Chess: Art, Science or just a game?

Is chess an art or is it a science or is it just a game.

To me it's just a game. I can't see it as an art form. Liking chess to some crumpled up newspapers or a painting or sculpture just dosent' do it for me.

Liking it to a science is going way to far. Whilst you can refute certain moves and show that their theory for making such a move was wrong, dosen't make it a science to me.

For me chess is just a game, a great game nontheless. I can marvle at the way some players get checkmate 'like a rabbit from a hat' (good title for a book that one!), I can be inspired by the way players formulate their plans, I can even be overwhelmed with joy at the way some players sac a piece just for a positional edge. But to call it an art or science, for me is taking the game too far.

What do you think?

Red

I agree with JF. The way some players play it's like the're dancing, or have rehersed it.

Is that how you define art? I think actors and musicians may disagree with you there m8.

Red

no, I think it's just a game but people call it an "art" but it's not all that impartant..

but it's still fun.

Math? I can only see probability. I go here, he goes there or there or there! Which will it be? I am of course talking about a game of chess and not the number of possible positions that can be worked out with math.

Red

Chess has some resemblence to science in the way that it can be studied.  A lot of chess theory approaches the game from that viewpoint.  However, Botvinnik put it quite clearly and correctly: chess is not a science because it does not exist without us - it is not a natural phenomenon. 

Chess does have a definite link to mathematics though.  The piece movement and the board geometry will inevitably lead to mathematical solutions which we may not be aware of even.  Hence how computers can appear to play chess using algorithms.

As an artform?  Definitely.  Maybe not these days with the so-called boring play of modern GMs, but some of the games of the Romantic players are just pleasing in the same way that music can be.  You often see the expression ' a beautiful combination ' and so on.  That relates to art surely.

I personally have thought that chess has a lot in common with language.  You can see two people who hardly speak each others tongue quite happily playing through analysis, each knowing exactly what the other means.  Like moves are words and combinations are sentences.  And the more words you know and the better you string them together, the greater command of the language you have, or the better you play the game.

Chess isn't just a game.  It is the game.

 neither Art nor science are 100% correct like your rating here indicates (it is all i have to say)

note: some Carpenters take their job to a much higher than average level so do some chess players yet there are some 'artist' and 'scientist' that are not good at what they pretend to be nor they are good at chess either!

 note: for many chess will never be just a game!  

Here's a link to a fascinating conversation between Kramnik and artist Ugo Dossi:

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2809

Here's an excerpt:

Dossi: Chess commentators often describe your style with terms from the language of art. They speak of harmony, flow and depth, resplendence, crystalline clarity and intensity. On occasion even inconceivability. How do they arrive at this appraisal?

Kramnik: For us chess players the use of the language of art is something natural. Perhaps it is also due to the fact that to us, chess is similar to art. Every top player has his own style, just as every painter has his own personal signature. Chess is an infinitely complex game, which one can play in infinitely numerous and varied ways. I am convinced, the way one plays chess always reflects the player’s personality. If something defines his character, then it will also define his way of playing.

If we take Gary Kasparov as an example: He is very emotional. He plays in a sort of "hurricane style". He is like a tsunami, which always surges ahead and attempts to drown his opponent. My way of playing is very different and Karpov plays very differently as well. An impatient person plays differently than a more patient person. He will be more likely to start an attack which has not been thought through to the last detail. Naturally this only pertains to the top players. Only he, who penetrates into the depth of the game, can express his personality in it. I suppose in art it is exactly the same. For me art and chess are closely related, both are forms in which the self finds beauty and expression...

Deepnf3 wrote

neither Art nor science are 100% correct like your rating here indicates (it is all i have to say)

(You are dead right about my rating. Please pay no attention to my rating. It is way too high, I really am NOT that good. If I was to be rated I would say I'm about maybe 1500 - 1600. I'm sure there are plenty of players on this site who would see major flaws in my playing.)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, could not the same thing be said of art in relation to chess?

Red

How Does Chess Relate to Science?

