Chess In Summer Olympics

[Jion_Wansu]

Why not? There are a lot of events in the summer olympics where they borderline between a sport or a game. Table tennis is one of them…

The time controls could be 30|0 or less than 60|0 or something

[Allen]

Because FIDE has tried to get chess added for years and the IOC has turned it down for years.

[davidacole]

This idea was first talked about at the 1996 Delegates meeting in Alexandria, Virginia where I had the privilege of being the Georgia Delegate at the time, and Atlanta had just gotten done with hosting the Olympics that year. It was the feeling that there was a motion to get chess in the Olympics back then, and even though I personally opposed it, it was in the best interest to pursue it since the constituents from Georgia that I was representing at the time really wanted it, just like our OP here. So to give everyone a little bit of history, this idea started 20 years ago, and very little progress has been made. Of course in September we could all look forward to the “Chess Olympics”, the Olympiads in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Respectfully Submitted,

David A. Cole, USCF Life Member, Franklin, NJ

[Allen]

Well, actually, FIDE and its predecessors have been discussing it better and after 1996. This is not a US Chess issue, and US Chess has 0 ties to the USOC.

FIDE’s attempts to persuade the IOC have been unsuccessful. A host nation has had the ability to add demonstration sports. Russia may have had the ability to add chess as a demonstration sport when it was the host - and it could fit in either the summer or winter games I suppose. But there are no “mental” games that are considered by the IOC and there appears to have been little interest on the part of the
IOC in adding such.

Of course, were chess to fall under the IOC, then WADA would have jurisdiction and there would be the requirement for anti-doping procedures. Those measures have been opposed by various chess entities including US Chess.

At this point this issue is dead.

[kevin_bachler]

@Allen

Well, actually, FIDE and its predecessors have been discussing it better and after 1996. This is not a US Chess issue, and US Chess has 0 ties to the USOC.

FIDE’s attempts to persuade the IOC have been unsuccessful. A host nation has had the ability to add demonstration sports. Russia may have had the ability to add chess as a demonstration sport when it was the host - and it could fit in either the summer or winter games I suppose. But there are no “mental” games that are considered by the IOC and there appears to have been little interest on the part of the
IOC in adding such.

Of course, were chess to fall under the IOC, then WADA would have jurisdiction and there would be the requirement for anti-doping procedures. Those measures have been opposed by various chess entities including US Chess.

At this point this issue is dead.

Perhaps we can still get chess boxing in. youtube.com/watch?v=kK5TQSKmS3o

[ChessSpawn]

@Allen

Well, actually, FIDE and its predecessors have been discussing it better and after 1996. This is not a US Chess issue, and US Chess has 0 ties to the USOC.

FIDE’s attempts to persuade the IOC have been unsuccessful. A host nation has had the ability to add demonstration sports. Russia may have had the ability to add chess as a demonstration sport when it was the host - and it could fit in either the summer or winter games I suppose. But there are no “mental” games that are considered by the IOC and there appears to have been little interest on the part of the
IOC in adding such.

Of course, were chess to fall under the IOC, then WADA would have jurisdiction and there would be the requirement for anti-doping procedures. Those measures have been opposed by various chess entities including US Chess.

At this point this issue is dead.

It just isn’t spectator friendly absent another interest like a Cold War battle. Personally, I’m hoping they put 300 meter high power target shooting back in the Olympics.