Magnus Carlsen: Is Genius Born or Made?

Magnus Carlsen looms over the chess world like a Colossus. He’s the reigning World Champion, a feat he has achieved 5 times, since his first win in 2013. He has been ranked no. 1 in the FIDE ranking systems since 2011. He excels in all formats of the game, having collected several trophies at the World Blitz and Rapid Championships. He’s the highest rated player ever in the history of the game with a peak ELO rating of 2882 and is now pushing to break the 2900 mark. (By the way, it’s incredibly hard to gain rating points at his level. In Feb 2022, he lost all the rating points won in a major tournament, when he drew against a Norwegian league player ! )

Magnus burst on the world stage as a precocious 13-year-old in 2004. He caught the attention of the world with wins against Anatoly Karpov, a former world champion and a draw against the formidable Garry Kasparov . He earned the sobriquet as the Mozart of chess. Much like Mozart, Magnus showed ability far beyond his years and displayed phenomenal skills. He played simultaneous exhibitions as a ten-year-old , and could even do this blindfolded (Watch here for this jaw dropping blind simul against 10 opponents !).

Looking at the evidence, the hands down winner appears to be that of “Genius is Born”. Clearly, here’s someone blessed with extra-ordinary abilities.

The topic of Genius has long caught the fancy of mankind. The word itself come from the Latin word for the spirit that bestows special powers to the possessed. Early Greek philosophers believed an abundance of black bile, endowed poets, philosophers and other gifted individuals with special prowess! In the early Renaissance, Giorgio Vasari, the Italian painter /historian created the irresistible notion of the divinely inspired artist, whose talents are mysteriously imparted by nature to the chosen few (think Michelangelo). This was the traditionally the most accepted notion of genius and was advocated by famous philosophers like Kant and Hume. In the 19th Century, Francis Galton, leaning on the works of his cousin of Charles Darwin, published his book Hereditary Genius, which asserted that genius was passed on through generations and it came out of special innate ability. ?The ‘Nature vs Nurture’ debate was swinging in favour of the ‘Nature’ camp.

Recent developments, made through the study of gifted individuals, have debunked the ‘Nature’ theory. The famous Terman study of children with exceptional ability ran for 75 years. It showed that those with a high IQ have no better chance of high achievement than those from a randomly chosen sample. The advocates of the ‘Nurture’ school pointed out that factors such as passion, grit and creativity play a far greater role in shaping genius, than just in-born abilities. The study of Anders Ericsson , done at the Berlin Academy of Music showed the importance of deliberate practice in the blossoming of musical prodigies. This gave birth to the 10,000 hour rule for attaining virtuosity, made famous by Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers. As explained by Dan Coyle in his book The Talent Code, this kind of intensive training produces a chemical substance called myelin, which hardwires the brain for exceptional results. But what propels these talented individuals to undertake this strenuous training? One common factor found among these super-achievers is the ‘Rage to master’, as described by psychologist Dr. Ellen Winner. They have the burning desire to attain mastery in their chosen avocation and approach it with unshakable concentration. Basis this body of evidence, it would seem that genius is not merely about prowess at birth, but the grind and discipline that goes on behind the scenes.

So how does Magnus fare on this count? Not much is known of his preparation methods, as Magnus is famously secretive. However, insiders recount several instances of his drive and passion for the game.

Here’s one such story

As a young teenager, Magnus appeared on national television in the office of Grandmaster Simen Agdestein, the former number one in Norway. The walls in Agdestein’s office were covered with chess books. The GM, who was his coach at one point, pulled down a random book from the shelves, opened it up on a random page and held up a diagram, while covering all the text. Magnus hesitated for a moment, but then went on to provide the names of both the players who had played the game in the diagram as well as the year it was played and the tournament venue. He repeated this trick a few times and was spot on every time. We’re talking games that were played by Soviet players decades before Magnus was even born. And he knew them all.

He continues to play an incredible amount of chess across multiple formats. He also keeps close tabs of his arch rivals’ games and classics and even dives deep into the hyper modern style of the neural engines , to take his game up a few notches.

So where does this leave us on the question we started off with: “Is Genius Born or Made”? Using the Magnus Carlsen example, I would veer towards the “Genius is made” school of thought, though the science is still not fully conclusive. While Magnus might have had a headstart with his special abilities, it's his intensity and passion that have taken him to the stratospheric heights he has reached.

But most importantly, why is it even important to resolve this debate? Our answer to this seemingly philosophical question would shape our worldview and actions, even in the business world. In a world where extraordinary talent can change the destiny of an organisation, what should we do as business leaders? Should we hunt for those rare diamonds, i.e. those gifted coders/designers/marketeers etc.? Or ?do we look for those with a 'rage to master' and instill in then a culture of 'deliberate practice'. What’s your take on this?Please do drop in your comments below.