Is chess a sport? Ending the debate

Back in the 1970's I believe, they affixed monitoring electrodes to two grandmasters during a tournament game. The fluctuations in heart rate, blood pressure, etc made you realize there is a lot more going on than just two geezers sitting on their hindquarters. If you don't play OTB, it's definitely a game. When you're playing face-to-face and there is money at stake, it's a sport.

I don't think archery is a sport. (I did it fo a while.) More like a passtime.

Off course it's something you can get better and super good at, but you can also say that for say cooking. there is also cooking competitions, so why not cooking competition at the olympics?

Chess is not a sport or we would all be very fit. Sport is exercise of the body & mind, chess is exercise of the mind. It's just a board game like Cluedo.

Being in good shape is one of the most important factors of functioning in general. Everything benefits from it, but not everything is a sport.

I'm not so sure about this. Please elaborate.

One individual's personal opinion doesn't give much in defining anything. I could go and float and splash around in water for a while and think ''Swimming is not even close to a sport.'' Same as you might go to chessboard, push wood mindlessly around for a few minutes and think ''this is nothing but a silly game.''

IOC has recognized chess as sport. We all can have our opinions about it but it doesn't change the fact that one of the most highly respected sport organizations has given chess it's blessing.

I knew I shouldn't have created this thread. My whole point was that the argument is silly.

I never said it is silly.

Chess doesn't need the blessings of any sport organization. Chess was here first.

Call it a sport if you want, but that doesn't make it into one. You might have the IOC, the FIDE and the Avengers behind you, but that doesn't mean you're right.

An old definition used in the twentieth century is that sport requires a change of footwear. On this definition chess and bridge for example would not qualify.

Me saying chess is sport doesn't make it so and you saying it isn't doesn't make it ''no-sport''. IOC's opinion doesn't mean I'm right but word of IOC has much more value on the subject than your personal opinion.

was it not Moro who states that the question (whether chess is art or science) is inappropriate because the goal of modern chess is to reach a result?  Perhaps in asking 'is chess an art or science', we are presenting a false dichotomy.

Me thinks that sometimes chess becomes metaphysical when the normal value of the pieces ceases to be because of other dynamics and chess player becomes artist.  

Plato tells us that there is difference between skill and art, making a cake is skilful but its not art because it follows a formula, art me thinks requires experimentation, it might fail, but baker cannot fail otherwise wedding guests are disappointed.

Chess player observes universe like a scientist, adheres to the scientific model, subjects his theory to falsification by testing variation in his mind, if fails rejects theory and tries again.

Also he or she is like philosopher, Spassky believe in big centre but Fisher rejected the concept.

Murray is good man, he has not forgotten his roots! quite the opposite, he draws sustenance from them like a tall tree. Frenchies love young Shelby Rogers, many times she fail, now sun shines for her in France, very likeable young woman.