Author: Pekka Karjalainen
Date: 06:16:46 08/05/01
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On August 05, 2001 at 08:28:40, Otello Gnaramori wrote: [I wrote this:] >>>great equalizer in a sense, especially if it is affordable by a man on the >>>street. Even if you are a GM, is it such a big deal anymore if a top of the >>>line PC can be a GM too? (FWIW, yes, I think it still will be. What do you >>>think?) >> >>Yes , I think that "equalizing" component is also involved, and probably there >>is also the desire to debunk chess as an "intelligent" game since also stupid >>machines can play it at those high levels : a good excuse for the game patzers >>(me too). I was thinking along these lines: Becoming a GM requires talent and great effort. It is not an achievement for a human that is not going to be rendered worthless by the fact that computers may be capable of it too. Whether it is a worthwhile goal or a wise career choice is a different issue. For some people it is, considering the money involved in the top-level matches. I can only wish I could get 1M$ for anything I can do better than a computer :-) :-) > >I realize I didn't answer to your main question. I try to answer with some >quotes from Binet and Tarrasch since I think that to play chess at highest >levels requires especially a sort of mnemonic virtuosity, it is also called >"eidetics memory" : > >Alfred Binet says of mnemonic virtuosity in blindfold chess, quoting Tarrasch >"some part of every chess game is played blindfold, any combination of five >moves is played in one's head." also Tarrasch "the sight of the chessboard >frequently destroys one's calculations". This is interesting. Perhaps a more appropriate topic for the CTF forum. I'm sorry to say that I cannot really follow-up on this conversation for now, so I'll have to let the opportunity to pass. > >I can give you a recent example of a young chess prodigy, Pavel Ponkratov , 13 >years old , that has recently won a blindfold simul against 8 players. >The link to follow is : > >http://www.bielchessfestival.ch/cgi-local/turnier.pl?kat=blind_simultan&sprache=1 > >I think that to be able to play a "blindfold game" at that level is the most >relevant talent in chess and the prerequisite to become a GM. Thanks for the URL. These talented prodigies are interesting and impressive. So is Korchnoi at 70, too! I wonder whether my inability to play blindfold (well, I think I could mate with K+R against king blindfold or something similarly easy) is because I just haven't got what it takes to be a GM, or could I possibly learn to do it. And would that help me become a better chess player? In other words, is blindfold play an ability that one just picks up after improving at chess to a certain level, or is it something you can practice and consequently get at least a little better at chess. There is a lot we just don't know about the human brain, and studying how people learn chess can help with that too. I would like to ask, where did you get that Binet quote? Pekka
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