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Piece
of Michelangelo’s magnificent work in the Sistine Chapel.
Just another painting?
If
the International Olympic Committee accepts chess as a sport,
then the old question over its category should be settled,
shouldn’t it? Well not completely. It seems there is
a lingering school of thought that insists on denying the
world’s most fascinating game the status of a sport.
In the final analysis, of course, this debate does not really
matter; chess will always be chess, but the game-sport controversy
still hanging over it remains an interesting issue nevertheless.
As readers would recall, DOUBLE ROOKS has always referred
to the game of chess as a sport. Because of its long and
picturesque history, its highly competitive nature and its
world-wide indulgence at every level, it seemed the proper
thing to do. We never felt the need to be bothered by precise
definitions. In our view, the grandeur of chess, its unique
cognitive and creative challenges, the devotion it inspires,
seem to transcend the limitations and dynamics of a mere
game. So in our instinctive desire to accord chess its deserved
place among competitive human activity, we deemed it a sport.
When it was announced some time ago that the IOC, at FIDE’s
request, had agreed to list chess as one of its recognised
sports, the news brought some measure of satisfaction. Chess’
status as a sport was now officially established and the
controversy, hopefully, would finally be over. The IOC’s
decision, it seems, had bolstered, if not actually inspired,
the formation of the International Mind Sports Association
(IMSA), the people who have organised the first Mind Sports
Games to be held in Beijing, China, from October 3 to 18.
According to an announcement from the T&T Chess Association,
a team of T&T chess players will be among the 3,000-plus
participants from more than 100 countries expected to compete
in this new and different international sporting event.
They will be among contestants vying for 35 gold medals
in chess, bridge, draughts, Go and Xiang Qi (Chinese chess).
“We
clearly consider ourselves a sport,” declared IMSA
president Jose Damiani, commenting on the Mind Games. “Our
events are no different from physical sports. They are all
sports.” He pointed out that one billion people around
the world play mind games which are represented by some
500 sports federations.
However, along comes writer Mark Weeks to inject a fresh
dose of controversy into this entire matter. His article
in the free newsletter, Your Guide to Chess, dredges up
the old question: Is chess a sport? Also carried on the
web-site, About.com:Chess, this is what Weeks has to say:
“Our
popular feature, Top 10 Mythis About Chess, includes a pair
of contradictory statements: Myth no 8: Chess is a sport.
Myth no 9: Chess isn’t a sport.
“It
might be a gimmick, but we also think it’s true. Ask
any number of people, ‘Is chess a sport?’. Some
will reply immediately, ‘No, of course not,’ while
others will say, ‘Yes, of course it is’. Only
a few, not necessarily the chess players, might think about
the question.
“Most
people instinctively think of chess as a game. On the About.com
network of topics, the Chess topic is placed under “Hobbies
& Games’, rather than ‘Sports & Recreation’.
We doubt that the About.com complaints department has ever
received a single comment critical of this categorization.
“Is
chess a sport? That question is often answered with another
question: What do you mean by ‘sport’? The issue
then becomes one of definition. How do you define a sport?
“If
we look at a dictionary definition of ‘sport’,
there are a number of secondary, irrelevant definitions
of the word (He’s a good sport; She’s a poor sport.)
The primary relevant definition is something like: A. Physical
activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and
often engaged competitively. B. A particular form of this
activity.
“This
makes a distinction between sports in general (’He
played sports in school’) and a specific sport (’She
played basketball at school’). Chess is certainly not
a sport by this definition because physical activity is
not necessarily involved.
“Indeed,
physical activity can be present in chess, especially in
blitz chess (see the link to a video for a great example),
but it is not a prerequisite. Two competent players can
play each other blindfold, where the only physical activity
involves speaking the moves. Two novice players can play
each other over the Internet by manipulating a mouse, a
physical activity which no one ever considers a sport. (competitive
mousing?).
“Another
definition of sport is something like: An active pastime;
recreation. If chess is to be considered a sport, it is
according to this definition which includes the word ‘active’.
Unfortunately the definition is so vague that it covers
just about any human activity that serves as an ‘active
pastime’: flower gardening, poetry writing/reading
and card games ranging from the most skilled (eg bridge)
to the least (the children’s game of ‘war’)”
Weeks’ view does not really trouble us. As we said,
chess will always be chess. And definitions, however useful,
are just definitions. After all, the Mona Lisa or Michelangelo’s
magnificent work in the Sistine Chapel, for the sake of
categorization, are just paintings.
Six
qualifiers in De Verteuil Memorial contest
Six
of this year’s qualifiers for the national finals have
entered the F.W. De Verteuil Memorial Chess Tournament which
got underway at the RHAND Credit Union building, Abercromby
Street, Port-of-Spain, on Thursday night. They are among
the 41 players, a mixture of youth and experience, who are
contesting the seven-round Swiss organised by the Knights
Chess Club and sponsored by RHAND.
