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Natural talent bothers me so much now.
Over the past 3 months I've really gone out of my way to improve my chess game. I've watched a lot of videos, learned a lot of openings, and I've started playing better people with more success. For a while I got up to 1450 on chess.com which was a sign of improvement for me. But there's always been one person who I've never been able to beat and that's my friend Kent. He's been my best friend for a long time now, and he's always been ridiculously smart. He's one of those kids who doesn't study at all for a chemistry final and get's a 98 on it.
Naturally, he's always been able to kick my ass at chess. When he got back from college, I challenged him to a game, thinking that I would have more of a chance after all the training I went through. I was wrong; he completely raped me. Every single move he makes is perfect and accurate. It almost feels like you're playing a computer. However, he makes the moves like within 2 seconds of me making them.
One time, about a year ago, I got so frustrated playing him that I tried sicking the chessmaster engine on him. He somehow smashed right through the engine and won the game while playing white. I don't think he's using an engine himself, because you have to remember I've known him all my life, actually played him in real life, and he's been able to play like this for years. He's playing almost completely by instinct and he doesn't know any of the openings either.
But here's the ironic part, he hates chess and thinks its boring. He has an immaculate feel for the game and yet he doesn't think it's worth playing seriously. It's astonishing. He's never been in a tournament, but if he actually had proper training, I think he could do really really well.
As for me, I would love to have a gift like he has in chess, and I think it's a shame he wasted his talent. Taken, there's no money in chess, but it's sad to me that talented people often don't use what they have while others can sometimes only dream.
Edit: Here are some move notations from matches we played.
Game 1:
;White: Athos
;Black: dthhck
;Date: Sun Jan 03 21:54:22 PST 2010
+ Show Spoiler +
1. e2-e4 c7-c5
2. g1-f3 b8-c6
3. d2-d4 c5xd4
4. f3xd4 g8-f6
5. b1-c3 e7-e6
6. d4xc6 b7xc6
7. e4-e5 f6-d5
8. c3xd5 e6xd5
9. c2-c4 d5xc4
10. f1xc4 d8-a5+
11. c1-d2 a5xe5+
12. d1-e2 e5xe2+
13. e1xe2 d7-d5
14. c4-d3 c8-g4+
15. f2-f3 g4-e6
16. a1-c1 c6-c5
17. d3-b5+ e6-d7
18. b5xd7+ e8xd7
19. e2-f2 f8-d6
20. h1-e1 a8-b8
21. f2-g1 b8xb2
22. d2-c3 b2xa2
23. c3xg7 h8-g8
24. g7-h6 g8xg2+
25. g1-h1 g2xh2+
26. h1-g1 h2xh6
27. e1-e7+ d6xe7
28. c1xc5 e7xc5+
29. g1-f1 h6-h1++
Game 2:
;White: Athos
;Black: dthhck
;Date: Sun Jan 03 22:06:39 PST 2010
+ Show Spoiler +
1. e2-e4 f7-f5
2. b1-c3 e7-e6
3. d2-d4 d7-d5
4. e4xd5 e6xd5
5. g1-f3 f8-b4
6. d1-e2+ g8-e7
7. c1-g5 o-o
8. o-o-o c7-c6
9. a2-a3 b4-d6
10. g5xe7 d6xe7
11. d1-e1 f8-e8
12. e2-d2 b7-b5
13. f1-d3 a7-a5
14. c1-b1 b5-b4
15. c3xd5 c6xd5
16. d3-b5 c8-d7
17. e1xe7 e8xe7
18. b5xd7 b8xd7
19. f3-g5 b4xa3
20. d2-f4 d8-b6
21. b2-b3 a5-a4
22. g5xh7 a4xb3
23. f4xf5 b3xc2+
24. b1xc2 a8-c8+
25. c2-d2 b6-b2+
26. d2-d1 c8-c1++
Game 3:
;White: Athos
;Black: dthhck
;Date: Sun Jan 03 22:33:00 PST 2010
+ Show Spoiler +
1. e2-e4 g8-f6
2. e4-e5 f6-e4
3. d2-d3 e4-c5
4. b2-b4 c5-a4
5. c2-c4 a4-b2
6. c1xb2 e7-e6
7. a2-a3 f8-e7
8. g1-f3 o-o
9. d3-d4 d7-d5
10. c4-c5 a7-a5
11. b4-b5 c7-c6
12. b5-b6 b8-d7
13. f1-d3 f7-f6
14. o-o f6xe5
15. f3xe5 d7xe5
16. d4xe5 e7xc5
17. d1-c2 c5xb6
