Is talent required to be a top chess player?

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by nitro, Nov 25, 2008.

  1. nitro

    nitro

  2. "If I wanted to be a champion boxer but lacked the strength or speed and got knocked out in the first round every time, soon I would abandon boxing for other interests."
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    Typical excuse for a loser. Why bother? If boxing is an analogy to life or a job or schoolwork, maybe I'll find other "interests" like crime or public assistance. Everybody gets an "A" in class, will this help?

    It really depends on who in your life is important to guide you. If you are telling yourself, judging your own aptitude, then maybe that is the all you can do. But until you find someone who believes in you, you shouldn't give up without a second opinion. A knock down in the first round can be a motivator or make you a quitter.

    Too many kids try something once, lose and say I'm not any good at it. "At least I tried" they say. I call bs, until someone who is better than you tells you, you've done everything you can and then are not very good at it, well then, perhaps you have learned something and gained another asset, then quit.

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    "We tend to like what we are good at and successful at and persist in such activities, and dislike and avoid activites that we are no good at."

    This may be human nature but until you conquer what you aren't good at but necessary, you have no yardstick on what you can really accomplish.

    Example, If you are a right handed boxer, what needs work? The left hand. Suppose you avoided using your left hand because it is not as strong? Well, back to square one, applying yourself to what you are not good at.
     
  3. Your words contain an amazing amount of wisdom.

    You'd be surpised at the people I've meet in this world who believe people should quit after the first knockout.

    Obvioustly I am not one of them ... good trading (if that's your thing). :)
     
  4. nitro, are you a great chess player or trader. or neither, mediocre at best at each??

    "words of wisdom"?? HA!

    you ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS play to your STRENGTH!

    Whether that be mentally or physically.
    (which are actually the same thing, a physical substrate to the extraordinary mind)

    Always play to your NATURAL ability or talent, that's the sweet spot for further improvement.

    (don't waste time)

    'right hand' dominant will never become a 'south-paw" .

    those with lousy or even AVERAGE 'spatial' skill will NEVER become a great chess player.

    Great chess players, GREAT traders, AKA insightful RISK TAKERS are BORN never made!

    That's a FACT!
     
  5. There are many who believe the above statement can be broken down into probabilities (of success of a give trade as well as duration of move), and that is how they play the game with a high rate of success.

    Good trading
     
  6. bespoke

    bespoke

    i agree. you'll never be a championship boxer without the proper genetics. same with a lot of other sports. do you think you can become a world class sprinter just because you put the time in? no.

    again, play to your strengths. i know i'll never be the next george st pierre so why bother. and no, thats not a losing attitude. its just being realistic
     
  7. i know i'll never be the next george st pierre so why bother
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    Not to sound corny but Rudy Giuliani never thought he'd be a Winston Church Hill. be ready.
     
  8. Thanks.
     
  9. bespoke

    bespoke

    im speaking of sports only. anything else is fair game. i believe most people can become great men if they really had the desire to do so. gandhiesque
     
  10. one can't be a top chess player without talent - no question about it. hard work can improve the performance and take a chess player to a new level. but hard work can only make a difference between a GM (no hard work) and a super-GM (with hard work) for the same person with enough talent. Even Fischer studied insanely to reach his level.

    supposedly, most people can reach an expert level (2000 elo) with just hard work. anybody reaching above 2000 must have some extra talent.
     
    #10     Nov 25, 2008