The mathematician may have better logical skills, but the artist has more free time to practice ;-)
Maybe the other way around?
The artists often are extremely intellectual, and might also be superpedantic craftsmen, and they might be in timetrouble.
How many professional artists became GMs or world champions? How many professional mathematicians became GMs or world champions?
Yes, chess requires artistry, and is often beautiful, but it is closer to mathematics both in beauty and in skills required for mastery.
In Norway, they define football as culture, or maybe an art. One of the best artist in Norwegian football also became our first GM. GM Simen Agdestein.
About the professions of good players in my club. One is taxi-driver, another is teacher, we have one constructionworker, many of the good ones are still schoolkids. They are scattered all over the professions.
....what happened to stevenhan's chess references....
I've contacted a mod to see if he can be set free.
Q: Who are better at chess, mathematicians or artists?
A: Chess players.
Seriously though, I know many computer programmers and science students who think that just because they're good at some intellectual activity, they automatically make good chess players, even though they have barely played the game.
To me, I don't know of any other way to improve chess skill except to study and play chess. Maybe there are many mathematicians who are good at chess, but I think this is probably because mathematicians are inclined to enjoy playing chess, not because doing mathematics makes them better chess players.
Well thanks for the posts to date, but it's all very disappointing speaking as an artist. One tiny glimmer or hope is that I am also musical and that's using the right side of the brain isn't it? That might be just enough incentive for me to keep on trying to improve ! BTW my father was a mathematician and a brilliant chess player, a musician and also skilled at drawing. My ability as a mathematician does not exist. Anyone for tennis?
There's no reason to be disappointed. Being an artist doesn't limit you in becoming a very good chess player. Chess might be closer to science than arts, but in the end what matters most in becoming good at it is how much you study and practice it. In other words, I agree with post #76 by r_k_ting
Well thanks for the posts to date, but it's all very disappointing speaking as an artist.
There's no reason to be disappointed. Being an artist doesn't limit you in becoming a very good chess player. Chess might be closer to science than arts, but in the end what matters most in becoming good at it is how much you study and practice it. In other words, I agree with post #76 by r_k_ting
Agreed.
I'm a musician myself, by the way. I'm not a great chess player but I'm not crappy either, and I haven't tried very hard at all.
Just by way of interest - Prokofiev was probably the best chess playing musician of all time. He beat Capablanca in a simul as Black in 43 moves. Lots of good rumours about this game: Capablanca was drunk, Capablanca was distracted by a couple of beautiful women who happened to be watching the game (his favourite hobby, next to Chess), etc ... maybe both at once... Capablanca certainly played badly, for him:
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1261719
Here´s Prokofiev´s account of the game:
http://www.sprkfv.net/journal/three02/thegame2.html
He was also befriended with Smyslov (who, for his part, was also highly musical and had had the potential to become a professional singer, had he not chosen a board game instead) and Botvinnik.
PS - Prokofiev also played Ravel. Neo-Classicism vs. Impressionism 1-0 in 25 moves!
Well thanks for the posts to date, but it's all very disappointing speaking as an artist. One tiny glimmer or hope is that I am also musical and that's using the right side of the brain isn't it? That might be just enough incentive for me to keep on trying to improve ! BTW my father was a mathematician and a brilliant chess player, a musician and also skilled at drawing. My ability as a mathematician does not exist. Anyone for tennis?
Nevertheless, I really like r_t_kings answer best. I'm a big believer that the person who is "best" at chess is someone that likes chess, gets interested and Stays interested.
Nobody is as Great as this game, as they CAN be if they get obsessed...
So, really its kind of irrelevant How easily it is to you. whatever strength you develop, you can get still stronger yet. as for the goal. one time my kids asked me, after they had been interested in chess and given up on it, how good I WANTED to be- my reply then is the same as it is now. I want to be utterly and completely unbeatable. I want to be the GUY no one wants to play- but there SURE their going to lose.
I bear my opponent no malice; but I want complete master and dominion of the chess board.
beyond that I hope to be very creative, understand new insights about a very complex game and develop extraordinary feats of concentration and stamina.
but chess will always be its own activity. and more about personal improvement rather than just wondering whether I have talent in it...
Just by way of interest - Prokofiev was probably the best chess playing musician of all time. ...
I can name at least two who were better, but I'll name only one: Vasily Smyslov!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbDkuI3p3JI
Well this topic is well under way. I should go to sleep so I'm not going to read it, but I wanted to say that I think chess calculation is really more of a spacial awareness, that doesn't have a whole lot in common with mathematical calculations. Also, I can't think of any occupations that would indicate a heightened or diminished capacity for chess aptitude.
Could you just elaborate a little please on what exactly you mean by spacial awareness.
top chess players who are also mathematicians are artists: chess artists
there is a whole big picture that is chess not just calculation
The artist won't achieve much with no technique but do you really need creativity to be a competant accountant ?
I would say that the artist has the better possibilities but the mathematician will win overall because of his disipline to study what the artist will find too boring.
so hard work beats talent basically
Mathematition's prefer to paint by numbers, just like Van Gogh did.
Excellent analogy BKB... sums up the difference perfectly. But... Maybe artists have the set numbers already in their heads but are also able to decide on new colours?
I see no relation between the mathematicians and artists to the game of chess.
I see no relation between the mathematicians and artists to the game of chess.
I do. Emanuel Lasker was a mathematician
Excellent analogy BKB... sums up the difference perfectly. But... Maybe artists have the set numbers already in their heads but are also able to decide on new colours?
Wow thanks! Artists generally like to do things 'their own way', mathematical minded people usually prefer preset rules. So, chess is a game where 'prefering' preset rules is a MAJOR advantage.
Well this topic is well under way. I should go to sleep so I'm not going to read it, but I wanted to say that I think chess calculation is really more of a spacial awareness, that doesn't have a whole lot in common with mathematical calculations. Also, I can't think of any occupations that would indicate a heightened or diminished capacity for chess aptitude.