18. d3xh7+ g8-h8
19. h7-d3 d8-h4
20. g2-g3 h4-g5
21. b2-c1 g5xe5
22. c1-b2 e5-g5
23. b2-c1 g5-f6
24. c1-b2 e6-e5
25. b1-d2 c8-h3
26. c2-b3 b6xf2+
27. g1-h1 h3xf1
28. a1xf1 f6-e6
29. d2-e4 f2-a7
30. f1xf8+ a8xf8
31. e4-g5 e6-g4
32. b3xb7 g4-d1+
33. h1-g2 f8-f2+
34. g2-h3 d1-h5++
Game 4: (probably my best effort)
;White: Athos
;Black: dthhck
;Date: Sun Jan 03 23:21:13 PST 2010
+ Show Spoiler +
1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. g1-f3 b8-c6
3. c2-c3 g8-f6
4. d2-d4 f6xe4
5. d4-d5 c6-e7
6. f3xe5 e7-g6
7. e5xg6 h7xg6
8. f1-d3 e4-c5
9. d3-c2 f8-d6
10. d1-d4 d8-f6
11. c1-e3 f6xd4
12. e3xd4 e8-f8
13. b1-d2 h8-h5
14. c3-c4 b7-b5
15. b2-b3 c8-a6
16. o-o-o a8-e8
17. g2-g3 b5xc4
18. b3xc4 c7-c6
19. d2-b3 c5xb3+
20. a2xb3 c6xd5
21. d4xa7 d6-a3+
22. c1-b1 d5xc4
23. b3xc4 a6xc4
24. b1-a1 h5-b5
25. d1-b1 b5-a5
26. b1-b8 a3-d6+
27. a1-b2 d6xb8
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Yeah, I have friends like this too, and it sometimes pisses me off by how little effort the expend to be better than me at something.
Oh yeah, Good Will Hunting was a damned good movie, just saying.
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On December 23 2009 08:10 Jyvblamo wrote:
Oh yeah, Good Will Hunting was a damned good movie, just saying.
loooooooooooool
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how good is he at starcraft?
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I've always been better at videogames than my brother, and it kills him. But as far as I'm concerned, having talent is nothing to be proud of because you didn't earn it.
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Agreed. Seems like half of all asians I meet are piano or violin virtuosos, and couldn't care less about it because it was a forced part of their upbringing. I would drown bunnies for that kind of talent.
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Fortunately for you, natural talent comes in many ways. Where you might have to bust your ass trying to become any good at chess, you will probably kick your friend's ass in other areas. Find out what you're good at and then challenge him 
Another thing I would like to say: you say that it's ashame talented people waste their talent. While your friend might be a chess talent, he's probably very talented in many other areas aswell. People often tell me I'm wasting my talents, but persuing talents costs time, and there are only 24 hours in a day. I've got a few talents that I persue with great joy, others I just don't have time or money for. The same is probably true for your friend.
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is he a jew?
no but seriously ur friend sounds like hes a real talented guy, did u tell him to test play chess online? it sounds like he would be pro in no-time )
is he just good at chess or is he good at all stuff like that? like bw? he could try become pro in something maybe not chess but
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On December 23 2009 08:24 MorroW[MB] wrote:
is he a jew?
no but seriously ur friend sounds like hes a real talented guy, did u tell him to test play chess online? it sounds like he would be pro in no-time )
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I just watched This Documentary on National Geogarphic. Its about Susan Polgar, the first woman grandmaster who was trained her chess geniousness from her childhood. You need to change your way of thinking man!
your friend wont come far in life with that attitude. Work hard and you will!
