10 reasons ...

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  • 10 reasons ...

    BBC News presents "10 reasons chess may never make it as a spectator sport"

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-maga...nitor-24904517

  • #2
    Re: 10 reasons ...

    great read !!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: 10 reasons ...

      Originally posted by Jack Maguire View Post
      a spectator sport
      So it is not a question about chess as a sport. Are those guys in BBC afraid that they'll need to cover chess soon?
      imo, with the advanced online coverage chess became more spectator than before.

      Look what an exciting conversation about a boring 1st game LOL

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: 10 reasons ...

        That's also ten reasons why it is so difficult to get sponsorship for chess events.

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        • #5
          Re: 10 reasons ...

          They missed the biggest reason: most people find thinking a chore, not a pleasure.
          "Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.

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          • #6
            Re: 10 reasons ...

            Originally posted by Tom O'Donnell View Post
            They missed the biggest reason: most people find thinking a chore, not a pleasure.
            I mostly agree with this sentiment but it's worth pointing out that fans of other sports (baseball, famously, since they have plenty of time between plays to think, but also sports in which fans can demonstrate their knowledge and understanding) do find thinking a pleasure and not a chore when it is thinking about something they are interested in or care about. Then you find that sports pools, talk shows, or just discussion with the neighbor in the local pub can evoke the most amazingly animated and thoughtful discussion ... about something so seemingly unimportant.

            Ask some knuckle-dragging jock about his favorite sport in an intelligent manner and he may just magically transform into a cerebral sports philosopher. It's the damn-dest thing.
            Dogs will bark, but the caravan of chess moves on.

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            • #7
              Re: 10 reasons ...

              In my opinion, seven of the ten "reasons" cited by the BBC are not reasons at all. Here are the three with substance:
              1. The body language/visuals are obscure and not particularly dramatic.
              4. The layman cannot understand the action without lots of in-depth commentary.
              9. The action is comparatively slow.

              The old BBC television program "The Master Game" got it right. Edit out most of the long thinks and splice in voiceovers of the two players. Now that I think of it, the CBC covered the 1968 Canadian Open in similar fashion with, I believe, a game between Lawrence Day and either Bruce Amos or Walter Dobrich. Now that was interesting. However, that format is not compatible with live action.

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              • #8
                Re: 10 reasons ...

                Originally posted by Tom O'Donnell View Post
                They missed the biggest reason: most people find thinking a chore, not a pleasure.
                That brings to mind one of my favourite all-time quotes, courtesy of George Bernard Shaw:

                Most people only think two or three times a year; I've made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.

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                • #9
                  Re: 10 reasons ...

                  I think their cold war point has merit but not for the reason they state. Boris Spassky was already considered a fine chess player and a gentleman.

                  Fischer was an extrovert who caught the imagination and he could back it up with his play. Not unlike Muhammad Ali who dominated the boxing world.

                  I was the membership secretary for the CCCA back then and the memberships and requests for information came rolling in. They came from all parts of Canada. Places I never knew existed. Back then we could only take memberships from people living in Canada and people living in the U.S. and were Canadians.

                  That's what sells.
                  Gary Ruben
                  CC - IA and SIM

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