Editing Cue sports (section)

===Chalk===
[[Image:Billiard Chalk and Cue.jpg|thumb|Billiard chalk is applied to the tip of the cue.]]Chalk is applied to the tip of the cue stick, ideally before every shot, to increase the tip's friction coefficient so that when it impacts the cue ball on a non-center hit, no {{Cuegloss|Miscue|miscue}} (unintentional slippage between the cue tip and the struck ball) occurs. Chalk is an important element to make good shots in pool or [[snooker]]. Cue tip chalk is not actually the substance typically referred to as "[[chalk]]" (generally [[calcium carbonate]]), but any of several proprietary compounds, with a [[silicate]] base. Around the time of the [[Industrial Revolution]] newer compounds started to be used that provided better grip for the ball. This is when the English began to experiment with side spin or applying curl to the ball. This was shortly introduced to the American players and is how the term "putting English on the ball" came to be. "Chalk" may also refer to a cone of fine, white {{Cuegloss|Hand chalk|hand chalk}}; like [[talc]] (talcum powder) it can be used to reduce friction between the cue and bridge hand during shooting, for a smoother stroke. Some brands of hand chalk are made of compressed talc. (Tip chalk is not used for this purpose because it is abrasive, hand-staining and difficult to apply.) Many players prefer a slick pool glove over hand chalk or talc because of the messiness of these powders; buildup of particles on the cloth will affect ball behavior and necessitate more-frequent cloth cleaning.

Cue tip chalk (invented in its modern form by straight rail billiard pro [[William A. Spinks]] and chemist [[William Hoskins (inventor)|William Hoskins]] in 1897)<ref name="Clark1">[http://www.toaster.org/hoskins_tragic.html "The World's Most Tragic Man Is the One Who Never Starts"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825063214/http://www.toaster.org/hoskins_tragic.html |date=August 25, 2006 }}, Clark, Neil M.; originally published in ''The American'' magazine, May 1927; republished in ''hotwire: The Newsletter of the Toaster Museum Foundation'', vol. 3, no. 3, online edition. Retrieved February 24, 2007. The piece is largely an interview of Hoskins.</ref><ref name="Patent578514">{{US patent|0578514}}, 9 March 1897</ref> is made by crushing [[silica]] and the abrasive substance [[corundum]] or aloxite<ref name="Patent578514"/> (aluminium [[oxide]]),<ref name="Chem1">[http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/14835.html "Aloxite"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625100844/http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/14835.html |date=2007-06-25 }}, ChemIndustry.com database. Retrieved February 24, 2007.</ref><ref name="PubChem">[https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?sid=158,243 "Substance Summary: Aluminum Oxide"], ''PubChem Database'', [[United States National Library of Medicine|National Library of Medicine]], [[National Institutes of Health|US National Institutes of Health]]. Retrieved February 24, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406175207/http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?sid=158,243 |date=April 6, 2014 }}</ref> into a powder.<ref name="Patent578514"/> It is combined with dye (originally and most commonly green or blue-green, like traditional [[Baize|billiard cloth]], but available today, like the cloth, in many colours) and a binder (glue).<ref name="Patent578514"/> Each manufacturer's brand has different qualities, which can significantly affect play. High humidity can also impair the effectiveness of chalk. Harder, drier compounds are generally considered superior by most players.<!--RE-ENABLE THIS AFTER http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_talk:Spam-whitelist RESOLVES BLACKLIST ISSUE: ref name="Tobey1" /-->