Tweet
Performance-enhancing drug use in chess
January 27, 2017
For years we have heard about drugs that may enhance a chess players performance but only caffeine has been named.
A new study identifies two stimulants that significantly boost a player’s endurance and ability to concentrate during a match.
This has been reported in an article in The Telegraph by Leon Watson on January 26, 2017
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...g-performance/
Excerpts:
Neuroenhancers do not enhance the quality of thinking and decision-making... but improve the ability or willingness to spend more time on a decision.
Researchers are yet to reveal the findings of the survey, but say they now have some idea of how much the two drugs are used by the chess-playing community. The main study, published in a leading journal, was carried out by 13 professors and researchers from several German universities and the University of Stockholm, who analysed more than 3,000 games played by 40 players.
Among its findings were that modafinil, a drug used for treatment of disorders such as narcolepsy, improved the players’ performances by an average of 15 per cent.
Methylphenidate, more commonly known as the ADHD treatment ritalin, boosted performances by 13 per cent, and caffeine, which they also tested, by around 9 per cent.
The study was carried out by giving each player a series of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires and then asking them to play against computers running the formidable chess-playing program Fritz 12.
Methylphenidate, more commonly known as the ADHD treatment ritalin, boosted performances by 13 per cent, and caffeine, which they also tested, by around 9 per cent Methylphenidate, more commonly known as the ADHD treatment ritalin, boosted performances by 13 per cent, and caffeine, which they also tested, by around 9 per cent.
One surprising finding was that the drugs made the subjects play slower, suggesting that rather than enhancing decision-making, drugs improved players' ability to spend more time on a decision and perform more thorough calculations.
Fide, the world governing body, first adopted a drug policy in 1999 after it became a member of the International Olympic Committee, and was required to become a signatory of WADA.
It did so not because it thought there was a problem, although chess players were previously known to drink gallons of coffee during matches, but because the IOC requires members to be a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency. That meant testing.
As they were already on the WADA banned list, ritalin and modafinil were automatically prohibited while caffeine use was restricted.
January 27, 2017
For years we have heard about drugs that may enhance a chess players performance but only caffeine has been named.
A new study identifies two stimulants that significantly boost a player’s endurance and ability to concentrate during a match.
This has been reported in an article in The Telegraph by Leon Watson on January 26, 2017
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...g-performance/
Excerpts:
Neuroenhancers do not enhance the quality of thinking and decision-making... but improve the ability or willingness to spend more time on a decision.
Researchers are yet to reveal the findings of the survey, but say they now have some idea of how much the two drugs are used by the chess-playing community. The main study, published in a leading journal, was carried out by 13 professors and researchers from several German universities and the University of Stockholm, who analysed more than 3,000 games played by 40 players.
Among its findings were that modafinil, a drug used for treatment of disorders such as narcolepsy, improved the players’ performances by an average of 15 per cent.
Methylphenidate, more commonly known as the ADHD treatment ritalin, boosted performances by 13 per cent, and caffeine, which they also tested, by around 9 per cent.
The study was carried out by giving each player a series of neuropsychological tests and questionnaires and then asking them to play against computers running the formidable chess-playing program Fritz 12.
Methylphenidate, more commonly known as the ADHD treatment ritalin, boosted performances by 13 per cent, and caffeine, which they also tested, by around 9 per cent Methylphenidate, more commonly known as the ADHD treatment ritalin, boosted performances by 13 per cent, and caffeine, which they also tested, by around 9 per cent.
One surprising finding was that the drugs made the subjects play slower, suggesting that rather than enhancing decision-making, drugs improved players' ability to spend more time on a decision and perform more thorough calculations.
Fide, the world governing body, first adopted a drug policy in 1999 after it became a member of the International Olympic Committee, and was required to become a signatory of WADA.
It did so not because it thought there was a problem, although chess players were previously known to drink gallons of coffee during matches, but because the IOC requires members to be a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency. That meant testing.
As they were already on the WADA banned list, ritalin and modafinil were automatically prohibited while caffeine use was restricted.
Comment