Why is chess a sport

Guys I love chess and everything but why is it considered a sport. It does not require physical exertion and that is the main definition of a sport. It is a fun competition but I do not think that the Olympics can just name any thing a sport, like skateboarding is a "sport" now and if anything skateboarding is more of a sport than chess. I love chess, I am not hating, i just done understand why?

as per me

chess is a sport

is because it has enough or more than enough things to be considered as a sport

like preparation, diet, money, etc

and about the "It does not require physical exertion"

think twice about it tbh because it tougher than it (playing 6hr nonstop chess is tough)

and about other sports

it requires both physical and mental power

it is true that other sport is more physical than mental but it requires both

but people see it as pure physical power  which as per me is completely wrong

to sum up

for eg purpose 

chess = 70% mental power & 30% physical power

other sport =70% physical power & 30% mental power

Many things require mental power and other things like school requires Preparation, Diet, and money but school is not considered a sport. I also agree chess is a tough game when played against experienced players but many other board games are just as tough as chess, maybe not as sophisticated but tough. You have great, valid arguments but I cant see them as all completely applicable.

school ...... doesn't require diet...

sorry for my incomplete para

as per me   (this my incomplete para from the first msg)

sport 

where a person compete to get a prize and where spectators can enjoy the game

like football, where they complete for a good amount of money and as a spectator, you gonna enjoy the game

tbh sport as a definition is very disputed

i will love to hear your definition of sport  and I will try to fit chess into it 

Chess is just a game. A board game.

Right you are !!!

That is what im saying, it is not considered a sport its is a competition. and the definition of sport is "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." Like you said it is a mental exertion

for me calling chess just a "game" is very disrespectful

I think that for those people for whom chess is not their main job, this is a good sport opportunity. The same applies to those people who, for various reasons, cannot or do not want to play sports. One way or another, chess is a competition, just like football, basketball and hockey. Just unlike physical sport, chess is an intellectual sport. This is where chess is different.

This is just my personal view, but Chess is considered a sport for good reason. What is a sport, if not a competition with agreed upon rules and conditions? As far as the question of physical exertion, we find that even the techniques of "physical sports" players are honed more through repetition than through conditioning in a strictly "conditioning" sense, ie running, weight lifting, etc.

Although those are components of top competitors' training routines, the bulk of their skill comes from the methodical and obsessive honing of their technique: a largely mental component. Think tactical vision vs muscle memory. How you define physical exertion matters, as well. If you use caloric burn as a metric, some Stanford researcher suggested once I think that top Grandmasters can burn anywhere up to like 6,000 calories a day during the course of intense top-level play.

That said, don't let such things ruin your fun. If you play Chess as a game, then there is no need to take such things so seriously, but you should absolutely respect the value as a competitive sport and the masters who compete.

What do you think, is there, in your opinion, an intellectual component, say, in football and hockey?

   ---   And there you have it ! Yes Chess players just want the " Prestige " of being Athletes. Chess players just want the fame of going into the Olympics, quite simple really. 

esport is a thing

Try kicking the ball aimlessly and winning the game.

You will get your answer.

i think chess player are more than that

+1