Since the early 2000s, chess has been recognized as a sport in France. At first glance, one might find this incongruous and yet… the brain is a muscle and it is very stressed during the games. Chess players must also train physically before starting!
Within the regional clubs and in particular in Romans, the association leaders have felt a tremor of interest in the discipline since the broadcast of the series “the game of the lady” on Netflix.
Chess: a sport in its own right
Chess requires physical involvement. Indeed, the duration of a game of chess being able to reach six hours, endurance is one of the principal qualities of a good player. The best players in the world also benefit from extensive physical preparation. Indeed, the energy expended during an intense two-hour game is equivalent to a 10 km jogging workout!
But chess is also an aesthetic: there are competitions to determine the most beautiful games, the most beautiful combinations, some being created from scratch by artists….
To know everything about chess in Drôme-Ardèche, (re)listen to the replay of the show.
Our guest, Jérôme Valenti, president of the Roman-toll chess board, talks about chess in Drôme-Ardèche as well as the meetings and projects set up in our territory.
Connections
The French Chess Federation
The Roman-Péageois chessboard