Originally posted by kmac27people don't commit suicide because of chess , even grand masters
many of them died because of complications like strokes and suicides. maybe the stress of competing in chess at that level caused their stress levels to rais and cause that.
seriously, chess doesn't cause bad health ,it's just bad luck dying while playing in a tournament
if I may look like an idiot , sorry for stating what's obvious
Originally posted by 7ate9A lot of these deaths happened a long time ago, obviously WWI and WWII was a cause of death for a lot.
I think there are things to look at in there...
How much do chess players exercise? Does this tend towards many heart-attacks among chess-players?
These are good questions. Why do people not see this?
Although there do seem to be an inflated number of suicides compared to what I would imagine present day's suicide rate is. Maybe that was more fashionable back in the day.
Originally posted by 7ate9I was having an interesting chat with a Rotarian doctor friend of mine just the other day. We were talking about how the human brain has the tendency of gradually decline in its performance. Thus as you get older, you tend to become more and more forgetful; not as alert etc. And he suggested that studies have shown that one of the best means of stalling the process is by using the brain more regularly, much the same way we use our muscles in the body. Therefore doing crosswords or scrabbles or playing chess is actually good for the brain. Not too sure if there is a limit to it though.
I think there are things to look at in there...
How much do chess players exercise? Does this tend towards many heart-attacks among chess-players?
These are good questions. Why do people not see this?
Originally posted by BedlamI totally agree. That book got me working on my chess again.
I think the son then went on to steal his car and crashed it into a lamp post......
Its a shame really, I never met Webb but I know his book "Chess for Tigers" has inspired thousands of chess players.
Originally posted by kmac27No, most great chess minds are highly intelligent. The more intelligent you are, the more depressed you can get, you know?
many of them died because of complications like strokes and suicides. maybe the stress of competing in chess at that level caused their stress levels to rais and cause that.
Originally posted by SquelchbelchThanks, that's interesting.
Morbid, but true?!? (not that I copied & pasted it - pah, the cheapness!!!)
# Georgy Agzamov (1954-1986) - Russian GM fell between some rocks at a beach and died
# Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946) - choked to death on a piece of meat in 1946
# Johann Allgaier (1763-1823) - dropsy
# Adolf Anderssen (1818-1879) - heart attack
# Vladimir Bagirov (1936 ...[text shortened]... while playing chess at a London coffee-house
# Stefan Zweig (1881-1942) - committed suicide.