10 reasons ...

[Jack Maguire]

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

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

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: 10 reasons ...

great read !!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: 10 reasons ...

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

[Gordon Ritchie]

Re: 10 reasons ...

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

[Tom O'Donnell]

Re: 10 reasons ...

They missed the biggest reason: most people find thinking a chore, not a pleasure.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: 10 reasons ...

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.

[Dan Scoones]

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.

[Jack Maguire]

Re: 10 reasons ...

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.

[Gary Ruben]

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.