Recognize Chess as a Sport in Canada

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

[QUOTE=Brad Thomson;n223425]

It was back in the mid-1990s when FIDE made a serious effort at having the IOC recognize chess as a sport. The effort remains unsuccessful./QUOTE]


IOC recognize chess as sport. It is just not in Olympics.

[Brad Thomson]

Sport is defined as 'an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.'

Physical and mental exhaustion from long chess tournaments, skill involved, and competitive nature of chess - all prove that it's a sport.

I believe you are on the right track. If chess is to be defined as a sport, then the stamina involved in long term concentration is the criterion that must be stressed. Most, if not all sports, use strong/trained muscles and this is sometimes part of the definition of what constitutes a sport. Chess does not fit this requirement, therefore if it hopes to succeed it must define "sport" differently, in such a manner as to suggest that only mental stamina is needed on top of the definition of the game itself. But this opens up many other board games to being defined as a sport, for example checkers, Go, possibly even X's and O's. So long as there are no dice, or random deals of cards and the like, there are a huge number of board games that require mental stamina to be played at their best and that are not games at least partly of chance, as is for example, backgammon, due to the dice.

It was back in the mid-1990s when FIDE made a serious effort at having the IOC recognize chess as a sport. The effort remains unsuccessful.

Is chess a sport? It depends upon our definition of the term. If only mental stamina is needed then yes, if strong/trained muscles are needed, then no.

[David Ottosen]

Sport is defined as 'an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.'

Physical and mental exhaustion from long chess tournaments, skill involved, and competitive nature of chess - all prove that it's a sport.

Chess has a ton of beneficial and some not so beneficial impacts on people. Overall I think it's positive.

It's not a sport though.

[Olga Mushtaler]

Government should invest into chess. Investing -> chess should be part of curriculum in schools; extra funding for Canadian Youth Tournaments; investing into chess festivals and events. Why government doesn't bother with chess? Because government doesn't recognize chess as a sport (or art, or anything). If you look at this government page, chess is excluded from sports funding here-->https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/sport-support/accountability-framework.html

[Olga Mushtaler]

Will you include a written submission demonstrating precisely how the game of chess meets the definition of what constitutes a "sport"? In the past the politicians have demanded an answer to this question before they are willing to risk having to spend money. There have been significant attempts by FIDE to attempt to convince the IOC.

Sport is defined as 'an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.'

Physical and mental exhaustion from long chess tournaments, skill involved, and competitive nature of chess - all prove that it's a sport.

[Neil Frarey]

Think she roll 7 .... 4 on one die, 3 on other

Pun intended

[Pargat Perrer]

Will you include a written submission demonstrating precisely how the game of chess meets the definition of what constitutes a "sport"? In the past the politicians have demanded an answer to this question before they are willing to risk having to spend money. There have been significant attempts by FIDE to attempt to convince the IOC.

If chess becomes a sport, so too should all school subject exams, for example math exams. Exam takers, like chess players, try to find the correct answer ("move") among several available, and require extensive memorization and / or ability to connect dots. Also the ability to sit in one location for some time and remain quiet.

If chess becomes a sport, I think there should be trash-talking between opponents. A set of whistle-toting officials for each game can assess offsides (reaching for a piece before your opponent has let go of his or her piece), interference (not letting an opponent have an extra Queen, deliberately knocking over opponent's pieces and leaving them like that), personal fouls etc.

The move for chess to become a sport is pure greed, motivated only by money. And it would be public money, paid for by taxpayers. Anybody trying to justify it has nothing but dollar signs in their eyes. I am most strenuously against it. I am against other sports getting public money as well. I am also against sports scholarships for university education.

Here we are with our hospitals running out of nursing staff and doctors, people dying from appendicitis while waiting in a waiting room .... and we want chess as a sport paid for by taxpayers?

Please people, get your heads out of your asses.

[Pargat Perrer]

What your roll with the CFC?

Think she roll 7 .... 4 on one die, 3 on other

[Neil Frarey]

I'm with CFC.

I thought as much.

Canadian Government does NOT consider chess a sport. Hence, 1) chess is not taught in schools; 2) chess is excluded from sports funding programs; 3) there is no support for Canadian Youth (i.e. sending talented young players for national and international tournaments). All this needs to change. Sign a petition if you agree that chess should be recognized as a sport by Sport Canada and Canadian Government.

Wrong and critically misleading.

I strongly suggest greatly strengthening your petition by having co-presenters ... Chess Federation of Canada and Chess 'N Math.

CMA's depth of understanding the value of chess being taught within our school systems for decades upon decades is invaluable. Furthermore, it is my understanding that over the years CMA has received Quebec tax payer dollars. Point being ... if Quebec sees all this value for our Canadian Youth ... why not the rest of Canada too?

Good luck, Olga.

[Brad Thomson]

Will you include a written submission demonstrating precisely how the game of chess meets the definition of what constitutes a "sport"? In the past the politicians have demanded an answer to this question before they are willing to risk having to spend money. There have been significant attempts by FIDE to attempt to convince the IOC.

[Tom O'Donnell]

You might get in with the federal Conservatives. Their new leader is a chess player.

[Bob Armstrong]

From the CFC Website (https://www.chess.ca/en/cfc/personnel/):

CFC Executive for 2022/23
President	Vlad Drkulec	email
Vice-President	Olga Mushtaler

[Hans Jung]

I have signed it.

[Olga Mushtaler]

What your roll with the CFC?

I'm with CFC.

[Neil Frarey]

What your roll with the CFC?