Autistic Culture | Where autism meets identity! Chess is Autistic (Episode 31)
Autistic podcast hosts, Dr. Angela Lauria and Matt Lowry, LPP, delve into the fascinating world of chess, exploring its profound connection to the Autistic community through the story of legendary chess player Bobby Fischer and the popular TV show, The Queen's Gambit.
Chess is considered a quintessential part of Autistic culture, much like trains or Star Trek. The intricate, strategic nature of chess captivates Autistic children, teens, and adults, drawing them into a realm where deep focus and pattern recognition are highly rewarded.
“And I know for me, a lot of my drive to success in all things is, I've known I have this intense and eccentric and unlikable personality. So, I'm going to prove my value with my accomplishments…That doesn't always work, and I'm always shocked.” –Angela
Bobby Fischer was a chess prodigy who showed many traits common to people on the autism spectrum, like intense focus, a preference for logic/rules, and differences socializing. He became World Chess Champion in 1972, defeating the Soviets during the Cold War era.
The fictional character Beth Harmon from The Queen's Gambit was loosely based on Fischer. Harmon navigates the complexities of life and chess while exhibiting traits that resonate with many Autistic individuals.
Autistic traits like strong pattern recognition, bottom-up thinking, inductive reasoning, and monotropic focus lend themselves well to excelling at chess. Chess doesn’t ask players to make small talk, but instead focuses on strategy and problem solving, allowing Autistics to socialize in an authentic and culturally appropriate way.
“When you find the Autistic community, when you find people who get you, you can be a delightful human being and talk about all the interesting things that you want to talk about. And they'll say, ‘Oh, my, what a wealth of information that was. I love that info dump!’” –Matt
Highly talented Autistic chess players exemplify the Autistic culture virtues of pursuing excellence through interests, valuing fairness and morality, and respecting an opponent's strategic skills.
On this captivating virtual culture trip, the podcast hosts uncover the deep-rooted connection between chess, Bobby Fischer, The Queen's Gambit, and the Autistic community, celebrating the power and beauty of neurodiversity through the timeless game of strategy.
Do you love chess or other strategy games? Tell us all about it!
* The Queen’s Gambit and the Beautifully Messy Future of Autism on TV
* Ten reasons your autistic child needs to learn chess
* Asperger’s and Intimacy Through Chess | Organization for Autism Research
* Did Bobby Fischer have Aspergers Syndrome? - Chess Forums - Chess.com
Looking for more Autistic activities and pastimes? Check out…Episode 16: Pokemon is Autistic and Episode 39: Dungeons & Dragons is Autistic
Or more Autsitic characters? Check out…Episode 12: Parks and Rec is Autistic
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