Comparing Chess and Sport

Here's a timely follow-up to my earlier post, "Let's Just Blame Plato". Famous chess arbiter Stewart Reuben compares chess and sport across a number of different dimensions.

Climax of a Tournament
The use of the Swiss system or round robin does not lend itself to a satisfactory climax. Only a knockout can achieve this. Then there is the problem of resolving ties; well football has exactly the same problem and the resolution is just as unsatisfactory.

Comprehension
Chess is a difficult game to understand and there are no shortcuts. It has been said that most of the people viewing snooker on TV don’t know the order of merit of the colours. They simply rely on the commentators to give some idea. People watch poker tournaments and all they really understand is that the chips represent money and huge sums are wagered.

Read more in English Chess Federation's website.