Ikabik wrote:
I have often wondered if great chess players aren't just people who have a very constant emotional state. This could suggest why men are often higher ranked in chess than women as they are naturally less emotional.
Oh Boy, my Hormons are suggesting to bang your Head with a heavy Book about gender essentialism...
Can't help it if you find it unwelcome - chess history confirms that there have been very few women able to mix it with men in top-flight chess, with only Judit Polgar able to go head-to-head with male GMs on any kind of regular basis, Vera Menchik habitually losing to men although she claimed the odd scalp, and the rest nowhere. As to why... well, that's been discussed at some length.
If you stare at something long enough, then you'll remember it. If you play any game for years and years, study the game, and think about it all the time, then you'll get pretty good at it. In my view, being good at chess is not what I would call an expression of intelligence. Probably more like an expression of one really enjoying that particular game
Well said! yea after playing for nearly 3 years I finally know what the name of the opening I use is, lol