For those who would like to read more on ‘cognitive enhancers’ there is an interesting article at: guardian.co.uk/science/2009/ … ower-drugs
The link didn’t work for me.
I was able to get to the article by chopping off some of the link given in the original post (back through “2009”) and pasting that into the browser command line. That takes you to the page with the article; a second click will then take you to the article.
– Hal Terrie
The link works fine now…I urge everyone to read this article. It is so interesting you will not notice the length!
That’s OK. The pills probably wouldn’t work either. 
It is an interesting article, nocab.
Neuroenhancement will improve your chess.
newyorker.com/reporting/2009 … ntPage=all
npr.org/templates/story/stor … =103274576
“the US Air Force already makes modafinil available to pilots and astronauts embarking on long missions”
Not necessarily. As it happens, I know a young player who used Adderall to try for an extra edge in his chess. As was the case for the subject interviewed for the article, the results were mixed and inconsistent from one usage to the next.
In one large open swiss, this young player had a fantastic result and scored an IM norm. However, in subsequent events he had some miserable results using the same regimen. As far as I know, there are no documented cases in which the use of “neuroenhancers” consistently produced objectively superior results.
– Hal Terrie
The New Yorker story was interesting and chilling. I am not sure I like a world that is so pumped up on artificial stimulants. Drugs like Adderall and Provigin have not been tested in long range studies to see if they have deleterious effects. This article gives more support to FIDE’s push for drug testing.
Would these neuroenhancers really help your chess? Caffeine in small doses can focus attention, but in larger amounts causes jitteriness, and scattered attention. Long periods of focused attention sounds like a good idea until you ask yourself focused on what? If the focus is on a bad idea, then the drugs may lead to intense work with no brakes, but also on the wrong solutions. But I can see where players would try for a quick fix, for an edge in one game or in a tournament with big money on the line.
The brain adjusts and readjusts when it is stimulated too much, requiring more drug to get the same effect. That is true with caffeine, nicotine, and other drugs. Moderation is difficult to achieve as the brain loves its endorphins.
What seems to work for me are:
- Sleep, undisturbed; 8+ hrs during tournaments. Rarely achieved.
- Exercise - walking, light yoga and stretching.
- Not eating junk foods. Better wished than done, I’m afraid.
- A cup of tea - coffee in large doses makes me jittery.
The sleep, exercise, and perhaps a little meditation create a greater chance for the “mindfulness,” or attention to the immediate tasks and reality at hand that would really help your chess.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,595819,00.html
You won’t find documented cases of chess players taking drugs.
Paul Phillips, a professional poker player. His nickname was Dot Com. …Most unusual of all, Phillips talked freely about taking prescription drugs—Adderall and, especially, Provigil—in order to play better cards.
what about ppl who are prescribed these, for ADHD or ADD?
Scholastic chess teachers should be a fountain of information on cognitive enhancers.
Hal Terrie seems to be the only one willing to discus it.