Is Chess a Sport?

Q. Is chess a sport?



A. It might at first seem that chess is a sport. First of all, it's clearly a competitive activity, which seems to be a necessary if not sufficient condition for something's being a sport. Second, the same sorts of general mental and physical disciplines needed by the sportsman (e.g. mental toughness, strong self-confidence, endurance, etc.) are required for chess players to succeed. To take a prominent example, Karpov's (then-) frail physique nearly cost him twice in big matches against Korchnoi (one for the world championship, the other in a final candidates match) and quite possibly did cost him the title to Kasparov when he lacked the endurance to finish him off in 1984.



Yet despite the above, I think that chess is not a sport. Here's why:



1. I take the following to be necessary conditions of being a sport:



a. That it's a competitive activity.

b. That the performance of the activity have an intrinsically physical component.



2. Chess fulfills (a) but not (b). As far as the nature of chess is concerned, it could be played by disembodied spirits using mental telepathy or by conscious computers.



(Whether either exists is a question for another time; I'm inclined to think the former do exist and to be skeptical about the possibility of the latter, and I'm sure some of my readers think I have it exactly backwards. No matter; the point here is just that either sort of being could play chess either without any physical activity whatsoever, or without the physical activity's being an intrinsic part of the fulfillment of the exercise.)



What I mean by an "intrinsically physical component" is easy to grasp by considering a paradigmatic case: in football, players score touchdowns by using their bodies to move the football across the field and into the end zone, field goals or extra points by sending the ball through the goal posts using only their feet. A physical object must be moved through physical space using particular bodily means.



Not so with chess. Moving the wood or plastic pieces isn't an intrinsic part of the game - one could play an online game by moving one' s mouse or better still, not move anything to play a blindfold game. (One has to move something to state one's move, but the expressing of a move isn't itself a move.) What counts is the production of a move, and that is not an intrinsically physical activity.



3. Thefore, chess isn't a sport.



Now, if one chooses to define a sport merely as some sort of competitive endeavor, then chess would be let in - but so would many other activities, like put-down contests and job interviews. Nor is it enough to add to the competitiveness condition the further requirement that it's an activity where physical prowess can make a substantial difference to one's potential success: one candidate for a job may succeed due to his enhanced fitness (his healthy appearance impressed the hiring committee, his superior conditioning enabled him to successfully work longer hours at his previous job, improving his qualifications, etc.), but that still wouldn't turn job interviewing into a sport.



In sum, while chess is in some significant ways sports-like, and physical and mental training are of great value to ambitious tournament chess players, chess is not a sport - at least if an activity only counts as a sport if it includes some intrinsically physical component.



Comments?

DM vs. Goliath in Blitz

I haven't played much blitz lately, so I "splurged" tonight and tried a single game against an anonymous GM on the Playchess.com server. Here's the game:

NN (2688) - DM (2580) [D00]

Rated game, 3m + 0s Main Playing Hall, 05.02.2005

1.d4 d5 2.Bg5 h6 3.Bh4 c6 4.Nf3 Qb6 5.b3 Bf5 6.e3 Nd7 7.Be2 Ngf6 8.0–0 e6 9.Nbd2 Ba3 10.Bd3 0–0 11.Bxf5 exf5 12.c4 Ne4 13.Qc2 Rac8 14.c5 Qb5 15.Nb1 Qa5 16.Nxa3 Qxa3 17.Nd2 Rfe8 18.Rfc1 b6 19.Nxe4 fxe4 20.Bg3 bxc5 21.dxc5 Ne5 22.Bxe5 Rxe5 23.Qc3 f6 24.Qd4 Rb8 25.Rd1 Qb4 26.Qxb4 Rxb4 27.Kf1 a5 28.Ke2 Re7 29.Kd2 Reb7 30.Kc3 Kf7 31.Rd4 Ke6 32.Rc1 Ke5 33.f4+ exf3 34.gxf3 R7b5 35.f4+ Kf5 36.Kd3 a4 37.bxa4 Rxd4+ 38.exd4 Rb4 39.Rf1 Rxa4 40.Rf2 Ra3+ 41.Kc2 Rxa2+ Time 0–1

[N.B. Some of you may have seen the game posted earlier with diagrams. When I looked at the page with Mozilla, it looked great, but in IE it was horribly distorted. So I'm still trying to figure out how to make it all work, and comments from those who know would be appreciated!]

