OK, well the conclusion seems to be that a high IQ will likely be helpful to someone who studies chess. Good.

On a more practical note, suppose someone wanted to become sharper, for whatever reason. Maybe he wants to think faster and miss fewer things. Is he better off here or at Luminosity.com?

There is no conclusion that a high intelligence makes a great chess player.

There is no correlation. It's just a myth. 

Yeah, Yereslov's right (just like he was right about Morphy being a modern-day patzer.)

Get two people who have never played played chess - one with an IQ of 80, the other with an IQ of 200. Give them the same books to study chess from for three months. Arrange a match. See who wins.

Stop trolling, Yereslov.

Since when is life that simple?

Yereslov seems to be arguing there's no correlation between intelligence and ability in chess. What's wrong with setting everything equal except intelligence?

1. Not everyone is built the same. Intelligence in one area does not equate to intelligence in another. 

2. If the player with an IQ of 80 is simply better at seeing motifs and chess patterns than his opponent, then he will certainly win over the player with a higher IQ. 

3. There are players of far higher IQ who have never made it past 1600-1700 USCF. It has nothing to do with the fact that they are stupid, it has to do with the fact that chess ability is not in the same realm as all-encompassing intelligence.

4. Players vary in ability. Fischer was not exactly a rocket scientist. His greatest accomplishment was in chess. That's it. He was one of the lucky few who had a natural understanding of the game.

There are many man who had higher IQ's who played chess. They didn't exactly become a success.

Now stop trying to simplify life though IQ scores. They are meaningless numbers that are based on a faulty test.

"Intelligence" does not mean "easy comprehension or mastery over everything you grasp," it merely means that the individual is very perceptive or picks up information much faster than another.

NewScientist magazine did a study on GM's and what makes them top of the hill, which was quite interesting, search their website and check it out.

I recall it said their was a top codebreaker who loved chess but even with coaching he was still well under master level.

Chess is more about visual perception than thinking alone.

What else has he done besides play chess? He's going to die being a famous chess player, not a famous scientist or philosopher.

Chess ability does not equate with intelligence in the same way that mastering the sword does not equate intelligence.

These are just methods. Nothing more.

Chess is just a game consisting of visual puzzles.

It's really no different from sudoku.

You don't agree with me because you have a notion that can't be supported by anything else except the statement that "being excellent in the game of chess is a sure sign of intelligence,"

It's a self-defeating argument. It's just chess ability. That's it. 

It's a game, not a revolutionary serum that cures AIDS or a book that builds  civilzations.

disagree with that statement.

I really admire how you lure them in, Yereslov. You've got trolling down to a science, and that, my friend, is a sure sign of intelligence. Some people troll by name calling and insults, but you cloak your trolling with the appearance of being sincere in your misguided thinking, which is much more apt to provoke a response.

And when the fish stop biting, you up the ante by throwing a ridiculously outlandish comment into the mix, like suggesting Morphy would be a patzer today, knowing it's like throwing chum into the ocean.

You've truly raised trolling to an art form, and for that, I salute you, sir!

Troll away!

You can disagree all you want. In the end thinking alone is not going to win you a game. 

Chess is a visual game. 

I'm not trolling.

Ooops - looks like alexlaw stopped biting. What to do now? I can't wait to see the master at work! Hurry! He's getting away!

argue with that to dan heisman 

Well played, Yereslov; you can chase after alexlaw another day. Best to concentrate on the fish still swimming around the boat.

not me, I am done with feeding the troll too. 

Uh-oh. A referral to another poster? Is that like telling you to fish in another pond?!