chess and alcohol

one or two beers seem to work fine. I guess it relaxes you, but doesn't yet dumb down. but after a few more it all goes to hell.

Originally posted by gorookyourself
I hope you mean "them" and not "me" right?

Relax, you're good- you had all the punch lines in the thread! And believe me, if we ever meet in person, the first round is on me!

Originally posted by wormwood
one or two beers seem to work fine. I guess it relaxes you, but doesn't yet dumb down. but after a few more it all goes to hell.

I've had a positive result with one beer, and I think it has the effect of slowing me down and making me play more carefully. When I play OTB I sometimes play too fast or too superficially because I'm naturally a little bit impetuous, and I think the sedative effect of the beer has helped me.

I've only done it a few times (out of over 200-something OTB tournaments), so it's hardly a good sample, but the results have been good!

Paul

should heed thread...chess and whiskey don't mix. 1. KA1????

Originally posted by greenerpawn
Is that a Wine-awer?

:-)

come on guys!

...tough crowd.

Originally posted by hintjul
doomed for failure, but a alcoholic has no choice, does anyone think cannabis enhances ones chess ability?

I cannot recommend that at all. In the late 80s, I was playing in a university tourney having enjoyed a lunchtime toke. Shortly into the middle game, I castled my Queen. She ended up on b8 and her rook jumped to c8. Needless to say, the Adjudicator took a dim view. 1-0

Alcohol? Well, a pint of bitter or a glass of Chablis never seems to have much effect; in fact, it appears to improve my memory and processing power a little (this may be entirely illusory, though.) Any more alcohol than that and one might as well not bother, as in the closing stages of this little gem from some years ago on RHP, fuelled by glass after glass of Cardhu single malt:

Game 2282729

Ketamine, anyone?

Originally posted by pdunne
They say Blackburne found a glass or three of whiskey not incompatible with the game.

There is one story that Blackburne was playing a Simul against 30 players, about half way through (by which time he was already pretty oiled) Blackburne grabbed an opponents’ glass of whiskey, believing it to be his own, and downed it in one before moving onto the next board!

He later retorted “He left it en prise and I took it en passant!” 😀

If I’m just playing a blitz tourney or friendly games down at chess club I do knock a few pints back, but I tend to stay clear, or at lest only have one, if I’m playing in a congress or league match.

It is true alcohol does affect your concentration and I have noticed in the past, even if I’ve only had something like 3 pints, my brain is having trouble seeing more than a few moves down the line.

Very hard to resist an open bar if you’ve come to the match straight after work though!

.....

I cannot recommend that at all. In the late 80s, I was playing in a university tourney having enjoyed a lunchtime toke. Shortly into the middle game, I castled my Queen. She ended up on b8 and her rook jumped to c8. Needless to say, the Adjudicator took a dim view. 1-0

lol.

Originally posted by greenerpawn
come on guys!

...tough crowd.

Sorry greenerpawn. If I was a sub, I'd totally have rec'd it. I've passed the joke on to pretty much everyone involved.

Never before a game. Me, alchohol and chess don't get on to well.

After a league match is the time for drinking. Some of these after
match drinking and playing sessions would go on till dawn.

I had to have a planned days holiday ready for everyday after
a league match to recover.

Going to a blitz/drinking session tonight in a bar with live music.

Beer, Chess, and the Blues. Looking forward to it.

I'm ok if I have three or four pints before a game, maybe five, tops six. I'll have one or two more, maybe three, with a chaser, make it a double, during the opening and middle game. My endgame tends to be poor but i'll still make it a point to stick away a couple more mixed drinks, maybe with some peanuts. After the game I'll wind down with a bottle of brandy. Sometimes I'll accidentally urinate on myself and because I'm superstitious I insist that none of my empty glasses are removed from the playing table. My record tends to be better in short games as I find i lose the thread as the game progresses. I rarely if ever fall asleep during a game.

Good night with very much an International flavour.

Played blitz chess in the Jazz Bar. Ruxton the rat caught me with a
backward Knight move when I had the combination to end all combinations
planned. I beat a lad from Chile. (a Philidor...that is all I can recall).

The Blues band finished and enter the Jazz Band.

I hate Jazz so decanted to the Royal Oak where I borrowed the resident guitar
and sang two Louden Wainright III songs. (Dead Skunks and Kick in the Head).

Fell in love with an American girl whose name escapes me.

Then to Bells where I met some Russians in Edinburgh for the New year
Celebrations, one is a candidate master who wanted my autograph. (this lad I like).

"Just a candiate master. You I give Knight odds."

Tomorrow hopfully showing them around the Edinburgh Chess Club if they
can make sense of the map I drew them.

A good night. Played some lost some. Drank just that wee bit too much.

Beer is for post mortems!