Certainly. It is probably one of the purest and elitist art forms possible. You can pursue aesthetic objectives in chess by playing in a certain style - but only few can discern those values. Ditto for the design of chess board and pieces. Wojtek
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Marcel Duchamp thought so too and devoted some ten or more years to it after he was thrown out of the Cubist's movement. Nude Descending the Staircase was rejected for its corruptions of formal purity.
Chuck Grimes