Saturday Chess Forum: Do You Get Physically Exhausted After Playing Chess?

Chess blog for latest chess news and chess trivia (c) Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2012


Hi everyone,


We found a nice update about a chess research in Shelby Lyman's column for the Colombus Dispatch today. He writes: Researchers at Temple University found in 1971 that the pulse and respiratory rates of chess players during peak moments of a game were comparable to those of boxers and football players during competition. A clue to understanding these findings is the Russian notion that a chess game is a debate. Imagine an intense argument that lasts four or five hours without relief. Could not the equivalent in a chess competition wreak physical and psychological havoc — especially for those who are obliged to play day after day with only an occasional respite?

Chess struggles can have a mind-boggling intensity. Each move by the opponent potentially introduces new threats and dangers. A surprise move or a material sacrifice can instantly raise the level of stress.

Imagine also the clock ticking away, an intense audience of aficionados nearby and on the Internet, a press room full of rival grandmasters second-guessing each play, and future players poring over each move and mistake. It’s not surprising that perennial Russian world champion Mikhail Botvinnik, a sober man and scientist, posited that each world-championship match could cost him two years of his life.

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Saturday Chess Forum
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