Comments on: Horizon Program due to Air Tonight

By: admin

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:33:38 +0000

By the way, the BBC iPlayer link for the programme is: Horizon - What Makes a Genius? Not sure how long it's available and it might only be so in the UK, but it's there.

By: simona

simona — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:50:59 +0000

…and as for famous Simons, I’m struggling:

Simon Cowell
Simon Le Bon
Simon Callow
Um, Paul Simon

This is depressing

By: simona

simona — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:15:13 +0000

We need to sign up Potkin (and Judit)! Maybe there’s a similar discussion already taking place at http://www.gingergm.ru (remind me to register that domain).

I can’t find any reference to Smyslov being a ginger – all photos of him before he went grey are black and white! Maybe one of our older readers can comment?

As for no Williams on TV, could it be because they wanted to illustrate the ‘typical’ GM brain activity pattern? Simon W’s results perhaps weren’t typical for a strong chess player, so Stuart’s were more appropriate. I am speculating of course!

By: Ginger Bashing! — Ginger GM

Ginger Bashing! — Ginger GM — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:28:31 +0000

[...] An interesting point was raised in a previous post ‘Horizon Program due to Air Tonight’. [...]

By: Jonathan Bryant

Jonathan Bryant — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:37:00 +0000

Tori Amos a ginger? Surely not.

Talking about genes and environment … is there perhaps something about Judit and yourself turning out to be the strongest in a chess playing family? Both the youngest and therefore – perhaps – both getting the most benefit of the environment?

n=2 is never a good sample size but it’s perhaps worth a thought.

By: simon

simon — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:39:23 +0000

I think your right about the genes/environment debate. You cleary need a mixture of both.

Extreme chess examples of genes and environment?
Well I guess to back up the environment argument would be the Polgar sister, but we will never know if their genes were programmed to let them become GMs or not.
On the side of genes, I would say that Morphy was a natural chess genius. At a time when computers and even books on the game were pretty much impossible to find. Bring back the good old days!

By: simon

simon — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:31:45 +0000

Hey Bibs! Havent heard from you for a while, hope your doing well mate. Japan ok?
This ginger thing is an interesting issue, I will start a new post on it in a while.
Not sure about Smyslov Dave, anyone else know?
I was hoping to be the strongest gingergm out there but there is Potkin for a start. A Russian 2600+ player.
And that snowboarder Si, quality video!

By: Dave Smith

Dave Smith — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:15:28 +0000

Hi Si,
isn’t Smyslov a ginger? (at least in his pre grey days)

By: bibs

bibs — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:35:17 +0000

Oddly enough, I’d actually thought about that before Si A. Would be some diverting whimsy.

Start with Tori Amos, onto David Caruso then…?

But please no Mick bloody Hucknall.

Perhaps then famous Simons in history, ourselves excluded.

Simon Templar….

By: simona

simona — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:48:57 +0000

This fella's Ginger and pretty good at what he does! Maybe a Ginger GM series on famous Gingers, after you've exhausted notorious chess players!?