Might be trite, but why is chess not a sport entered in the Olympics?

Chess is not an athletic activity or contest of physical prowess.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sport

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/game

Yep, the lack of any physical activity would seem to rule against it.

It’s boring as shit for the uninitiated.

^^^ So are a lot of Olympic events. Especially when a camera tracks somebody in closeup through, say, moguls skiing, instead of a distance shot, so practically all you see is bounce-bounce-bounce without perspective. And cross country, yikes. How about a nice Olympic caber toss?

Sport = an offense and defense, and both break a sweat from physical exertion. Baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, rugby, polo, tennis, etc.

Athletic event = a competition, without offense and defense, with breaking a sweat from physical exertion. Running, jumping, gymnastics, golf, cycling, skating, skateboarding, etc.

I suppose chess has an offense and defense, but the only source of sweat is stress, not [physical exertion.

Unless you are talking Blitz Chess, it just takes too long.
Most activities take a few seconds to complete.
Chess, for just one round, takes fucking hours!

So @Love_my_doggie, are you saying that it’s only a sport if it’s done competitively? So the people who run, bicycle, climb rocks, snowboard, swim, etc., on their own and only trying to impove their own performance, aren’t doing a sport?

It’s only going to be an olympic event if there is a tv audience for it. And there just plain is not such an audience in any numbers that would interest advertisers.

Internation Olympic Committee web site – Sports Governed by International Federations Recognised by the International Olympic Committee

Air Sports
American Football (Provisional)
Automobile
Bandy
Billiard Sports
Boules
Bowling
Bridge
Cheerleading (Provisional)
Chess
Cricket
Dance sport
Floorball
Flying Disc
Icestocksport (Provisional)
Kickboxing (Provisional)
Korfball
Lacrosse (Provisional)
Life saving
Motorcycle racing
Mountaineering and Climbing
Muaythai (Provisional)
Netball
Orienteering
Pelota Vasca
Polo
Powerboating
Racquetball
Sambo (Provisional)
Ski Mountaineering
Squash
Sumo
Tug of War
Underwater sports
Water Ski
Wushu

It’s a board game, not a sport.

I noticed in the news somewhere online recently that chess was featured under “Sports” and it made me pause and think about the designation.

After some pondering, it made sense. Like other sports, chess has people competing intensely, it has a fan and spectator base, it has a lore and a history.

While we may be competitive in our work lives and personal lives, that isn’t the same as meeting to battle in a game with arbitrary rules.

Life saving Really?

@smudges I wonder if they meant life saving in water? That could definitely be a competition. Speed, strength, skill, technique, it involves all.

How about cricket?

@canidmajor I remember there were swimming classes called Junior Lifesaving.

Anyway, “Sports Governed by International Federations Recognised by the International Olympic Committee” doesn’t mean these are Olympic events.