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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: Al Doggity on September 13, 2019, 03:32:23 PM

Title: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Al Doggity on September 13, 2019, 03:32:23 PM
Interesting article on the ESPN website (is that being boycotted? Who can ever tell?)
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/27593253/why-grandmasters-magnus-carlsen-fabiano-caruana-lose-weight-playing-chess

I don't follow professional chess, so I had never heard of the phenomenon of elite players losing upwards of 20 pounds over the course of a tournament. Top players do intense, extremely regimented physical training to try to combat the physical effects of competing in chess tournaments.

According to the article, the main driver is a prolonged cycle of high stress, but looking around the internet, there are suggestions that the energy the brain requires to operate at a high level for a long period of time has an effect.

I just think it's interesting that mental activity can have such a big physical impact. Of course, there are a lot of  other examples of this that manifest in smaller ways.
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: MAXX on September 13, 2019, 04:07:51 PM
saw a documentary on the norwegian dude some years ago. Is he still dominating all those nerds?
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: tres_taco_combo on September 13, 2019, 04:43:57 PM
Interesting article on the ESPN website (is that being boycotted? Who can ever tell?)
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/27593253/why-grandmasters-magnus-carlsen-fabiano-caruana-lose-weight-playing-chess

I don't follow professional chess, so I had never heard of the phenomenon of elite players losing upwards of 20 pounds over the course of a tournament. Top players do intense, extremely regimented physical training to try to combat the physical effects of competing in chess tournaments.

According to the article, the main driver is a prolonged cycle of high stress, but looking around the internet, there are suggestions that the energy the brain requires to operate at a high level for a long period of time has an effect.

I just think it's interesting that mental activity can have such a big physical impact. Of course, there are a lot of  other examples of this that manifest in smaller ways.

I have heard this before.

and makes sense - using all your brain power just wears you down.

Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Al Doggity on September 13, 2019, 06:17:45 PM
saw a documentary on the norwegian dude some years ago. Is he still dominating all those nerds?

Carlsen dominated for years but according to the article, started showing signs of mortality recently. He has a lot of really specific tricks to deal with mental fatigue, like tapping his foot rhythmically between moves.

Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: EasternHammer on September 13, 2019, 06:48:55 PM
  Carlsen is by far the world's strongest player, but his results over the last 3 years or so were not as dominant as 2010 to 2015.  Mostly due to playing really odd lines due to boredom and overall playing less in general.  I tend to be of the camp which believes that the player who will dethrone Carlsen as world champ is still an unknown, younger player.  None of the other top grandmasters can beat him over a long-form match.   
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Oblique on September 13, 2019, 09:09:13 PM
Is it possible that when using all their brain power, they just lose their appetites?

I know that when I am working on something I consider important, I either forget to eat or just have no interest in doing so.
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Al Doggity on September 13, 2019, 10:02:56 PM
Is it possible that when using all their brain power, they just lose their appetites?

I know that when I am working on something I consider important, I either forget to eat or just have no interest in doing so.

The article says that during a 2 hour match, high level chess players BURN almost as many calories as Roger Federer would burn in a 1 hour of singles play.  It's not a matter of not getting enough nutrition, it's actually burning through it.
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: The Abdominal Snoman on September 13, 2019, 11:11:42 PM
What kind of PED's do chess players use? Adderall and Cortisol blockers?
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: joswift on September 14, 2019, 01:54:06 AM
they have thousands of games memorised, most games follow games that have already been played so they have to remember the moves
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Desolate on September 14, 2019, 05:34:01 PM
The article says that during a 2 hour match, high level chess players BURN almost as many calories as Roger Federer would burn in a 1 hour of singles play.  It's not a matter of not getting enough nutrition, it's actually burning through it.

I guess they are burning tremendous amounts of glucose to run their brains at peak efficiency.

Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Irongrip400 on September 14, 2019, 05:40:45 PM
This shit always interests me, these savant type people. I remember watching the Jeremy Schepp behind the lines episode about the guy who went crazy after being the best. I think he moved to Finland or some shit after his breakdown.
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: MAXX on September 15, 2019, 01:01:25 AM
This shit always interests me, these savant type people. I remember watching the Jeremy Schepp behind the lines episode about the guy who went crazy after being the best. I think he moved to Finland or some shit after his breakdown.
You mean Fischer? He got asylum in Iceland after calling out the joos on their bs. Brilliant guy. Genious with 180+IQ
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Big Tex C*ckburn, PhD on September 15, 2019, 04:28:15 AM


37:03 for relevance.

 
What kind of PED's do chess players use? Adderall and Cortisol blockers?
Modafinil, Amphetamine and that sort of thing. I never needed it, though. I preferred to beat these geeks using nothing but my own brainpower and intimidating stature. Chess also has a surprising amount of female fans. The groupies are next-level.

Tex.
Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: Methyl m1ke on September 18, 2019, 02:21:34 AM
  Carlsen is by far the world's strongest player, but his results over the last 3 years or so were not as dominant as 2010 to 2015.  Mostly due to playing really odd lines due to boredom and overall playing less in general.  I tend to be of the camp which believes that the player who will dethrone Carlsen as world champ is still an unknown, younger player.  None of the other top grandmasters can beat him over a long-form match.   

Title: Re: The Stress of Chess
Post by: dan18 on September 18, 2019, 06:56:23 AM
they have thousands of games memorised, most games follow games that have already been played so they have to remember the moves

Too me it seems to take the fun outa playing its no longer a game its just memory