Accessing my ChessBase shows

As mentioned several times in this blog, I present a live show on ChessBase's playchess.com server on Monday nights; additionally, all past shows are archived almost immediately and can be accessed at any time. In this entry I'll explain how to access both live and archived shows.



First Steps: Meeting your software needs



ChessBase Software

Unfortunately, it' s not as simple as opening your web browser and entering a URL, but it isn't too difficult. The first step is to get the right software, and there are two main options to choose from.



First, you can go to playchess.com and download the free client software. That will give you one month's free access to ChessBase's online server, which is where the show takes place.



A second option is to go shopping on the ChessBase website and purchase one of their playing programs (Fritz, Junior, Shredder, Hiarcs, Chess Tiger, etc.) for approximately 50 USD. The programs are all of appproximate world championship-level strength and have lots of neat bells & whistles, but the relevant matter at hand is that you receive two free ("free" given the initial purchase of the software, of course) 1-year memberships to the playchess.com server.



Windows Media Player 9 (or later)

You'll also need Windows Media 9 or later (Microsoft is up to version 10 now). It probably came with your machine if it's a recent one, but if not, you can download it here.



Part Two: I have the software; now what?



If you have the standalone client (option 1, above), then life is simple: execute the program and log on. If you have Fritz or one of its counterparts, execute the program, choose the Playchess.com option and log on. From this point, the two options will work the same way.



The next step is to navigate inside the server. Once inside, your interface will probably consist of four windows. One of them, probably on the bottom right, will have a header that says "Rooms." In that window you'll see a directory structure listing the server's rooms, obviously enough; the one you'll want to watch the lives shows is "Broadcasts." Click once and you'll be in.



The next thing to do is to go to the window on the upper left. It should have four tabs on the top (Info, Players, Games and World) - select the players tab. That will list all the players in the room, including yourself. My account name is "Initiative", and the easiest way to watch me give the show is to double-click on my handle while the show is going on. (More generally, since there are other people who occasionally broadcast shows, click on the "Status" bar and then double-click on the account name of anyone listed as a "Chairman".) And that's all there is to it! A new window will automatically open displaying the analysis board and providing the show's audio.



Great, but what about all those wonderful shows I've missed?



Part 1: Buying Ducats

Almost every past show is in the archives, but first you'll have to buy what ChessBase calls "ducats" (that's what they call their online currency). While you're logged on with a registered account, go to the Edit menu, select Payments and from there Fill Up Your Account. Follow the directions on purchasing ducats and you'll be good to go within 24 hours or so, possibly sooner.



CB charges about $13 US for 100 ducats, so given their charge of 2 ducats (about 26 cents) to watch an archived show (sometimes 1 ducat, sometimes 4 ducats, if the show was broken into two parts), it's unlikely that anyone with an internet account and the ability to purchase chess software is going to feel much of a pinch here.



Part 2: Accessing the Old Shows

Now that you're the proud owner of a bucket of ducats, here's what you do. Log on to the playchess server, look in the Rooms window and click on Chess Media System, then from within there continue to telescope in as follows: Radio ChessBase-->English-->Great Games with Dennis Monokroussos.



Once you've done that, click on the Games tab in the upper left (sub-) window and you'll see the list of available shows. When you find one you like, double-click and start watching! After a few seconds, you'll be asked if you'd like to watch the rest of the broadcast for the prescribed fee. If you accept, then that's it - all that's left is to watch and enjoy!

My ChessBase Show's Game List

What follows are all the games I've covered (I think!) over the course of the 64 weeks of my ChessBase show. (The numerals pick out the show's week.) This list will hopefully be a convenient resource for those looking up old shows in the archives, and even for those who haven't and won't watch them, these are still games well worth finding and studying carefully. (Except, perhaps, for my games - I'll leave their worth for others to judge.)

