Chess=Math?

I don't think this is true. If you train a child in chess for 10 years but don't teach him to count or do simple mathematics he could be a good chess player but a lousy mathematician.

The theory is that if you can be good at one without the other than the reverse must be true.

However, I would agree that if you are good at one you can be good at the other but they aren't codependent.

Nevermind the fact that ducks can be expressed as birds, but that doesn't mean that ducks=birds. 

Two guys walked into a bar, the third guy ducked.

A termite walks into a bar -- says "Is the bartender here?"

The question wasn't just about whether there were similarities, but if there was a necessary common skill-set that effectively made abilities in one transferable to the other.

I think the answer is a clear no.

 I have to agree with TheGrobe. You don't have to be good at one to be good at the other. They are not codependent. Since you can learn either or and become knowledgeable in either without the other then they aren't necessary or relative.

Absolutely. Some people seem to think that being able to recognize patterns in chess means that one can somehow transfer that "pattern recognition" into other aspects of life. 

         Just to play the proverbial Devil's Advocate here, the Knight's Tour displays
some properties of a clear mathematical pattern.  Doesn't this imply there is at
least a 1% connection between math and chess or not at all?
          I haven't made my mind up on this subject but this is one of the better
debates I have seen here.

 I have no idea what you are talking about but I like all the pretty colors.

      What about inductive mathematical reasoning versus deductive mathematical
reasoning?  They are two almost opposite methods of solving a problem.

        Is it possible chess is a combination of math and art, because there is
definitely a level of undefinable abstraction in chess, so I wonder if Picasso
ever played?

i think math could relate to chess....

Math and chess use similar parts of the brain, and i'm pretty good at math, and OK at chess. but math is BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG! so i play chess!=)

 :) that comment makes my day :)

I prefer playing chess too. (I did well in math, but is wasn't fun)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp#Transition_from_art_to_chess

I had no idea.  I've always been a fan of Duchamp the artist -- will have to check out Duchamp the chess player.

I believe he represented France twice in the Olympiads. Master level was the assessment as I recall.

There was a nifty multi-part video with Duchamp on youtube, and chess was mentioned by him a lot. The following is not it but you'll enjoy it anyway. if I find the one I am speaking of I'll post it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHp1zbW_IE8&feature=related

Here is Duchamp's as of yet unsolved puzzle composition:

http://www.top10chess.com/2008/12/duchamps-position.html

Yes, both have to deal with analytical problems, great examples are above^.

both need the grey matter in us..!! lol

Interesting posts cunctatorg, quite a spread of math knowledge shown, I wonder why this would be exhibited on a chess forum.

>:)