Here's a naive question, sparked by something Bostonian said upthread. Why is chess so age-stratified? Why do people care to compare children who are the same age, and why are specific children's competitions with age-groupings so popular?

I just wonder whether it's grown up by accident in imitation of sports competitions, where even the most extraordinary 6yo is going to lose to a mediocre 14yo because of size. But chess is not like that. Why don't the best chess children usually compete with adults locally rather than with children further away? It doesn't look as though the tournaments are particularly good social opportunities. Is it about winning in the short term? If so, is that wise?

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