Myers-Briggs Types and Chess

I am an ENXJ.  Whatever the hell that means as regards chess playing styles.     ALTHOUGH, as to my playing style - MY opening phase can go startlingly well, but then after about 15 moves, I start getting too involved in what I am doing, and conveniently forget about the threats from the other side.  And, if I am lucky enough to get thru the middle phase, the endgame phase bores me to tears.  Maybe I shouldn't play chess at all.

ISFP here.

Maybe you should move someplace nicer.

I'm an INTJ. In one INTJ description I read, it said that INTJs 'see the world as a giant chess board' – which is not completely true for me, but still interesting.

Apart from the obvious objections to the validity personality typology (I know some other methods apart from the MBTI as well), I think it would be very hard, and potentially impossible, to pin down an 'ideal type' for chess players.

The stereotypes would probably indicate INTJ, INTP, INFJ, ISTJ, and ENTP; however, the world has seen extremely strong players that were most likely something entirely different, such as 8th world champion Mikhail Tal, whom I think I'd type as an ENFP.

If chess and personality types are related at all, I would be more inclined to believe that a person's general temperament determined their playing style – attacking vs. positional and all that jazz – rather than their playing strength.

Still, yours truly would be an obvious exception to that rule. My playing style is pretty much the polar opposite of my non-chess demeanour. On the board, I go for the flashy and spectacular, attack my opponent right away and am willing sacrifice pretty much everything. In all other areas of my life, I'm quiet, dispassionate, and avoid unnecessary risk as well as unnecessary drama.

Hello all, in my opinion chess is an INTJ game. Ni is their first function meaning that they naturally look for possible future outcomes, coupled with Te as there auxillary, which is concerned with order and efficiency, makes the INTJ a chess machine. For example, many of the greats (Carlsen, Kasparov) say that chess is a matter of instantly "feeling" the right move. This is Ni. However, ISTJs often have massive working memories which is hugely important in chess. I would posit that most of the greats (Carlsen, Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov) were all INTJ but several (Petrosian comes to mind with his security-oriented style) might have been ISTJ. Also worth noting I believe Anand is INTP.

Also as a side-note to anybody new to mbti, DO NOT use any surveys or type tests. These are totally inefficient and more often than not wrong. This is why many people dismiss the theory as a whole; the instument is blunt. If you want to know your type, read up on the functions ( Ni Si Ti Te Ne Se Te Fe ). They are at the core of the theory and seeing yourself in a function description is a much better way to determine type than testing or reading type descriptions.

As an ENTP, I'm curious why my function stack, with Ne-Ti, wouldn't work as well as Ni-Te.  Capablanca and Bent Larsen were probably ENTPs, and Kasparov has been claimed to be that type as well.  Fischer was a quintessential INTJ, but no one else comes instantly to mind.

I'm a HDTV. I like to be clear even though I seldom get good reception without a cable hookup.

I'm a HTTP. Must have connections to connect.

I'm also a Virgo, so I naturally irritate the hell out of everybody as a matter of course. I'll never know why people get so bothered by unsolicited self-improvement advice.

don't make me unhide the poker threads...

I was expecting it any day now. Then you started commenting on non-poker threads. I just thought it was some kind of therapy, so I didn't say anything about it.

INFP; i play human moves(combined with tactics, positional play, etc.), and win games from ideas. "romantic" chess player. my style always changes depending on my mood. unpredictable. literally only can relate to ivanchuk, although i study positional players. when i attack, its like tal, not systematic like botvinnik. 128 iq. creative, got unique ideas and novelties. Make interesting exchange sacrifices,  or make a giant pawn wall when least expected, weird sacrifices, bishop pair win, or knight lockdown, always unique ideas i use.

INTP. Wow, I've never seen so many INTPs in my life. I've hardly ever met any in person. This is great. I would say INTJ would be the best for chess. The J is important because of the structured way of thinking. I hate memorizing openings and when I am in tactical positions my mind can be sharp at times but is very unorganized. I waste too much time. I find methods like Kotov's think like a grandmaster, with the tree of moves to be difficult to utilize. My mind lacks that level of organization that all the GMs seem to have. ISTJ seems good and organized but I think their game might lack intuition and imagination. That's why I think INTJ has the whole package.

