Q & A

Go is an ancient Chinese board game that is 10 times more complicated than chess. It was invented around 2,500 years ago in China, but it is now popular across east Asia. Two players take turns placing black or white stones on a board. The aim is to control more of the board than your opponent.

Nakamura started playing Go when she was three, and was competing in tournaments by seven. Many consider Nakamura to be a genius for her precociousWhen a child shows mental development or maturity at an unusually young age. mastery of the game, but her talent did not come without hard work.

She was specially trained as part of a Japanese programme to produce "talented" Go players for international competition. She has also been mentored through hours of practice by her father, a professional player who won Japan's national Go title in 1998.

So what is a genius, really?

An IQA means of measuring human intelligence. A person's IQ is usually ascertained by making them sit a standardised test. Some have criticised these tests as a means of evaluating intelligence, claiming that they ignore much of what it means to be intelligent. over 140 is often regarded as "genius" level. But not all geniuses, especially artistic ones, will have a very high IQ, and not everyone with an IQ over 140 necessarily deserves the label "genius".

The word "genius" comes from the Latin verb "gignere", meaning "to give birth". The Romans believed that each person was born with a unique spirit, called a "genius", that their talents derived from.

The idea that some are born geniuses has persisted. Perhaps the most famous example is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who wrote his first symphonyA long piece of music for an orchestra. aged eight.

Now the idea has scientific backing. Last year, a study linked almost 1,000 genes to intelligence. The tropeA recurring theme, especially in fiction. Damsels in distress, for instance, are a common trope in fairy tales and old-fashioned romances. of the mad, tortured genius has a long history, and indeed, many genes linked with high intelligence are also associated with anxietyA feeling of unease or worry. It can be mild or very severe., depressionLow mood that affects someone's daily life, and can last for weeks or months. and autismA condition characterised by difficulty in social interaction and communication. According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 160 children has an autism disorder..

Another school of thought holds that anyone can be a genius if they practise enough. In his 1993 paper, Anders Ericsson found that the most elite violin players had one thing in common: 10,000 hours of practice. The study did not find any examples of performers being naturally talented.

Winston ChurchillThe British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955. is commonly regarded as a natural wit and great speaker, but he was a nervous public speaker in his youth. He spent painstaking hours crafting his speeches and reading them aloud.

Is it good to be a genius? Many of those heralded as child prodigies have faded into mediocrity later in life, crippled by the pressure.

Besides, there is no universally accepted definition of a "genius", although originality, extreme intelligence and creativity are common themes. Is it a meaningless label? Where does the line fall between being a genius and just being very clever?

What do we know? Nine-year-old Simure Nakamura from Osaka, Japan, has become the world's youngest ever professional player of Go, an ancient Chinese board game that is extremely complex and difficult. By the time of her first professional competition, she will be 10 years old. Her father, Shinya, is also a professional Go player, winning a national competition in 1998.

What do we not know? Whether genius is innate or something that can be learnt with practise. There are conflicting scientific studies on each side. Increasingly, experts argue that so-called "genius" is a product both of genetics and environmental factors, like encouragement from parents and practise.