Should Chess Be an Olympic Sport?
The recent Susan Polgar Girls’ Invitational drew chess players from across the U.S., while international tournaments involve players from at least 160 countries.
With roughly 160 nations participating in the Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey, Aug. 27, should chess be an Olympic sport?
That’s the question posed in a recent Christian Science Monitor article on the topic — and of course the author, Lisa Suhay, turned to Webster University’s Susan Polgar for insight. Polgar is founder of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence and coach of Webster’s chess team.
In addition to the sport’s global participation, Suhay points out that chess has been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a sport for 85 years.
In the article, Polgar and Suhay discuss how chess attracts driven, dedicated players of all ages — and supportive parents who, like so many Olympic parents, help their children chase their dreams.
Related to that article, Polgar is being interviewed live Aug. 2 on Wisconsin Public Radio, the replay of which will be uploaded to the WPR site later today. UPDATE: You can now download the interview here.
Category: Webster in the News
