Chess Player and Pianist

Mark Taimanov is well-known for having lost to Bobby Fischer 6-0 in the Candidates quarterfinals of 1971. What many chess people don't know is that he was a also a renowned concert pianist. 

Even more impressive is the case of François-André Danican Philidor. He was unquestionably the best chess player of his time, as well as one of the best opera composers. Incidentally, the great Vasily Smyslov (chess world champion 1957-58) was a decent opera singer.

How can these individuals excel in two radically different disciplines? Can people (especially children) learn and develop skills faster and more efficiently? 
These are the kinds of questions that I ask myself on a daily basis. And this is one of the ways in which chess can help society, both as an educational tool and as a research tool. Chess can teach us how to learn, and it can also teach us how we learn.

📸 The picture is from the first game of the Candidates Match mentioned above, Vancouver 1971. Taimanov (with white pieces), Fischer (with Black) and the referee of the event.