Neurodivergency and Chess Aptitude?

Sure, how about neurodivergencies such as an eidetic memory? GM Magnus Carlsen has been said to have over 10,000 chess games memorized in his head. Surely something like this would be a useful asset for chess.

It is interesting, but this actually does help with middlegame too because middlegames often feature their own positional patterns to learn and common plans related to pawn structure for that given opening, but usually this isn't super relevant until at least 1800+ chess.com rapid level. Of course, titled players are well above this level and those patterns are things they've learned really well by then.

You don't need to be crazy to play chess, but it helps.

I think the phrase "eidetic memory" is used by psychologists to describe small children who see a picture once, and then can recall details of the picture (not always perfectly) afterwards even though they did not try to memorize it.

Magnus Carlsen has repeatedly claimed that he does not have a good memory. I think though all strong grandmasters recall certain things about the games they play or watch, eg. positions, certain structures, evaluations, specific lines or sacrifices. When they encounter a similar position later, that experience helps them to calculate, and evaluate better.

One characteristic of strong players is they tend to rule out a lot of obviously bad moves when calculating, while intermediate players are more likely to try to calculate good and bad moves alike. I think this is mainly a function of the stronger player's experience and training.

I haven't seen the documentation that you mention (about master players and ADHD).

Though there are many neurodivergencies that could contribute to chess improvement and/or aptitude.

Having an ASD diagnosis doesn't automatically make someone brilliant at certain mental abilities (which is what a lot of people conclude, after seeing movies like Rain Man). That's more of a myth. (The character in Rain Man was based loosely on a real person, who was quite fascinating in their own regard.)

But there is a common trait that those on the Autism spectrum often share: the ability to focus for an exceptionally long time on certain activities that they find comforting or enjoyable.

It's natural to conclude that if a child (or adult, even) on the spectrum finds chess to be their comfort activity, then they're probably going to excel at it - due to the inordinate amount of time and attention that they'll devote to it.

There's a lot to talk about ... but it's summer, and my summer brain is here.

I recommend that anyone interested the subject look up "categories of exceptionalities" and then, once they learn a little about the Intellectual category, they can begin reading up on "Giftedness". It's a very unique subject.

Regarding Carlsen - it's clear to me that his early obsession with chess (and the subsequent high-level coaching that he received) are both responsible for his amazing chess abilities. A combination of nature and nurture.

Obsession is (IMO) the real secret to extreme chess improvement. And players can become obsessed with chess for a variety of different reasons ...

Speaking as someone who, in fact, is neurodivergent, I can say it most definitely is not a myth. Lol.

some people consider giftedness to be a neurodivergency, which is probably helps a little bit with playing chess

That's no lady.

As for neurodivergence, it's impossible to argue that it doesn't exist, given that the definition is that some people's brains function differently. The point of neurodivergence is not that it exists, it is that medical science has finally started to realize that classifying large groups of people as deficient somehow and requiring treatment to enforce "normal" brain functions is unethical. Rather, treatment is shifting to helping, not forcing conformity.

In that sense, neurodivergence is not a medical condition, just a new nomenclature that identifies a shift in thinking. There's no "pseudoscience" involved, because it is just terminology. When modern testing and diagnosis showed there to be far more "divergent" people than before, they were faced with the fact that "divergence" is a statistical norm, not a disease or something that requires "correction". If 80% of people brains work one way, and 20% another, should you force the 20% into treatment?

Ignore that kid, he's just making provocative and ignorant comments for attention as usual. I've seen his antics and decided the best thing to do is ignore.

But I'm curious if you don't mind me asking; what kind of impacts do you see ADHD as having on your chess? I'm quite curious. It makes sense what @Ironsteam1 is saying about autism and the ability to focus on an activity to the extreme, but I don't think I've heard people discuss the relationship between ADHD and chess.