The only thing high rated players are genius at is chess. That's it.
And it's not really a game of talent or skill. It's just memorization.
You apparently haven't looked into what some of the former world champions and other top players did in their spare time or for their other occupations... ?
I don't normally think of engineers or mathematicians as geniuses and society often doesn't either. That is because, it isn't generally something the public isn't interested in. Even if an engineer does invent or discover something over the top, his company or finacier will often take credit. If a mathematcian discovers something, whatever he helps discover or help figure out how to build, is credited to someone else, yet some of these people are the most intelligent, well educated and insightful discoverers on the planet. Some of them have happened to be damn good chess players...
BTW, I am convinced I see genuis differently than most people. Then again, so are most people convinced of this about themselves too...
The only thing high rated players are genius at is chess. That's it.
And it's not really a game of talent or skill. It's just memorization.