1. Spassky-Petrosian, Moscow (W ch, game 19) 1969 (1-0, 24)

1. Spassky-Rashkovsky, USSR ch. 1973 (1-0, 21)

2. Keres-Weiss, IFSB-ch corr. 1935 (1-0, 27)

2. Keres-Geller, Candidates playoff 1962 (1-0, 28)

3. Brodsky-Kramnik, Herson 1991 (0-1, 31)

3. Gelfand-Kramnik, Berlin 1996 (0-1, 28)

3. Kasparov-Kramnik, Dos Hermanas 1996 (0-1, 35)

4. Topalov-Bareev, Linares 1994 (0-1, 23)

4. Karpov-Topalov, Linares 1994 (1-0, 39)

5. Geller-Najdorf, Zurich (Ct) 1953 (1-0, 57)

5. Geller-Fischer, Curacao (Ct) 1962 (1-0, 41)

6. Karpov-Ljubojevic, Torino 1982 (1-0, 28)

6. Tal-Andersson, Biel (izt) 1976 (1-0, 34)

7. Shirov-Polgar, Tilburg Fontys 1996 (1-0, 30)

8. Halprin-Pillsbury, DSB-12 Kongress 1900 (1/2-1/2, 24)

9. Polugaevsky-Nezhmetdinov, Sochi 1958 (0-1, 33)

10. Kasparov-Karpov, W ch (game 16) 1986 (1-0, 41)

11. Durham-Monokroussos, Las Vegas 1986 (1/2-1/2, 65)

11. Monokroussos-Shliperman, New York 1998 (1-0, 38)

11. Monokroussos-Cavallo, Philadelphia (World Open) 1998 (1-0, 25)

11. Monokroussos-Barcarola, US Amateur Team East 1999 (1/2-1/2, 54)

12. Flohr-Vidmar, Nottingham 1936 (1-0, 58)

13. Capablanca-Marshall, New York 1918 (1-0, 36)

14. Denker-Botvinnik, U.S. vs. USSR radio match 1945 (0-1, 25)

15. Capablanca-Menchik, Hastings 1929 (1-0, 64)

16. Harmonist-Tarrasch, DSB-06 Kongress 1889 (0-1, 46)

17. Jimenez-Larsen, Palma de Mallorca 1967 (0-1, 43)

18. Reshevsky-Miagmasuren, Sousse 1967 (1-0, 33)

19. Karpov-Beliavsky, Tilburg 1986 (0-1, 36)

19. Nikolic-Kramnik, Monaco (blind) 1998 (0-1, 35)

20. Serper-Nikolaidis, St. Petersburg 1993 (1-0, 48)

21. Petrosian-Yukhtman, USSR ch (Tbilisi) 1959 (1-0, 31)

22. Reshevsky-Fischer, New York/Los Angeles (m) 1961 (0-1, 57)

23. Capablanca-Tartakower, New York 1924 (1-0, 52)

24. Kharlov-Nisipeanu, Tripoli (FIDE W Ch) 2004 (1-0, 62)

25. Zukertort-Steinitz, W ch 1886 (0-1, 46)

26. Lputian-Dlugy, New York Open 1998 (1-0, 23)

27. Ljubojevic-Korchnoi, Linares 1985 (1-0, 41)

28. Rotlewi-Rubinstein, Lodz 1907 (0-1, 25)

29. Benko-Olafsson, Yugoslavia (Ct) 1959 (1-0, 42)

30. Estrin-Berliner, World Corr. Ch. 1965-68 (0-1, 42)

31. Beliavsky-Anand, Munich 1991 (0-1, 28)

32. Morozevich-Anand, PCA/Intel GP (rapid) 1995 (1-0, 28)

33. Cordes-Miles, Bad Woerishofen 1985 (1-0, 36)

34. Korchnoi-Huebner, Johannesburg 1981 (1-0, 23)

35. Kramnik-Leko (x2) (Tilburg 1998 and Koeln 2000) (0-1, 45 and 1-0, 33)

36. Vasiukov-van Wely, Moscow 2002 (1-0, 32)

37. Jussupow-van der Wiel, Luzern (ol) 1982 (1-0, 31)

38. Anderssen-Lange, Breslau 1859 (0-1, 19)

38. Polgar-Berkes, Budapest 2003 (1-0, 24)

39. Botvinnik-Smyslov, W Ch. 1954 (1-0, 30)

39. Smyslov-Botvinnik, W Ch. 1954 (1-0, 25)

40. Leko-Kramnik, Brissago (W ch) 2004 (1/2-1/2, 65)

40. Kramnik-Leko, Brissago (W ch) 2004 (1-0, 41)

41. Petrosian-Bronstein, Amsterdam (Ct) 1956 (0-1, 36)

41. Kasparov-Karpov, Moscow (W Ch.) 1985 (1-0, 25)

41. Shirazi-Peters, Berkeley (U.S. Ch.) 1984 (0-1, 5)

41. Christiansen-Karpov, Wijk aan Zee 1993 (1-0, 12)

41. Zapata-Anand, Biel 1988 (1-0, 6)

41. Szabo-Reshevsky, Zurich (Ct) 1953 (1/2-1/2, 27)