            People always ask how chess can teach students and how to draw conclusions from observations. If you are one of these people, I will tell you. This game helped me in many different ways.  Chess helps people analyze situations and predict outcomes. For example, if you got stuck in the game and didn’t know where to move, this would help you organize your pieces on the field and plan a couple of moves ahead.  Not only is this game the world’s greatest problem solving activity, it is also a way to show true sportsmanship and appreciate the talents of others. When people say this is the world’s greatest solving problem, it is because it helps people find a solution when they are stuck and don’t know what to do.  This game is also like using the scientific method. First of all, you have to state the problem. Then, draw a conclusion of what is on the field and what you can do with the pieces. Next, form a hypothesis and plan what to do with the pieces to trap your enemy’s king. After that, test to see if it works. If it doesn’t work, analyze of how your enemy moves his pieces. Then, state a conclusion of what your opponent is going to do next. Then, if you do all of these steps, you should be able to trap your king. These steps helped me and I use this every time I play this game.  This game is also a quiet activity that helps you communicate with others and have long lasting friendships.  Not only does it help have long lasting friendships, it is a good way to meet new people and make new friends.  Well, playing chess can also change your personality.  For example, if you were a shy person that didn’t like talking to many people at once, then communicating with one person can help you communicate with people more. Plus, this game can make people who get intense or aggravated, to being calm.  By being calm, this can make it difficult for your opponent to read your next moves.  Also, this game helps you control numerous variables.  If you were using one piece the whole game and your enemy trapped that piece, and then make sure that you have that piece protected by your other pieces. For example, if your pawn was trapped by your opponent’s piece, then make sure you have another piece that protects it. If you do this, then your opponent will only have few of your pieces.  Chess helps you draw conclusions, concentrate better, common sense, and helps memory skills.  If you are a person who day-dreams a lot, this game helps you focus on different variables at the same time.  Also, this helps you think differently because you will think three or four steps ahead trying to defeat your opponent.  Obviously, this helps you with common sense because you should know that you need to trap the king before they trap yours.  This helps you remember because it is a game where you have to think of what to do step by step.  Also, if you mess up on one single move, that could let you end up losing the game.  For example, if you kept moving one of your pieces to try to trap your opponent’s king, and then they kill your piece, then it could be the end of the game for you because you just lost a valuable piece.  If you are not a good chess player, there are many ways you can learn how to get better. There is Chessmaster 2100 on the computer so you can learn at home.  This is also a good game because it helps the significance of body language in communication.  Also, this game is the value of changing one’s point of view to find a solution.  People play chess not only for science, but also for many reason.  One reason is to bring families together.  Not only does it bring families together, it also makes parents happy to know that their children know how to play a game that helps people learn, have fun, and many other things.  Also, chess can elevate a person’s self-esteem.  Chess should be an integral part of the school curriculum and should be taught to every student in our schools beginning at third grade.  If people were to learn how to play chess starting in the third grade, students should be able to solve many meaningful problems instantly when they grow up.  Many people play chess to change a physically aggressive behavior.  Playing chess can help a person that is mostly angry to being a calm person.  Another reason is that it puts people of different cultural backgrounds on equal footing.  By saying this, it doesn’t matter who you are or anything like that; this game is all about using different strategies to trap your opponent’s king and to do whatever it takes.  Chess also is an entertaining game for children.  Many people play this game because it can improve reading and math scores.  If you were not as good at reading and math, then this helps you by paying attention and figuring out different steps of how to do something.  A different reason why people play chess is because it helps you learn. Also, in the future, it will help you learn how to do things quicker. For example, if you were doing a science experiment, and you learned the scientific method, then you will know how to do the experiment faster than you first started.  My point is that if you keep doing the same thing over and over, then you should get used to it and be able to progress faster and faster.  Also, no computer chess game can match the power of the human mind.  This strategy game makes you focus not only of your pieces, but also your opponents because you need to know how to trap your opponent’s king and avoiding many pieces.  These examples are comparing winning the game to completing an experiment or labs.  Many people that are not good at this game, never heard of this game, or even heard of this game but never wanted to learn or play, have been glad to learn this first-class game because it uses different strategies different times.  If you are laid-back and slack whatever is needed to be done, then this game helps maintain focus and keeps up what you need to do.   

Certainly chess is sceince.It is also arts. Itis a game as well. It is a matter of viewing the game.

Does science not create that which is not natural?  A light bulb was created by science(and a human).  I think the premise is completely wrong.   Science can not exist without us.  Science is the the study of what exists not what naturally exists. 

I would say this game is very much a combination of art and science.  Very many times will talk about the ART of sacrifice.  In art there are no rules.  In science there are.  A knight is worth 3 and so is a bishop(science).  But, art breaks the rules.  A knight is only worth 3 in a very general sense excluding tactical ideas  and theories regarding a position(which once again could be considered science.  But, I think this would depend on the players thought process.  If the player calculates out all the possibilities then it becomes science.  But, in the same sense this exact same game can be considered art as it becomes aesthetically pleasing AND interpreted in different ways by different individuals.) 

I just threw that together and I have to go so I hope it was somewhat cohesive.