There are a few top level names that come to mind who were professionals that contributed to other fields, but I think if you looked at all GMs and averaged it out, it wouldn't be common.
Take the top 10 players today for example, what do they do besides chess?
I don't care much for famous chess players but I'm sure whoever wrote the article only says that because he/she truly excels at nothing. It's just plain jealousy on that part. Ironic really.
Who's he to call Fischer a savant?
The most interesting article about Fischer I have read, you can find here:
http://www.chesscafe.com/archives/archives.htm#The%20Wanderer, documents 11 and 12.
With the strongest chessplayers it is usually a matter of choice to devote themselves to chess solely, not savantism. For instance, Anderssen was a mathematics professor, Staunton a Shakespearian scholar, Lasker a doctor of philosophy and mathematics, Capablanca a diplomat, Botvinnik an electrical engineer, Smyslov an opera singer, Taimanov a concert pianist, Kenneth Rogoff an economist, Adgestein a soccer star, Waitzkin a martial arts master.
... which goes to show you: chess doesn't pay.
Only an Idiot recognizes other Idiot
Bobby Fischer certainly wasn't an idiot savant, but I have heard it speculated that he had Asperger's syndrome which seems possible.
Waitzkin is not a GM, I believe.
"Idiot Savant" is quite a compliment for Fischer
He played e4, he wasnt an idiot savant, he was just an idiot.
Waitzkin is not a GM, I believe.
You're right. He's an IM.
Strange that being the World Champion in chess isn't enough for one life. It severely underestimates the work involved to excel at any field.
Strange that being the World Champion in chess isn't enough for one life. It severely underestimates the work involved to excel at any field.
Being a savant is not underminding his achievment in the least. I believe the author's intent was to figure out a man who was an enigma to some.
I believe the author's intent was to figure out a man who was an enigma to some.
The author should have refrained from insulting the "idiot savant" community. Fischer has always been a member of the "Jackass" community
I had an idiot savante in my seventh grade class. He was partially autistic, constantly got bullied by kids, and cried. But he read college textbooks on math and astronomy.
I believe the author's intent was to figure out a man who was an enigma to some.
The author should have refrained from insulting the "idiot savant" community. Fischer has always been a member of the "Jackass" community
He was ! Then he left that country!!
There are a few top level names that come to mind who were professionals that contributed to other fields, but I think if you looked at all GMs and averaged it out, it wouldn't be common.
Take the top 10 players today for example, what do they do besides chess?
Probably not much, because there's a reasonable amount of money to be made. Back when (1970's), when prize pools weren't very large, many strong chess players turned to such as backgammon to supplement their incomes, because there was a lot of money to be made then. When backgammon fizzled out, they turned to other games, such as poker.
I read an article saying that Bobby Fischer was an "idiot chess savant". From what I understand, it means that Chess Grandmasters excel in other fields other than chess ,whereas Bobby Fischer, because of his mediocre education, excelled in nothing else but chess and outside of chess did not really contribute much to any other field. Your thoughts and comments would be very interesting.