One of the more popular open tournaments, the De Verteuil
Memorial has acquired several popular features over the
years. For the national qualifiers it offers a warm-up exercise
before the climaxing event which starts on Saturday September
6. Among these players are national champion FM Ryan Harper,
National Junior Champion Keron Cabalis, 13-time former national
title holder FM Christo Cave, FM Frank Yee who is defending
the Memorial championship he won last year, Olympiad Silver
Medallist Ravishen Singh and Hayden Lee.
Having created history last year by being the first open
club tournament to be FIDE-rated, the De Verteuil Memorial
will again offer players an opportunity to obtain an international
rating. In this regard, it is good news that the contest
has attracted no less than 16 of the country’s FIDE-rated
players.
The tournament presents another good opportunity for junior
players to test their skills against some of the country’s
best and, at the same time, to go for an international rating.
The event is also attractive for its enhanced prize structure,
offering the first six winners cash prizes of $1,500, $800.
$500, $300, $200 and $100. Prizes of $200 each will be awarded
to the Best Junior, Best Female, Best Under 1700 and Best
Unrated.
Following are results of the first round: Ryan Harper 1,
Prakash Persad 0; Jonathan Paul 0, Christo Cave 1; Ravishen
Singh 1, Jarryon Paul 0; Avinash Maharaj 0, Frank Yee 1;
Marcus Joseph 1, Brian Leemoon 0; Rohan Heerah 1, Colin
Knight 0; Shamah Khan 0, David Christopher 1; Eddison Chang
1, Joshua Johnson 0; Gabriella Johnson 0, Marcus Cobham
1; Keron Cabralis 1, Carl Jacobs 0; Adrian Fraser 0, Andrew
Bowles 1; Jayson Paul 1, Ken Fitzpatrick 0; Roderick Noel
1, John Everon 0; Chantal Fitzpatrick 0, Hayden Lee 1; Sylvan
Seaforth 1, Ian Ali 0; Leonard Duncan 0, Sean Lastique 1
(default); Daryl Davis 1, Louis Wiltshire 0; Neil Sookhanan
0, Nicolas Chin 1; Prince Primus 0 Adeniji Adebayo 1 (default);
Kile Andrews .5, Ian Solomon .5.
Tomorrow’s fixtures: Bowles v Harper; Cave v Jayson
Paul; Raphael v Singh; Yee v Noel; Lee v Joseph; Lastique
v Heerah; Christopher v Seaforth; Chin v Chang; Cobham v
Davis; Adebayo v Cabralis; Solomon v Sooknanan; Wiltshire
v Andrews; Persad v G. Johnson; J. Johnson v Jonathan Paul;
Jarryon Paul v Fraser; Jacobs v Maharaj; Leemon v K. Fitzpatrick;
Knight v C. Fitzparick; Everon v Khan; Ali the bye.
TRIVIA
Champ for a day
After the death of Alexander Alekhine in 1946, FIDE held
a meeting to decide on how to choose the next world champion.
The FIDE delegates decided that since Max Euwe was the only
ex-world champion still alive, he would be the World Champion
until FIDE organised a tournament to find the next champion.
The Soviet delegates arrived at the meeting a day late.
They had the decision annulled and thus the world title
was left vacant until Botvinnik won the 1948 tournament.
Thus Euwe was ‘technically’ World Champion twice
1935 - 1947 and one day in 1946.
Richard the Fifth
German Richard Teichmann (1868 - 1925) was blind in one
eye and wore and eye patch when playing in tournaments.
Between 1902 and 1907 he finished fifth in seven of the
15 tournaments he played in, which led to him being nicknamed
‘Richard the Fifth.”
Giant killer Keres
In the course of his long and distinguished career, Paul
Keres defeated nine players who were at one stage in their
careers Wold Chess Champion. The nine were Alexander Alekhine,
Jose Capablanca, Vassily Smyslov, Max Euwe, Tigran Perosian,
Mikhail Botvinnik, Mikhail Tal, Mikhail Botvinnik, Boris
Spassky and Bobby Fischer. Keres’ unique place in chess
history is based on the fact that he was, at the height
of his power, the strongest player never to win the world
title.
Roulette decides
Winner of the drawn 1983 Candidates quarter-final match
between Vassily Smyslov and Robert Hubner was decided by
the spin of a roulette wheel. Smyslov won and advanced to
the Candidates semi-final.
No money no match
Jose Capablanca agreed in 1926 to defend his World Championship
title against Aron Nimzowich but Nimzo was unable to raise
the money required for the match to take place. The following
year, Capablanca lost his title to Alexlander Alekhine.
Nimzowich never again had the opportunity to play for the
World Championship title.
Elo the champion
Arpad Elo, the originator of the rating system that bears
his name, was champion or co-champion of the US state of
Wisconsin nine times between 1935 and 1961.
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