How does one have a talent for chess?

So obviously the greatest players in the world had talent,... but what makes talent for the game? isn't a lot of it just hard work? my question: what defines talent for chess

I don't believe there is a natural talent for a man-made game. I think we are all talented in many different ways. Now what separates "talented" from "non-talented" chess players is the discipline and awareness to control our natural gifts in a way that benefits our play. More or less I think it's about knowing yourself.

Now if you have a photographic memory for example the possibility of using that to your advantage is much more pronounced simply because players like philidor have already proven the advantage that comes along. And we have invested a lot of research into this as a common advantage.

What makes talent in anything?

In chess I think it's memory, visualization ability, and the ability to spot lessons and apply them to similar situations correctly.

Trying to think of an example...

Let me try this.  A kid learns in school a process to multiply two numbers.  Say 137x12 and at whatever age you first learn this it looks something like this:

  137
x  12
 _____

 274
1370
______

=1644

Yay, you think you know how to multiply.  But actually you're just following a pattern.  So what is really being shown here?  A "talented" or insightful person may notice you actually just did 137x12 = 2(137)+10(137) = (137)(10+2) and they already understand factoring and distribution ideas not learned until much later... but actually they were taught it from the beginning they just didn't notice.

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There are plenty of these in chess.  "Castling is an important part of development.  Be sure to castle before lines open or you may come under attack"

The so called talented person will generalize this and understand that development and preparing open lines is a concept that lasts all game.  While they're judging how their under-developed queenside will handle a simplification tactic their peers are setting up mate in 2 tactics and hoping their opponent misses them.

This isn't to dump on 99% of players... I set up cheap tricks too when I was new.  It's really the only way to differentiate between moves when you're new.  All you know is how to capture, so the only distinction is between moves that threaten and moves that don't.  Meanwhile the Carlsens of the world develop (through identifying and generalizing lessons) the understanding that took me years within only a few months.  Their great memory and visualization lets them use it to maximum effect too.

That's my theory on it anyway

Comes about the same way as all other natural talents.  It's selected for over time due to an innate breeding advantage granted by the talent.

One need only walk through any weekend tournament hall to know one is dealing with a large group of sexual dynamos.

haha! 

you are right. I guess it's just about the type of mind you have and how you process certain situations.