Sex! Nudity! and Chess!

[mynameisben]

Okay, no sex or nudity. Just chess. (Nobody would have clicked on this otherwise).

The 2021 World Chess Championship begins this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Norway's Magnus Carlsen will be defending his World Chess Championship title against up and coming star Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia.

Carlson has been the reigning champion and the number one rated player in the world for the past ten years. He is considered by many chess experts to be one of the greatest chess players of all time. Nepomniachtchi, on the other hand, is the number five rated player in the world. But he plays in an unconventional, swashbuckling style, highlighted by moments of brilliance beyond his rating, that has given Carlsen fits in the past.

Who do you want to win?

Does anybody have any Big Money riding on the outcome?


Ben

 

[ydahecnot]

I was expecting news of an updated One Night in Bangkok video. Darn

 

[Fingerfuxs]

Is this the fruit cake of threads given to the playground?

Sorry Ben , satire , I couldn’t help it

 

[mynameisben]

Is this the fruit cake of threads given to the playground?

Sorry Ben , satire , I couldn’t help it

No. This is a MAJOR international sporting event, two years in the making. (Last year's championship match was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

I can't believe there isn't a ravening interest in this thing.

♚♛♝♞♜


Ben

 

[Deleted member 5521640]

I can't believe there isn't a ravening interest in this thing.

I can appreciate your excitement and interest over this, but to me, watching two grown men stare at a game board for hours on end is akin to watching paint dry. I do hope you enjoy it, but I think I'll pass.

 

[Jake069258]

No. This is a MAJOR international sporting event, two years in the making. (Last year's championship match was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

I can't believe there isn't a ravening interest in this thing.

♚♛♝♞♜


Ben

Chess is a sport?

Definition is as follows;

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Not saying you don't have to be crazy smart to play chess... way smarter than me.

But I don't think it's a sport...

 

[BongoGal]

Strip Chess

 

[munch2much]

I used to LOVE playing chess. It’s been years though. I confess I’ve watched Magnus on YouTube. I don’t know much about the other guy, but it’s bound to be interesting to watch

 

[PoiseDexter]

I'll check it out, and I'll do it nude.

 

[AlexBailey]

Chess - a game between two players with thirty-two pieces played on sixty-four squares with no element of chance.

If online video games can be considered a sport then chess certainly can be too.


Serious chess playing can be a psychological and physical workout. Grandmaster level players burn calories at similar levels as top athletes and are known to lose a significant amount of weight during tournaments.

 

[mynameisben]

Chess is a sport?

Definition is as follows;

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Not saying you don't have to be crazy smart to play chess... way smarter than me.

But I don't think it's a sport...

Your definition of a "sport" is offered without citation of a reference and can therefore be regarded only as an opinion. But in the spirit of sportsmanship, I did find an authoritative reference to support your opinion.
Lexico.com has a definition of "sport" that matches your offered definition verbatim. The degree to which Lexico.com may be considered an authority, however, is open to serious debate.

The Oxford English Dictionary, a much more authoritative source, defines "sport" as follows:

2.a. An activity providing diversion, entertainment, or fun; a pastime.​

By the O.E.D. standard, chess is unambiguously considered a sport.

Merriam-Webster defines "sport" similarly to the O.E.D.:

noun: a source of diversion : RECREATION​

Other dictionaries I consulted disagree on whether the Lexico.com requirement of "involving physical exertion" is essential to the definition of "sport." After due consideration, I have come to the conclusion that lexicographers are NOT the best authority on the issue of whether chess is a sport or not.

I look instead to the International Olympic Committee as the gold standard of what is and isn't a sport. According to the IOC webpage on Recognized Sports, chess is indeed a sport. Even though chess has never actually been an Olympic Games sport (yet), serious efforts are underway to include chess in upcoming Olympiads. Shooting a rifle is an Olympic sport. How much more physical exertion does it take to squeeze a trigger than it does to move pieces around on a chessboard?

As AlexBailey pointed out, "Serious chess playing can be a psychological and physical workout. Grandmaster level players burn calories at similar levels as top athletes and are known to lose a significant amount of weight during tournaments." His claim can be verified by this CNBC report. Almost all chess grandmasters at the highest echelons of competition have personal physical trainers and adhere to strict diet and exercise programs when preparing for the physical stress and rigors of major chess tournaments.

There is no doubt in my mind that chess is indeed a sport.

The 2021 World Chess Championship is now underway, and the first two games of the 14 game match have both ended in a draw. Has anyone got a favorite player they are rooting for yet?


Ben