INFP here. Im multi-talented. I make poems, run cross country, study math and engineering, write, love music, played piano, know spanish, some japanese, etc. Im just a nerd, but i do social things too (but its stressful bc i hate crowds and get overwhelmed and annoyed). I study chess alot. My weaknesses are dismissing people and refusing to try when i see them play a retarded opening like the philidor defense or the italian game or pirc. those openings play themselves and i win alot but my losses are from not trying and laziness, cave-man attacks and scalps bc those openings have minimal strategy. I try to transpose to something complex when i can like the Kings Indian from the Philidor/Pirc/Steinitz Defense. I do exceptionally well when the position is complicated. If i dont like something, i will force my will and look for ways to punish it to the max and tell my opponent to never play a move like that again. Im a positional based player, 100% strategy in the beginning, but have became 100% tactical, i play strategy with tactics with position. Im just integrated. My openings now are similar to Shirov-type openings, like Kings Indian, Slav, Shabalov attack, Martinez Variaiton Ruy Lopez with 7. g4 , Marshall Attack, Open Chigorin, Sicilian Dragon, Bird Opening, Regular ruy lopez martinex variant playing f4, regular ruy lopez, worrall system ruy lopez, Be2 positional sicilian where i simply grind them and play like karpov (take b6 square, and d5 square, o-o), or play like Tal with early g4 (delayed o-o-o) or delay g4 with early castling (o-o-o). I have also went through a phase of playing the english opening, the catalan, queens gambit, reti, the london system, the colle zukertort system, the colle system, stonewall attack. The opening i started out with was the Caro Kann, and as white i played e4, be2, nf3 be3, simple development. Started out with moving fortress chess style. giant pawn wall with pieces behind. I have a long way to go and my goal is to memorize (and understand) all variations (as a practical guideline) and know all ideas to all positions and create ideas. If im lazy and annoyed i play like Tal, if im nervous i play like Petrosian (passive, or cautious, or prophelactic, it changes), if im confident i play like kasparov. My personality is extremely similar to vassily ivanchuk, im ambitious, but extremely awkward and sensitive in real life (all infp steriotypes 100% accurate, i am nice, etc.). I believe INFPs would make gr8 players and I dont think we should be restricted to a steriotype. My style is romantic at times, like lasker at times, karpov, capablanca, etc. I study alot of games, currently studying kramnik right now. Also im unrated rn, plan on getting rated toward end of year. 1600 here, 1985 on chess24. I know alot, but my games on here are 100% intuition, minimal calculation. I tend to focus only when there is silence, minimal humidity, cool air, opponent is quiet, i ate before i play, i meditates before (nerves are my biggest weakness bc it blocks my calculation when i can calculate deep 20 moves at times with slowing down, with nerves it goes to 6 instantly). So i carry the percieving problem of distractions. Imposing my will and playing my chess, making the board look my way, the right way, where all pieces active, i make my minor pieces stronger (i have a personal relationship with my army and they with me in sacrifice if necessary), and using my intuition for things and understanding, positional moves, but im not afraid of using my memory and known variaitons to influence my move. I switch from playing the objective best move and psychological move depending on my mood. I can be a tricky player, logical player (with strategy, closed position, pawn breaks), positional player(improving my position/ grinding, weak squares), and i can be a very tactical player (how i win games usually). I dont like draws. If i had a  choice between draw and take a risk, there is 65% chance i would take a risk. I still have alot to understand in chess.

We'll put you in the long-winded category.

nemo ?

or maybe a relative.

Hello folks. I'm an INTJ. I'm also a personality-theory hobbyist. The first post I noticed here outlined four dichotomies (NF, NT, SF, and SP) which doesn't really do well to differentiate types of people in chess or in any other matter. But anyways, figured I'd chime in on a topic that you all may find interesting.

Some people focus on a logical "way of thinking" called "Ti." This is a focus on logical systems, rules, and laws. xNTPs, xSFJs, xSTPs, and xNFJs all share this focus, and thus will often perform better playing positional as opposed to tactical games; they will identify systems of attack (openings) and general principles (passed pawns, outposts, etc.) as strategic rules to achieve, and pursue them accordingly.

The other half of the people will focus more on "Te." From this vantage point, rules and laws are less important while points of efficiency and leverage are focused. These individuals will often perform better tactically, and play more varied games. They will likely try gambits and sacrificial plays. xNTJs, xNFPs, xSFPs, and xSTJs are all Te-types.

Neither Ti nor Te has anything to do with training, memory, IQ, or other arbitrary factors which people like to try and associate with personality--so anyone can be successful playing any way. But there will be tendencies and patterns if you know what to look for!

I'm an EIEIO. I have an oink oink here and an oink oink there.