. As long as they include prancing horses

and they call it Chessage.

[limpyhobbler]

7. Hell no. The Olympics are boring enough as it is without dragging chess into it.

The only board game that belongs in the olympics is Hungry Hungry Hippos.

[jberryhill]

9. Hungary beat Thirstary in the world championship last year

[Arkana]

64. Hey, screw you, buddy.

Connect Four all the way.

[JI7]

8. maybe they should start an olympics for things like chess , card games etc .

things that rely more on metal than physical ability.

[jberryhill]

10. They tried playing Uno

But cancelled the event after accusations that the Mexican team was stealing all the green cards.

[boppers]

14. They call it "Life". n/t

[Kablooie]

11. Only if the pieces are so big body builders have to move them.

[HubertHeaver]

12. You do realize the Russians would dominate this sport?

[boppers]

15. And this hypothetical outcome matters, why?

How are the Jamaican bobsled teams doing these days?

[HubertHeaver]

20. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things,

its merely a given. The USA has 2 players ranked in the top 20 in July of 2012, Russia has 7 players.

[Zalatix]

17. That's not a genetically programmed given.

[HubertHeaver]

21. Not genetically programmed

But it is a window on what is valued by a society.

[boppers]

22. Water polo, badminton, and synchronized swimming, are all Olympic "sports".

Chess wouldn't change much of the absurdity.

[HubertHeaver]

23. It would add to the absurdity.

Can you imagine the US announcers trying to explain chess? Further absurdity, can you imagine a US audience watching a chess match?

[boppers]

24. They watch water polo.

Volleyball, too.

[boppers]

25. Oh, and for that matter, they watch american football.

"Men with lots of padding run around, but also take lots of breaks, centered around moving a ball only a few 'yards' at a time".

Americans also watch singing and dancing contests, and "vote".

Weird culture.

[Zalatix]

29. Wow, I've watched chess matches and I played for my high school, too.

It didn't seem all that hard to follow for me.

[cthulu2016]

41. Were you around for Fisher v. Spasky?

lyric from the musical CHESS (sung by the merchandizers)

When you get up --
When you get up in the morning
Till you crash at night
You will have to live your life
With bishop, rook and knight
Clean your teeth with chequered toothpaste
Wear our vests
Our kings and queens on bouncing breasts
You could even buy a set
And learn to play
We don't mind we'll sell you something
Anyway

We've done all our market research
And our findings show
That this game of chess could be around
A month or so
Maybe it's a bit confusing
For a game
But Rubik's Cubes were much the same
In the end the whole world bought one
All were gone
By which time we merchandisers
Had moved on

[muriel_volestrangler]

28. What's absurd about water polo or badminton?

I agree synchronized swimming is a problem - it depends too much on artistic interpretation, and subjective judging. But badminton is no more 'absurd' as a sport than tennis, or water polo than basketball.

[boppers]

44. Yup, and all of those are Olympic "sports".

You have exemplified my point.

[muriel_volestrangler]

60. What is absurd? And why are you using quotes around the word sports?

I don't think I've exemplified your point at all.

As far as I can make out your point now, it's that all sports, competitions and games are always absurd. Is that it? If so, you need to try to make your case, rather than just calling any contest 'absurd' or 'bizarre'. Given that competition seems to be an intrinsic part of being not just a human, but for many other mammals too, and many cultures independently develop the ideas of games with formal rules, you need to have some kind of reasoning for why this basic human behaviour is 'absurd'.

[cthulu2016]

40. Or IBM would

[entanglement]

49. The Russians are very strong but they have lots of competition these days.

The 2012 World Chess Championship was a face-off between an Israeli and an Indian. A Norwegian is currently ranked world #1.

[burrowowl]

13. YES!

[eridani]

16. Then you'd have to add bridge and poker

Aces! Aces! Back to back!
Fill that straight with a one-eyed jack!
PLAAYYYY poker!

[cthulu2016]

43. A "duplicate poker" tournament would be interesting

[pokerfan]

18. Only if it's Secret Agent Laser Optical Chess

[ellisonz]

19. No. n/t

[TomClash]

26. There is already a chess Olympiad

The 2012 Olympiad will be held in Istanbul.

[GodlessBiker]

27. Knight takes queen. Bishop takes queen. King takes queen.

Gangbang!

(History of the World, Part I)

[flyingfysh]

30. there already IS a chess Olympics

Look it up on Wikipedia.

[Capt. Obvious]

31. Oh, so computers can take over for the Chess Olympians?

[Warren Stupidity]

32. No. It is a game, not a sport.

[edbermac]

33. They DO have chess Olympics, for over 80 years now.

Last one was the 39th 2010 in Khanty-Mansiysk, they're held every 2 years.

Ukraine won the men's gold medal, Russia for the women.

[Zalatix]

45. I am talking about it being an official part of the Summer or Winter Olympics.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

34. Chess is not a sport, it's a game.

[Confusious]

57. basketball is a game

I don't think chess should be in the Olympics either.

[whistler162]

35. As long as it is combined with

Greco-Roman wrestling.

[Sea-Dog]

36. it may start filling the seats

been hearing that the army is to fill them so the place looks full. I shit you not

[HappyMe]

37. No.

[randr]

38. The board side commentary from Bob Costas

will be thrilling.

[Johonny]

39. only if you shoot the pieces with an air rifle

then it's an athletic event

[HopeHoops]

42. I doubt they could get Budweiser to sponsor that.

[Zanzoobar]

46. Yes, if huffing and puffing become a sport.

With no movement at all.

[madinmaryland]

47. YES

[madinmaryland]

48. The DU Chess Master will be checking in shortly to give his opinion...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/120415468

[lib2DaBone]

51. Sure..why not...

..it's all bullshit anyways?

[chollybocker]

52. Yes.

Especially for those moments when a player keeps his finger on top of the piece he may - *or may not* - move.

"He could ... move ... all the way!"

Gripping drama. Ratings gold.

[Speck Tater]

53. Only if it's played with swords and maces

and before the pawn can capture the knight he has to best him in mortal combat. Now THAT would be sport.

[spanone]

54. is a board game a sport? dunno

i love chess

[tularetom]

55. Why not beach chess featuring young women in skimpy bikinis?

I'd watch it at least once.

[chollybocker]

56. Or dudes.

Bishop to Knight 7, if you know what I mean....

[Jack Rabbit]

58. Chess players are against it

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the George W. Bush of chess, pushes the idea and, like other third world autocrats he professes to admire (including George W. Bush), doesn't give a flying leap what the people (or the chess players) think. His support indicates that he has found a way for Olympic chess to line his pockets.

Chess players don't want to be drug tested for drugs that would do them no good whatsoever and probably actually harm performance. I'll defer to the players rather than King Kirsan.

There has been a tournament known as the Chess Olympics since 1933. It's held every two years, nowadays in even numbered years. The 2012 Chess Olympiad will be played in Istanbul from August 27-September 10. That's the only Olympic games chess really needs.

[Peepsite]

59. World of Warcraft might be a better choice for this generation.

[NuttyFluffers]

61. only if they then too appreciate the athleticism of Hungry Hungry Hippos and Tiddly Winks

getting that plastic coin into the cup is hard!

[pinboy3niner]

62. Good idea...

...if, between moves, the players have to swim the 400, do a Giant on the high bar, and shoot skeet between moves.

[guardian]

63. Bad idea.

Keep the Olympics physical. We don't need chess, or scrabble, or dungeons & dragons as an Olympic sport.

[badtoworse]

65. I love to play chess and I'm reasonably good, but it's a game, not a sport.

The Olympics measure athletic ability. Chess measures cognitive ability.