Chess Put Forward To Join Paris 2024 Olympic Games

[Kevin Thurlow]

"It's not clear to me whether or not Baseball/Softball and Karate are in the Tokyo via that route, or whether they've reintroduced the sports to the programme indefinitely."

Baseball is very big in Japan and karate is as well (for obvious reasons).

A few years ago, the Japanese Baseball Association suggested their champion team play the USA champion team to decide the "world championship", but the American answer was effectively, "We already have our own world championship - we don't need to play anyone else."

I think the Olympics should either try to include everything or just include the original type of sports, which were about fitness and military activities (hammer, javelin, shooting, equestrian events etc.), so karate fits well. You could argue chess requires strategic thought...

If you include football, tennis and rhythmic gymnastics etc., you might as well have everything.

[Alex Holowczak]

"It's not clear to me whether or not Baseball/Softball and Karate are in the Tokyo via that route, or whether they've reintroduced the sports to the programme indefinitely."

Baseball is very big in Japan and karate is as well (for obvious reasons).

Indeed, but I wasn't sure if that was just coincidence.

A few years ago, the Japanese Baseball Association suggested their champion team play the USA champion team to decide the "world championship", but the American answer was effectively, "We already have our own world championship - we don't need to play anyone else."

Major League Baseball is clearly above any of the rest of the world's leagues, including Japan. Some of the best Japanese players in part in Major League Baseball, the same is not true of the Nippon League. Japan has been more successful than the United States in the World Baseball Classic, mostly due to the United States' best players not often making themselves available to play for their national team. But the format of that event is so short that it is hard to draw any firm conclusions.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Major League Baseball is clearly above any of the rest of the world's leagues, including Japan."

Of course, I was more amused by the American habit of thinking "American champion" meant "world champion".

[NickFaulks]

Of course, I was more amused by the American habit of thinking "American champion" meant "world champion".

That is of course an amusing and sometimes irritating trait, but in the case of baseball it cannot be denied that it is a fair reflection of the facts.

[David Sedgwick]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/47317052

Chess-breakdancing anyone?

From the article linked by Kevin:

"Squash campaigned unsuccessfully for inclusion in the Paris Games, as did billiard sports and chess."

Is that the end of that?

It seems to be the end so far as Paris 2024 is concerned.

http://www.echecs.asso.fr/Actu.aspx?Ref=11664

[Stewart Reuben]

.Chess was a demonstration sport at a Winter Olympics wasn't it? A couple of GMs sat in a café playing chess, so playing conditions were not great. And if chess did become an Olympic sport, drug testing would be compulsory, probably even in ordinary events.<

It was a demostration sport at the Sydney Olympics. It was quite a big show. Drug Testing in chess is already compulsory, albeit only at major events. FIDE wanted chess to be recognised by the IOC, as it and bridge are. This has proven beneficial to several federations.

I met with the then secretary of the Briish Olympic movement well before 2012. Paraphrasing him, he said, 'I have no problem with regarding chess as a sport. I have a considerable problem with the Games becoming crowded with new activities.'
I asked, 'What about chess using up some of the funding for the British team?' He responded, 'That is not a problem. Each sport has to fund itself.'

If FIDE really want chess officially in the Olympic Games, they should provide ALL the necessary funding and an additional sum to reduce the cost of the rest of the whole event.

[Ian Thompson]

And if chess did become an Olympic sport, drug testing would be compulsory, probably even in ordinary events.

It might be compulsory that players are subject to be drug testing, but what would happen in practise?

In athletics, for example, all athletes, of any standard, are liable to be drug tested. Does UKAD actually bother testing athletes of moderate ability? Would they be interested in finding out whether an adult male athlete who could run the 100m in 12 seconds was taking drugs?

[Kevin Thurlow]

"In athletics, for example, all athletes, of any standard, are liable to be drug tested. Does UKAD actually bother testing athletes of moderate ability? Would they be interested in finding out whether an adult male athlete who could run the 100m in 12 seconds was taking drugs?"

They might randomly test someone who improved from 14 seconds to 12 in the space of 2 months!

Major countries seem to manage to avoid bans on top athletes. That applied to chess as well.

[Brian Towers]

Does UKAD actually bother testing athletes of moderate ability? Would they be interested in finding out whether an adult male athlete who could run the 100m in 12 seconds was taking drugs?

12 seconds for the 100m is not "moderate" for an adult male athlete. It is pathetic. When I was 16 I was Durham County schools champion in the triple jump and wondered if my 100m time of 11.0 seconds would also get me on the Durham team for 100m. Forget it. The two boys on the Durham team both had times of 10.9. At the English Schools championships they didn't even make the final.

About 10 years later Kurt Moreby, the Gosforth player, won the 400m at the English Schools championships in a time of about 49s. In other words he ran 100m in a fraction over 12s 4 times in a row with no rest in between.

[Ian Rogers]

It was a demonstration sport at the Sydney Olympics. It was quite a big show. Drug Testing in chess is already compulsory, albeit only at major events. FIDE wanted chess to be recognised by the IOC, as it and bridge are. This has proven beneficial to several federations.

Chess was not a demonstration sport at the Sydney Olympics. The Organising Committee allowed FIDE to hold an exhibition at the Athlete's Village at a time when almost no athletes were present. The chess organisers wanted to hold the event in the city but this was refused by the Olympic organisers because it might draw attention away from official Olympic events.
However Stewart's misconception is quite understandable - FIDE have lied that chess was a demonstration sport in Sydney 2000 so many times that many believe it. The only accurate wording would be to say there was a chess demonstration during the Sydney Olympics.

[NickFaulks]

12 seconds for the 100m is not "moderate" for an adult male athlete. It is pathetic. When I was 16 I was Durham County schools champion in the triple jump and wondered if my 100m time of 11.0 seconds would also get me on the Durham team for 100m. Forget it. The two boys on the Durham team both had times of 10.9. At the English Schools championships they didn't even make the final.

I'm sure we are all in awe of your prowess as a track athlete, but Kevin's question is still an important one in principle even if he may have been out by a second in the specifics. I do not know the answer and would like to.

[Stewart Reuben]

Thank you, Ian.
What puzzles me is that I never heard of any attempt to get chess into the Sochi Olympics.

[E Michael White]

Synchronised arbiting is to be included in the 2028 Olympic games.

The sub-events are not yet decided but may include:- synchronised manual round pairings, synchronised game input, and a restaurant event.

[David Sedgwick]

Synchronised arbiting is to be included in the 2028 Olympic games.

The sub-events are not yet decided but may include:- synchronised manual round pairings, synchronised game input, and a restaurant event.

As the 2028 Olympics are in Los Angeles, synchronised USCF membership application will also need to feature.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"2028 Olympics are in Los Angeles"

I wonder if they will report failed drug tests this time?