Winter Olympics

[Roger de Coverly]

A news story that may be worth keeping an eye on, given attempts by the current FIDE leadership to promote chess as a winter sport is this.
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/m ... body-wants
It's in other places as well.

The potential costs to Norway of hosting these was mentioned in connection with the funding problems of the Tromso Olympiad.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

(Off-topic) I know the Guardian is famous for its bad spelling, but "surely someone whats to have the privilege?" (in the photo caption) really takes the biscuit.

[JustinHorton]

You could spend all day corecting mistakes like that in various newspapers. In most cases it's likely to be due to online publication meaning that text goes directly from the hurried and careless writer to publication without the intervention of subs.

I corrected "breaches the gap" to "bridges the gap" in another piece just the other day.

[David Sedgwick]

You could spend all day corecting (sic) mistakes ...

Sorry Justin - I couldn't resist.

[JustinHorton]

I'm sure there's a Law Of The Internet regarding that syndrome.

[Lewis Martin]

Although I don't like seeing grammar mistakes (I am prone to them too from time to time), I don't let it take over my focus compared to the news story!

A news story that may be worth keeping an eye on, given attempts by the current FIDE leadership to promote chess as a winter sport is this.

Why is FIDE wanting to promote it as a Winter Olympics sport? News to me, though I am probably behind the times, particularly on this forum.

While I'll admit chess tournaments are usually held indoors (perhaps an irrelevant factor due to major sports such as slalom skiing), it doesn't readily come to mind to associate chess as a winter sport. Indeed, curling had been mooted in the news in the recent Olympics as 'chess on ice'.

[Roger de Coverly]

Why is FIDE wanting to promote it as a Winter Olympics sport? News to me, though I am probably behind the times, particularly on this forum. .

The current FIDE management have as an objective the idea that Chess should be part of the Olympic Games. With it being firmly established that there is little scope for introducing additional sporting activities into the Summer games, particularly non-physical ones, their hopes are now being concentrated on the winter version. They have a case that if the Winter Olympics wants to include countries which don't have Winter Sports for reasons of Geography, that Chess is a possible fit.

http://www.fide.com/component/content/a ... eroon.html

Then he visited the office of the Cameroonian NOC where he was welcomed by its officials and the General Secretary Mr. Emmanuel Abolo Biwole. FIDE representatives addressed to the Cameroonian NOC with the suggestion to support the idea of chess inclusion in the programme of Winter Olympic Games.

There appears a set formula to a Kirsan visit. It will include the National Olympic Committee and the Government to discuss Chess in Schools. Sometimes the National Chess Federation and a chess event are involved as well. That's not to forget the presence of a representative of the Russian Diplomatic Service.

[Matt Fletcher]

I'm sure there's a Law Of The Internet regarding that syndrome.

I think you're looking for Muphry's Law?

[Chris Rice]

I was quite intrigued in reading a passage on Kirsan's campaign site today. It said that:

"On the morning of May 30, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov met with Secretary General of the Luxembourg National Olympic Committee (NOC) Ms. Marlyse Pauly and the NOC Administrative Board member Mr. Daniel Dax. Just as had been the case in other countries, the parties discussed inclusion of chess in the Olympic Games program during the meeting. The parties noted that the main problem for chess was the nuance that chess is still not recognized as a sport in the US, the UK and some other European countries, which hold significant clout in the contemporary Olympic Movement."

Is that what's really holding up the inclusion of chess in the Olympic Games?

[Roger de Coverly]

The parties noted that the main problem for chess was the nuance that chess is still not recognized as a sport in the US, the UK and some other European countries, which hold significant clout in the contemporary Olympic Movement."

Is that what's really holding up the inclusion of chess in the Olympic Games?

The wider problem would be the definition of a sport as having to involve physical activity. Thus Rambling and Walking count as sports even though there is no competitive element.

It's a Council of Europe definition:-
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/epas/resources/charter_en.asp

in which

1. For the purpose of this Charter:

a. "Sport" means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.

Some European countries ignore this definition and allow the chess Federation to participate in sports funding and NOC activity, but that would appear to be what FIDE are up against. They would need to have this reworded to make the references to physical activity and fitness optional.

Another problem is that a non-physical definition could include card games such as Poker, which some countries seek to outlaw or at least restrict.

[Chris Rice]

Putin in Sochi (which as we know has just held the Winter Olympics) yesterday at a children's tournament was quoted as saying “Certainly, chess is a sport that develops the mind, the most intellectual of sports".

[Chris Rice]

This bit of news may help the efforts to get chess included in the Winter Olympics...

"Chess will be included in the official program of Pan American games in 2019, according to Mr. Raúl Enrique Hernández, President of the Mexican Chess Federation (FENAMAC),

The Pan American Sport Organization (PASO, affiliated with the IOC), which is represented by Mr. Mario Vázquez Raña, is making all the necessary adjustments in order to add the “science sport” in the Continental Games in 2019.

Raúl Enrique Hernández added that if everything is done on time, chess may be included as one or the official sports in the Central America and Caribbean Sport Games, which will be held in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2018.

He emphasized that this agreement was reached between the PASO President and FIDE President Mr. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, during his visit to Mexico in February this year.

It was noted that when this inclusion is done, “the benefits will be bigger, because being considered as a sport in the Olympic Program, chess federations and projects could receive greater financial support from the national sport authorities”.

The Pan American Games sports comprise all the sports contested in the Summer Olympic Games. In addition, traditional and popular sports throughout the Americas which are not contested at the Olympic Games are also contested such as bowling and baseball.

The 2019 Pan American Games will be held in Lima, Peru."

http://www.chessdom.com/chess-to-be-inc ... ames-2019/

[Chris Rice]

The Russian News Agency TASS reported that chess won't be included in the Winter Olympics. Here's the short article:

"MONTE-CARLO, December 8. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled on Monday that Winter Olympics should feature only sports practiced on snow and ice, which makes it impossible to include chess in the program.

The committee is currently discussing in Monte-Carlo the 40-point plan proposed by IOC President Thomas Bach to reform the Olympic movement.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) president, earlier promised to seek the introduction of chess to the program of Winter Olympics."

[Roger de Coverly]

The committee is currently discussing in Monte-Carlo the 40-point plan proposed by IOC President Thomas Bach to reform the Olympic movement.

The BBC was suggesting that the reforms would place a cap on the number of participants and events rather than the number of sports. On paper at least that might make room for a 16 player rapidplay knockout or some similar modestly sized event. A simple rule that sport eligible for participation had to involve demanding physical skill or activity would eliminate chess and every other mind sport.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/30374234

[Kevin Thurlow]

"MONTE-CARLO, December 8. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled on Monday that Winter Olympics should feature only sports practiced on snow and ice, which makes it impossible to include chess in the program."

You could play on ice or snow though... Instead of a two-minute penalty for minor infractions, the player could be told to skate to the far end of the rink and back whilst his clock runs.