Does chess make people smart or only smart people play chess ?
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Don't confuse IQ, EQ, practical intelligence, and general social skills.
There are many examples of people who can play chess extremely well, but are more or less dysfunctional as human beings. Bobby Fischer was a perfect case in point. There's a Swedish GM who at one point in life was completely clueless with regards to everyday tasks. He didn't understand that once you've washed your clothes they need to be hung up to dry, not left in a wet/damp pile on the floor. Does that make him stupid? Most people of average, or even sub-average, intelligence would say so, and yet this guy is an academic with a doctorate. My old boss had a Ph.D in mathematics from Cambridge University, and yet he couldn't see any benefit to having a receptionist at our office, and decided to replace her with a flower pot - which confused visitors to our office since there was never anyone to greet them, receive deliveries, and of course constituted a business security risk (allowing any Tom, Dick, and Harry wonder around taking sneek peeks at at confidential business documents). We've seen similar things with the Silicon Valley whizz-kid companies, the people behind them are often highly intelligent, but have turned out to be rather unsavoury characters and poor business leaders guilty (directly or indirectly) of sexism, bullying, and other questionable business practices.
To be a little blunt, having a high IQ is not going to hurt you as chess player, but it's not a prerequisite. Furthermore, few of our skills as chess players are readily transferrable to other walks of life - Kasparov's political analysis rarely shines, and I'm genuinely surprised that he's able to make money on the speaking circuit, dishing out his chess wisdom to business people. In fact, I would say this is something of a 'the chicken or the egg' issue. Chess in schools is often sold on the premise that it helps pupils perform better in school, but research is not conclusive, and it may very well be that other games would produce similar results (because let's face it, games are a good way of rewarding children for keeping their focus during other times), and very few of those who learn chess in school actually become particularly skilfull. Most of them just shuffle the pieces around aimlessly, while the really good players often knew how to play chess beforehand.
Feb 26, 2018
0
#44
BonTheCat wrote:
Don't confuse IQ, EQ, practical intelligence, and general social skills.
There are many examples of people who can play chess extremely well, but are more or less dysfunctional as human beings. Bobby Fischer was a perfect case in point. There's a Swedish GM who at one point in life was completely clueless with regards to everyday tasks. He didn't understand that once you've washed your clothes they need to be hung up to dry, not left in a wet/damp pile on the floor. Does that make him stupid? Most people of average, or even sub-average, intelligence would say so, and yet this guy is an academic with a doctorate. My old boss had a Ph.D in mathematics from Cambridge University, and yet he couldn't see any benefit to having a receptionist at our office, and decided to replace her with a flower pot - which confused visitors to our office since there was never anyone to greet them, receive deliveries, and of course constituted a business security risk (allowing any Tom, Dick, and Harry wonder around taking sneek peeks at at confidential business documents). We've seen similar things with the Silicon Valley whizz-kid companies, the people behind them are often highly intelligent, but have turned out to be rather unsavoury characters and poor business leaders guilty (directly or indirectly) of sexism, bullying, and other questionable business practices.
To be a little blunt, having a high IQ is not going to hurt you as chess player, but it's not a prerequisite. Furthermore, few of our skills as chess players are readily transferrable to other walks of life - Kasparov's political analysis rarely shines, and I'm genuinely surprised that he's able to make money on the speaking circuit, dishing out his chess wisdom to business people. In fact, I would say this is something of a 'the chicken or the egg' issue. Chess in schools is often sold on the premise that it helps pupils perform better in school, but research is not conclusive, and it may very well be that other games would produce similar results (because let's face it, games are a good way of rewarding children for keeping their focus during other times), and very few of those who learn chess in school actually become particularly skilfull. Most of them just shuffle the pieces around aimlessly, while the really good players often knew how to play chess beforehand.
hahahahahaha that thing about your boss... i can't stop laughing
Apr 30, 2018
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#46
There are so many dimensions to "Smart" that the question is meaningless. Math prodigals, physics prodigals, music prodigals, which of these, are "smart" people? Good chess players can play several moves forward, in their imagination, more than the rest of us. Is there more to it? I don't think so.
Apr 30, 2018
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#47
Dum S dropped all that knowledge on us and then went inactive. I wanted to say, "good read."
Feb 26, 2021
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#48
Both are true.
More importantly, if you play chess, people think you’re smart !!
Lot of people ask me the same question a lot of time, specially those people who don't see someone who looks average and have a pretty active life gym, dating etc, can play chess, and my answer always is, what's play chess for you, if that means you know how the piece move i don't think you need to be smart, but if you're a real chess player you gonna be smarter than the average , is not a simple task to use your brain to cover so many moves, variables etc, so yeah i think people who play chess tend to be smart and people with decent IQ
Chess helps to develop certain mental skills such as visualization. I suppose increasing your vision to include more than just 9 squares has a mental aspect too.
Jun 16, 2023
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#52
Neither is true.
Playing chess does not make you smarter, but it may help children learn how to focus the intelligence they have. It also shows some kids that learning something and studying can be enjoyable.
People at most levels of intelligence play chess. High IQ is not a prerequisite for high-level chess play.
Hello
Amelia chơi FIFA I gà
I dunno there are some stupid people who play chess and some really smart people who play chess just like in any sport or in life . I think it involves around how you learn and how long you play (in order to get good at chess) not really "intelligence specifically "
It just makes ordanary people /non chess players think your smart so bonus points if you are 1600+😄 you officially have bragging rights
May 9, 2024
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#56
Dum_S wrote:
considering Kasparov's IQ...
About 135 when he was tested. Obviously smart.
May 9, 2024
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#57
fischerrook wrote:
Malcolm Gladwell would claim its luck, skill and practice. Luck to have been exposed to the game when you're young, have the financial means to get to tournaments and have chess groups or chess clubs in your area. Skill to do well at the game and time to practice the game over and over. He claims it requires 10,000 hours or about 3 hours a day for 10 years to become the very best at anything you want to do well.
Gladwell misread the work of Anders Ericsson.
Andromea33 wrote:
(This is just an opinion) I am not saying that I am a chess professional. I am still floundering between 1800 and 1900 here online, but to be clear, in order to be above 1500, you must have some analytical intelligence in order to understand the positions and shapes very quickly. Imagine that you are playing a 10-minute match, mind against mind, thinking against thinking. It is not at all just memorization or anything else. It requires intelligence.
Or practice (correct practice ) 1900 is honestly more of intermediate advanced it isn't that great the issue alot of times isn't even intelligence a good chunk of it are bad habits chess is not just patern recognition you have to create ideas that's the hard part he pattern recognition is the easy part
Oct 1, 2024
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#59
Neither, but “only smart people” play is pretty close. The game appeals to the intellect in a way that doesn’t attract people who don’t have fun thinking. Anyhow, I’m having trouble defining whom is excluded from the class of smart people. Better be careful, there. I would self-assess as smart, but my opponents know better.