42. Schiffers-Harmonist, Frankfurt 1887 (1-0, 28)

42. Spielmann-Duras, Carlsbad 1907 (1-0, 21)

42. Fang-Ivanov, Manchester 1999 (0-1, 37)

42. Mustafaev-Mamedyarov, Baku 2001 (0-1, 40)

42. Kosztolanczi-Hajnal, Zalakaros 2002 (0-1, 30)

42. Bancod-Iuldachev, Jakarta 1997 (0-1, 30)

42. Morkisz-Kaula, Poland 1995 (1/2-1/2, 28)

43. Bisguier-Monokroussos, Las Vegas 1998 (0-1, 21)

43. Rubinstein-Vidmar, Berlin 1918 (0-1, 24)

44. Gruenfeld-Polugaevsky, Riga (izt) 1979 (0-1, 53)

45. Kamsky-Kramnik, New York (Cm) 1994 (1-0, 41)

46. Euwe-Najdorf, Zurich (Ct) 1953 (1-0, 37)

47. Grooten-Motylev, Essent op 2003 (0-1, 43)

48. Nakamura-Muhammed, U.S. Ch. 2004 (1-0, 28)

48. Nakamura-Stripunsky, U.S. Ch. 2004 (1/2-1/2, 25)

48. DeFirmian-Nakamura, U.S. Ch. 2004 (0-1, 40)

48. Kaidanov-Nakamura, U.S. Ch. 2004 (0-1, 68)

48. Nakamura-Karjakin, Cuernavaca (m) 2004 (0-1, 39)

49. Nakamura-Ibragimov, U.S. Ch. 2004 (1-0, 66)

50. Bronstein-Larsen, Amsterdam (izt) 1964 (0-1, 30)

51. Miles-Huebner, Wijk aan Zee 1984 (1-0, 41)

52. Anand-Bareev, Wijk aan Zee (Corus) 2004 (1-0, 48)

53. McDonnell-Labourdonnais, London (m) 1834 (0-1, 37)

54. Bird-Horwitz, London 1851 (1-0, 59)

55. Bogoljubow-Alekhine, W ch 1934, game 9 (0-1, 46)

56. Kasparov-Anand, W ch 1995, game 10 (1-0, 38)

57. van Oosterom-Nimtz, 18th W corr. ch. 2003 (1-0, 49)

58. Karpov-Timman, Montreal 1979 (1-0, 38)

59. Aronian-Popov, Aeroflot Open 2005 (1-0, 36)

60. Sasikiran-Skytte, Politiken Cup 2003 (1-0, 41)

61. Kasparov-Karpov, W ch 1985, game 19 (1-0, 42)

62. Saidy-Fischer, New York 1968 (0-1, 35)

62. Karpov-Bellon, Madrid 1973 (1/2-1/2, 49)

63. MacDonald-Burn, Casual Game 1910 (0-1, 49)

64. Jobava-Delgado, Calvia (ol) 2004 (1-0, 34)

65. Pachman-Fischer, Santiago 1959 (1-0, 40)

Kasparov QGD DVD Follow-Up

Having finished viewing the DVD (for the first time - I intend to rewatch it at least once more), I'm happy to report that its initial virtues all held up; further, there are a couple of other positive aspects worth noting.



First, unsurprisingly, Kasparov often pays tribute to the great players of the past who helped in the development of the theory of the Queen's Gambit Declined, and practically pleads with the viewer to explore and appreciate that rich heritage as well. Of course, this plea is just what we would expect from Kasparov in light of his My Great Predecessors series, and I can only add my own hearty yea and amen - my ChessBase show was started for just that reason, to celebrate and publicize to a broader audience some of the wonderful games and players of the past.



The second additional virtue of the DVD is that it comes with a database of QGD games (99,995 to be exact) from 1842 through August of 2004. The overwhelming majority are unannotated, but about 50 games are well-annotated and all the games Kasparov mentions in the theoretical portion of the DVD are specially placed early in the database for easy reference.



All in all, a fine product, though I reiterate that it certainly presupposes a certain level of sophistication and ought to be supplemented with other explanatory material. Good stuff!