[philipswood]

In the late 18-hundreds Chess was considered a bit of an undesirable epidenic.

Check out this gizmodo article:

https://gizmodo.com/chess-was-once-deemed-a-menace-to-societ...

[drewcoo]

A century ago in the USSR there was a comedic film about chess addiction.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015673/?ref_=ttls_li_tt

[Mezzie]

Novels and bicycling were as well, particularly with women.

People are weird.

[docmars]

God forbid we find pastimes we _like_ and stick with 'em, amiright?

[Mezzie]

Novel reading, it was 'the womenfolk are spending their time with ~frivolous~ novels instead of caring for their children and reading the BIBLE as God intended', and bicycling was 'the womenfolk are wearing pants to cycle and traveling without a male escort! I say!'

No liking things. The Protestant work ethic demands no fun. Only anger and work. Play is of SATAN.

[nomadiccoder]

This is a fascinating argument. I like the perspective of a game like poker having greater similarity to true war than traditional war games like chess or go due to ever-increasing information. This adds another dimension to the game.