Not smart enough?

I've been told I'm not smart enough to play chess. Can a person really not be smart enough to play?

you dont need to be "smart", you only need to be good at Chess ;-)

Just enjoy the game.

Peace

Prove them wrong

Some people who have self-esteem issues use insults as a way to protect themselves. Probably the (stupid) people telling you're not smart enough to play chess belong to that category

Chess is a game that can be played by everybody.

Playing chess doesn't require smart brain. Look at the America's Greatest World Chess Master Bobby Fischer. Do you know his story?

I remember an anekdote form a famous dutch chess writer (and GM) J.H Donner.

He once wrote something like this .. (it is not an exact quote)

"While the tournament was well organized it could not be helped that all the GM's were overtaken by the bridge virus. Chess games were drawn in just a few moves so the players could return to bridge again. Of course this was terrible for the organizers but they were not liked anyway so the bridge continuted. We played terrible bridge but I found out the the amount of fun you can have with a game is no way related to the skill in the game"

From one of the most fun books about chess "The King" from  J.H Donner

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hein_Donner)

This is the same as they say that if you play chess, you are good in math. Chess doesn't affect mathematics neither do math. Just the same in chess. :)

Chess is easier than reading and writing.

I have to agree, BS.

Reading some of the posts by highly rated players, I'd disagree with them.

Bobby wasn't stupid, he was mentally ill. Not the same thing.

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people will always do that, but the really great make you believe that you, too, can become great.

- Mark Twain

Smart is not the word-the word is skill

I don't think there's any evidence that he knew Russian.  Aside from photos and some video of Fischer with Russian chess books, there's no proof that he knew Russian at all whatsoever.  It's actually quite likely that he learned to read Russian chess diagrams and a few chess related words and that's about it.

     Also, the stories of his having an IQ of 180-187 in a high school IQ test sounds not true as well.  Stephen Hawking has an IQ of 160, Albert Einstein, although he had never taken a test as they hadn't been invented yet, had an estimated IQ of 180.  Mensa accepts members at 140.

Fischer may not have been smart (don't know the exact definition of smart) but I  think he was without question highly intelligent

I've been told I'm not smart enough to tie my own shoes.... but I manage nonetheless.

Fischer used to speak Russian to the Russian GMs in casual games. He said, "You're in check, grandmaster!" to Petrosian in a blitz game:)

If you can remember how the pieces move and the basics of check, checkmate, stalemate, castling, and en passant, you can play chess.

that does not mean that he really spoke Russian. It could also mean that he learned some phrases. I don't know whether he spoke Russian or not.

He probably had at least as much fluency in Russian as I do in French - Je parle un peu Francais:)