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On December 23 2009 08:34 ThePhan2m wrote:
your friend wont come far in life with that attitude. Work hard and you will!
The thing is that there will always be talented people that also work hard, and they will surpass you no matter how hard you work. Talent is a bitch.
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On December 23 2009 08:34 ThePhan2m wrote:I just watched This Documentary on National Geogarphic. Its about Susan Polgar, the first woman grandmaster who was trained her chess geniousness from her childhood. You need to change your way of thinking man! your friend wont come far in life with that attitude. Work hard and you will!
Uh what?
Just because you're good at something does not mean you actually enjoy playing it. Why the hell would you force yourself to do something you find boring if it's a hobby?
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I'm one of those "wonders" when it comes to chess, however I suck at studying.
Chess has nothing to do with academical skills but with spatial skills.
And regarding the natural edge from my own experice it has its limiations. Once you reach a certain level of players I had to start train myself or I would lose really easy.
Allot of the players at that level were horribly when they they started chess and had to work very hard but they now kick my ass with ease unless I train as hard as them, which is why I quit chess haha.
Because chess is fucking boring.
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there are chess computers now that no human can beat or will ever beat.
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Meh I think in chess it really is quite hard to improve your so much you can compete with a player that earlier was really much better than you. With mass-gaming, studying openings and studying progames and such you will get a lot better but even that might not be enough. I know it's frustrating (played competitive chess for over ten years, max ELO only around 1750) but the fact that he doesn't enjoy the game and you do might help putting it in perspective.
And after all, he won't get better from not playing and you will by practicing so eventually you will beat the hell out of the guy. Natural talent is always limited.
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On December 23 2009 08:34 ThePhan2m wrote:I just watched This Documentary on National Geogarphic. Its about Susan Polgar, the first woman grandmaster who was trained her chess geniousness from her childhood. You need to change your way of thinking man! your friend wont come far in life with that attitude. Work hard and you will! What "attitude"? Its not as if he said his friend doesnt give a crap about school or getting better at things he likes, hes just good and uninterested in chess. Why are you making that bigger than it is?
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On December 23 2009 08:21 Khenra wrote:Fortunately for you, natural talent comes in many ways. Where you might have to bust your ass trying to become any good at chess, you will probably kick your friend's ass in other areas. Find out what you're good at and then challenge him Another thing I would like to say: you say that it's ashame talented people waste their talent. While your friend might be a chess talent, he's probably very talented in many other areas aswell. People often tell me I'm wasting my talents, but persuing talents costs time, and there are only 24 hours in a day. I've got a few talents that I persue with great joy, others I just don't have time or money for. The same is probably true for your friend.
in what other areas would that be? Most people with a natural talent in something requiring intelligence (most things) will be good at everything else requiring intelligence (again! most things) different types of intelligence might exist but as far as i can tell people with exceptional talents usually apply them across the board.
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United States47024 Posts
On December 23 2009 08:39 Khenra wrote:Show nested quote +On December 23 2009 08:34 ThePhan2m wrote:
your friend wont come far in life with that attitude. Work hard and you will!
The thing is that there will always be talented people that also work hard, and they will surpass you no matter how hard you work. Talent is a bitch.
So?
The world is a big place. Just because someone is better than you at something (even if it's your career) doesn't mean you can't do as well for yourself as you can. Denying yourself contentment because of jealousy is really just petty.
Do you see progamers like Hiya or Tempest giving up just because they'll never be as good as Flash or Jaedong?
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Maybe he smurfed you and is a grandmaster ?
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Sounds a bit like performance anxiety.
Or he's just a level above you.
Or both.
But know this:
You have the cooler online handle.
Athos was my favorite of the Musketeers.
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EPT
