Regarding Autism, I'm an asby! At the age of 8 I was sent to a special school, as they like to call them. I learnt chess at an early age. I played some games at school, but not many. At 12 I joined my first chess club and after a year got my first rating - bcf 158 ( about 1900 elo or just under 2000 uscf. The only book I had ever looked at was Fine's Basic chess endings. I have though, even today after almost 30 years, seen nothing - be it a book or dvd or whatever, which has been able to help me get better. I love chess related stuff but it is sadly just entertainment for me. I was even a chess teacher myself and wrote a chess collumn in a news paper! My ecf rating today is 190. Why it is not lower or higher, I have no idea. About 12 years ago it just started going up. I have done IQ tests, but on some areas though I seem to get all the questions correct, on other areas, you just got to wonder why I bothered to even turn up. Regarding learning - I have discovered that I must make sure I understand any step fully before I attempt to go up a step. This one rule holds for everything in life. I have a theory, one I might add does not apply to me. It is that those who get really good at chess, simply have good personnal organizing skills regarding learning and getting better.
Is chess mostly about intelligence?
In my opinion chess has little or no connection to intelligence.Practice, memorization, the ability to calculate and think logically and mental/physchological toughness are some of the other factors that come into play.
"I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly." - Michel de Montaigne .
If you think about chess as another way of assessing intelligence (which it isn't), then early on, when no-one fares particularly well, you are setting yourself up to fall, since you expect to do well (apparently in accordance with your above-average IQ). There are some "areas" of intelligence which will help you - such as logic, and linguistics / pattern recognition. But the main thing is to just keep playing, and you will improve.
and @Reb - exactly so :)!
In my opinion chess has little or no connection to intelligence.Practice, memorization, the ability to calculate and think logically and mental/physchological toughness are some of the other factors that come into play.
It's funny to me when people write stuff like: "chess is about, logic, calculation, memorization and pattern recognition but not intelligence." These are all key components of intelligence and what is mainly measured on IQ tests!
However, as I mentioned earlier, chess reflects only a small subset of intelligence. Even where it is representative, it would only be a valid measure after intense and prolonged training. It would be silly to teach a kid chess and then decide that if he's not good at it in a year or two he must not have high intelligence in areas X, Y or Z.
My IQ is 136, In most tests I score 99%ile.
According to my teacher (1769 USCF), I "don't have the patience on most days to completely analyze the position". I've only beat him once and drawn him once, and on those days I was feeling particularly patient.
Well, IQ tests :) Isn't it funny that until now I haven't encountered a person to say "my IQ is below average"?
I always thought I was smart but chess has really anhilated me. I rarely ever win games. I took an aptitude test and I scored in the 80th percentile, which means my IQ is around a 113, which is above average. I'm always pretty good at math. I dont see why I'm bad at chess. I used to play seldomly but now I play often. I started to play often in september and I'm still not good. Its been 3 months of repetitive play and I'm still not good. Can you give me advice and tell me your experiences with chess?
the first and main key is not to forget to look at the board. it sounds simple but when im saying to ''look'' i mean not just to see the board and peaces but also to anilize what your seeing anilize the threats your opponents peaces have on you and anilize what can you do at the next 3 moves minimum basing on the threts you found towards and from your opponent. anilizing and working acordenly are the keys! never forger dont just see the board anilize it. whants you will start doing that your intelegance will have a part in your game :) try it!
key number two- ther is almost always a good move on the board u just have to finde it. knowing that makes the case much easier. imagen your game like puzle and your being told you have a good move. :) that is almost always true at most stages of the ggame. ones you know ther is a move to look for it will open up your options for cool game playes. i realy hope this will help you good luck!
chess is easy whants you start looking its there you just need to finde it thats what makes chess such a incredible game! gl!! :)
In my opinion chess has little or no connection to intelligence.Practice, memorization, the ability to calculate and think logically and mental/physchological toughness are some of the other factors that come into play.
don't forget imagination, one of the minds most useful tools in a game of chess.
What sort of intelligence do you mean?
My friend's kid is on the autistic spectrum - he's highly intelligent in the standard sense in that he is well read, good at maths, excellent memory etc. but he has nearly zero emotional intelligence. His social skills are dreadful, so he would never be able to take part in a psychological battle. I'm trying to teach him chess, but it is a bit of a struggle. He can learn the moves, calculate and make basic plans, but he lacks something fundamental to the proper understanding of the game that I can't quite put my finger on - or perhaps I just can't connect with him on the right level to pass on information efficiently.
My son is not as intelligent in the same ways, but has a much more 'rounded' intelligence - he has much better motor skills, good social skills and is generally quite bright, but not in the same league. He's much better at chess.
Yes, intelligence does have some corrolation to ability at chess, but there are various forms of intelligence. Other areas such as memory, gamesmanship, experience and creativity all have some input.
I have no idea what my IQ is and will never voluntarily have it measured because the number derived from a series of IQ tests has very little relevance to any activity I will ever partake in due to its abstract, contrived nature.
I have a good amount of experience with high function autistic kids, including my own. I have found that if they're actually intested in chess they have the ability to become as good as anyone else. In fact I've sometimes suspected that Fischer himself might have suffered from aspergers syndrome. I think you are way off the mark if you think that social/emotional issues are somehow at the core of good chess playing. This is only true to the extent that they want to play. Someone not on the spectrum (autistic) can find other "emotional" reason for playing, such as pleasing a parent or competing with a friend of sibling. Autistic kids will rarely find any motivation there and have to be interested for their own sort of nonsocial reasons in order for them to be interested enough to become good.
Playing often certainly helps, but if you are not learning but more just entertaining yourself perhaps not so much.
Suggest you use the great study aids available here. Chess mentor, tactics
trainer,additionally use game analysis particularly when you loose to have a
program analyize the moves of you and your opponant and suggest better moves
that may have been made. Also, try bullet, blitz, standard, and online time
constraints to see where you are weaker/stronger.
John (1madman)
[quote="mischa"] The only book I had ever looked at was Fine's Basic chess endings. I have though, even today after almost 30 years, seen nothing - be it a book or dvd or whatever, which has been able to help me get better.[/quote]
There's no one that just has all knowledge, it's in books :). That would be why chess world champions are so well read, and this applies to just about everything. Practice may be more imporant for practical strength, but you can't produce everything yourself.
I don't think I have a very high I.Q though (I'm probably slightly above average, but who isn't).
Um... the majority of people. That's what average means.
White seemed like a good player, but then again, he did get lessons off Emanual Lasker.
It's about spatial intelligence: if you are weak in pattern recognition, your performance will lock at the streetfighting level...
It's about spatial intelligence: if you are weak in pattern recognition, your performance will lock at the streetfighting level...
hopefully if all fails i can still hustle people in the park streetfighting style
I think it's more about focus than anything. You can be intelligent, but if you're not focused enough you can make mistakes
I have a very, very strong memory, something I believe has helped me to attain a fairly decent level of chess proficiency in a fairly short period of time with minimal effort.
I don't think I have a very high I.Q though (I'm probably slightly above average, but who isn't). I'm very weak when it comes to certain kinds of problem solving, visualising 3d objects in space, and what not. I don't know my I.Q, however.
Chess ability obviously has some correlation with a certain part of your brain, but not necessarily any connection with raw I.Q score; I would suspect.
- Oh I also believe that I'm fairly strong when it comes to direct logic, and quick calculation, though some of you may disagree with the former ^.^