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Who wins at the Chess Olympics? The role of resources and education capital

Author

Listed:
  • David Forrest
  • J.D Tena
  • Carlos Varela-Quintana

Abstract

The paper investigates national team success at the principal tournament of a prominent mind sport, chess. As in prior literature on physical sports, panel data estimation reveals population and per capita gdp as strong predictors. But when we add a measure of education capital, per capita income loses significance, suggesting that effects from income levels are mediated through schooling in the case of a cerebral game. However, when we estimated a similar model to account for medal wins at the Olympics, results were similar, implying that schooling levels are also relevant to success in physical sports.

Suggested Citation

  • David Forrest & J.D Tena & Carlos Varela-Quintana, 2020. "Who wins at the Chess Olympics? The role of resources and education capital," Working Papers 202013, University of Liverpool, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:liv:livedp:202013
    as

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    File URL: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/media/livacuk/schoolofmanagement/research/economics/who,wins,at,the,chess,olympics.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roberto Gásquez & Vicente Royuela, 2016. "The Determinants of International Football Success: A Panel Data Analysis of the Elo Rating," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 97(2), pages 125-141, June.
    2. Nicolas Scelles & Wladimir Andreff & Liliane Bonnal & Madeleine Andreff & Pascal Favard, 2020. "Forecasting National Medal Totals at the Summer Olympic Games Reconsidered," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 101(2), pages 697-711, March.
    3. Andrew B. Bernard & Meghan R. Busse, 2004. "Who Wins the Olympic Games: Economic Resources and Medal Totals," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 86(1), pages 413-417, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education capital; economic resources; sports economics; chess; Olympics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z20 - Other Special Topics - - Sports Economics - - - General
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • C52 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric Modeling - - - Model Evaluation, Validation, and Selection

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