Music and Chess

How Does Music Affect Chess?

Both music and chess hold a profound influence on the human mind, each possessing a dynamic power to captivate, inspire, and evoke emotions. 

Many people play music while playing chess. But does it have any effect on your play?

If so, if I were to listen to something like Justin Bieber and if I were to listen to something like Mozart, would it have a different effect?

Playing Chess with Music

I decided to listen to some music and play chess. 

Game 1:

A draw, but I was in a losing position actually. Not bad though.

Game 2:

The position is drawn, but I won on time. Another 'not bad' game.

Playing Chess without Music

Game 1:

It was an equal position but I blundered mate.

The Science behind Chess and Music

Many research studies have been done to see if there is a connection between music and chess. The answer varies heavily, with some stating that it is one of the best chess learning methods and with some others saying it hinders your ability to think and hence is not good for improving at the game.

Potential "pros" from listening to music

1. Creativity: Music can help chess players think outside the box and come up with new strategies while playing.
2. Pattern recognition: Some researchers claim that listening to the different patterns of music can enhance the progress of the game and can help in understanding the patterns of the game.

3. Stress: Many people state that music, especially classical, helps you focus and not stress.

Potential "cons" from listening to music

1. Distractions: You can easily get distracted, especially if the music is at a high volume. Listening to music with lyrics may interfere with the ability to think critically and analyze the game. 
2. Emotions: Playing aggressive music might make a person play aggressive moves on the board, which might end up bad in the future.

Some researchers claim that your chess strength increases when listening to classical music. The same researchers also claim that if you listen to a song for which you already know the lyrics for, you are most probably going to decrease your strength (I stated the same thing above.)

Musicians who played Chess

Many musicians and singers play chess as a form of entertainment, challenge, and relaxation.

Sergei Prokofiev

Prokofiev on the right.

Sergei Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. As the creator of acknowledged masterpieces across numerous music genres, he is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century. The composer was a strong chess player who played and beat Capablanca in a simul. He always had a chess set on his piano, ready to play anyone at chess. (wiki)

Here is his game against Capablanca:

Botvinnik wrote of him: "I played chess with Prokofiev several times. He played a very vigorous, forthright game. His usual method was to launch an attack which he conducted cleverly and ingeniously. He obviously did not care for defence tactics." 

Louis Persinger

The violinist Louis Persinger (1887-1966) was a chess player, member of the United States Chess Federation and won a few chess tournaments during his lifetime. In 1941, he won the first USCF Open postal chess tournament. (wiki)

Louis Persinger.

In 1944 he played in the US Chess Championship, but only scored ½ point out of 17 games and took last place. When he was a judge at violin contests, he would usually pull out his pocket chess set and study chess or find some other judge, such as David Oistrakh, to play chess.

Ferenc Erkel

Erkel Ferenc.

Ferenc Erkel was born in the Hungarian town of Gyula on November 7, 1810. He was the vice president of the first officially recognized Hungarian chess organization in 1864, and the president of the same from 1865 until his death.

Erkel was a composer of musics, conductor of orchestra, virtuous pianist and musical leader. He created the foundations of Hungarian opera playing and his own composed operas are the classical works of art of Hungarian art of music. Erkel composed the music of Himnusz, the Hungarian National Anthem, in 1844. (wiki)

So I have showed you some musicians who played chess. But, what about some chess players who are skilled musicians? 

Professional Chess Players who had interest in music

Vasily Smyslov

Smyslov

Vasily Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, who was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions (1948, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1965, 1983, and 1985). Smyslov twice tied for first place at the USSR Chess Championships (1949, 1955), and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won is an all-time record. In five European Team Championships, Smyslov won ten gold medals. (wiki)

❝My study of chess was accompanied by a strong attraction to music, and it was probably thanks to this that from childhood I became accustomed to thinking of chess as an art, and have never regarded it as anything else, for all the science and sport involved in it. And, moreover, an art which in some ways is closer to music than it is customary to think. Perhaps chess and music are drawn together by laws of harmony and beauty which are difficult to formulate and difficult to grasp, or perhaps by something else. - Vasily Smyslov

Vasily Smyslov was an accomplished baritone singer and pianist.

Mark Taimanov

Taimanov on the far right.

Mark Evgenievich Taimanov was one of the leading Soviet and Russian chess players, among the world's top 20 players from 1946 to 1971. A prolific chess author, Taimanov was awarded the title of Grandmaster in 1952 and in 1956 won the USSR Chess Championship. He was a World Championship Candidate in 1953 and 1971, and several opening variations are named after him. (wiki)

Taimanov was a world-class concert pianist.

Other than that, many chess players including GM Vishy Anand and IM Calvin Blocker have said that music is one of their main hobbies.

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