Does chess serve as a gauge of intellectual prowess?

Prodigies are those children who show an unusual aptitude for something and so are encouraged and trained in that field. No one knows the way it occurs; probably the way their neural pathways developed are unusually well-suited for the thought processes inherent in the understanding of the subject. Five-year-old Aram Khachaturian had just started piano lessons when he displayed the ability to play a piece he had just heard and compose some variations on it. There are rare individuals like this that just seem to pick up math or music or chess "at first glance".

As for work (even if it is fun for someone) being the key, remember that chess prodigies Capablanca and Spassky both admitted to being lazy and not bothering to study the game much. And there are people who can solve difficult, multi-step math exercises in their head faster than they can be typed into a calculator. No amount of work will give most mathematicians the ability to do this.

I'm not saying dedication and work are not helpful, but they don't provide the total explanation.

No, but that doesn't mean that it is the total and unique factor that will yield a definitive correspondence. Of course in the case of something as simple as lifting weights it is more important (and obvious) than in an endeavor such as chess that requires a wider range of talents

Fair enough.. the reason we are all here right now is some kind of obsession/passion for chess.. to the extent we are enjoying just talking about it.. maybe the "born this way" thing is right... In regards to Capa and what you describe I could compare to Arthur Rubinstein who was always saying how he loved to eat choclate and cherries while practicing and he wouldn't practice alot.. he even went to Juliard where everyone practices 8h a day and told them more than 3 is too much in a lecture he gave..

But his point I agree with, the amount of work is not what makes or breaks.. but the quality.. like what Rubinstein could go through and the types of exercises and deconstructions he did in 3 h + the other 16h a day in which he was thinking mostly about music was more than enough..

It's probably the ease and quickness of understanding that makes the difference. When Menahem Pressler (pianist and leader of the Beaux Arts Trio) came to the theater where I worked he would come in in the morning to our piano storage room and practice 2-3 hours, then the other two would come in in the afternoon and they would practice 2-3 hours, then they would perform that evening. A lot of work for a 60-70 year old man who had been a child prodigy and played these pieces all his life. On the other hand, Mozart was a notorious party animal who could dash off a brilliant composition upon receipt of a commission, never even needing to revise his work.

As you say you are a musician, you know some people have a "tin ear" and could slave away for years with little result.

I hope it has generous cost-of-living increases, considering current inflation in the UK.

I'm just noting that with chess also requiring visualizational prowess, great memory--particularly visual memory, the ability to concentrate at maximum intensity for long periods, calm under stress, and more for high-level success, the single quality of intellect will be an inadequate predictor of chess strength.

I have one pension that is a static amount, one with a fixed % annual raise, one (Social Security) that has a raise set annually to reflect current inflation, two annuities that will change slightly depending on the rise/fall of the value of the securities backing them, and an IRA whose minimum annual distribution was determined when I turned 72 1/2 and will last as long as the stocks keep/gain/lose value (and I don't drain it by taking out excess funds). Glad to hear you are well set.

Well, I must say, your pension seems to have hit the gym more often than I have! It must be quite the heavyweight champion in your bank account. Don't forget to share some of those ££££ gains with your friends who are still struggling with their piggy banks at the local playground.

Oh, so you're saying the safe has developed a case of insomnia? Maybe it's just worried about missing out on all the fun nighttime adventures! It's time to call in a locksmith or a sleep therapist to help your safe find some much-needed rest. Who knew safes could be so high maintenance?

Simply, no.

Please see the endless chess and IQ threads. Look for the few posts that deal with data, rather than the opinions of the poorly informed.

I hope not