Why Chess Is A Sport
Why is it that chess is officially recognized as a sport?
Sport is defined as follows by Oxford Languages:
An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another and others for entertainment.
There are several factors – some less obvious than others – that support the inclusion of chess as an official sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), SportAccord, and over 100 countries.
I share the four most important factors with you in my latest Youtube video, embedded below:
To summarize the video, chess is a sport, and is considered an official sport by the International Olympic Committee, SportAccord, and in over 100 countries - primarily for the following four reasons:
- Chess entails significant physical exertion.
- Chess is a highly competitive discipline.
- Chess has a very long history, tradition, and clear rules.
- Chess is purely a skill-based game.
