Chess experiment: How much does three pints of beer impact your chess ability?

This is fantastic.

I can't count the number of times I've come home smashed out of my face and sacrificed my queen or something.

You should totally write an article on this.

I empathize with your dilemma and feel your pain.  But have faith my friend, no definitive conclusions have been drawn to date, the experiment is yet afoot! Game 2 emerges from the mist... either this weekend or next...

I feel better!

How very true you are. It was an oversight on my part that this information was not included for game 1.  The three beers for game 1 were consumed over approximately an hour to an hour and a half, with the last beer consumed at rather rapid clip in order to hasten the start of the experiment...

Drinking thtree pints would, I think, improive my chess... but I've never attempted such a reduction in consumption.

 A truly admirable quality my friend, one that I respect on multiple levels.  Unfortunately, I fear logistical, legal and other related considerations may well impair such an endeavor reaching the activation energy required to actually occur. However, if you are able (and I sincerely hope you are) to somehow secure an alternative source of research funding to purchase the necessary experimental materials, it would be an honor and a privilege to review in detail your annotated inebriated games, should you so choose to publish them, on this thread.

I tip my hat to you my friend. In the mainstream (somewhat more boring) world of traditional scientific publishing you would have "scooped" me.  However, and perhaps unjustly, as with most discoveries, it is not who performs the experiment first, but who publishes the data first who receives the accolades.  However, my research is still ongoing and have drawn no conclusions.  If you have indeed already determined that 3 pints of beer, on average (all other variables being accounted for) removes about 200 Elo points on average, from ones chess playing ability, I would strongly encourage you to publish those annotated games on this thread, so we can see the raw data for ourselves.  Please do not take this as a refutation of your scientific conclusions, only a polite request to see the underlying data they are based on.

Nitrous oxide works really well.  You have a great time.  You learn to laugh at your losses.  It's really a gas

So do I! Unfortunately the fates have aligned to push game 2 onto a weekend (Saturday) schedule. This is particularly worrisome as I recently learned from a colleague on this thread that my grand experiment had already been performed and a quantifiable conclusion had already been drawn... Most worrisome! Nevertheless no data was presented to support these assertions, thus, unless actual game data is presented, I pledge to carefully proceed, at my own slow pace, to gather the necessary information...

What a fascinating hypothesis! Yes, I fully agree, nitrous oxide would be extremely fun to investigate.  Unfortunately, I have already committed what little free time I have to analyzing the quantifiable effect of 3 beers on one's chess playing ability.  Additionally, while nitrous oxide may well have been more fun to investigate, I somewhat worry that it is not typically served in most of the delightful reputable pubs and bars that I frequent to conduct this research.  Although, I would be remise, if I did not admit, I have not actually requested a hit of nitrous oxide to date, and its public availability might be much more widespread than I originally considered.

Hahaha! 

As a colleague, I return a full tip of the hat, and urge you to proceed with your scientific experiments, good sir. Mine certainly were not "wholly scientific," nor do I have any quantifiable data. Please proceed, for science.

-Dr. Checkevertim

Good Dr. Checkevertim, thank you so much for elaborating, I feel a heavy weight gently lifted from my shoulders. I will, as per your advice, pursue these experiments at the first opportunity that presents itself.  While your own important research may not have been entirely quantifiable, you are nevertheless the first, at least as far as I am aware, to provide a specific quantifiable number (a reduction of 200 Elo points) that the consumption of three beers induces in one's chess playing ability, and as such, your estimate provide a valuable data point estimate in our ongoing research endeavors.  I wholeheartedly encourage you to continue your own research program... For science...

Yes, I concur, this is a valuable factor to take into consideration.  You may well be right, and it is certainly concievable that in a certain proportion of individuals, perhaps in particular those of a certain genetic and sociological heritage, possibly, for example... I don't know... Irishmen (?), three pints of beer merely lubricates the senses, bringing a finely oiled chess demon to life who leaves a trail of tears and defeat on these 64 sacred squares...

I must quit drinking, I'm seeing red.

In honor of your reply, I posted this while sipping from a luke warm cup of coffee while trying in vain to escape from this forum and get back to my grant writing.

Please consider posting your games! Shameful or not, I will always respect a fellow traveler on this path to enlightenment...

Alexander Alakine lost his title of the world champion because of drinking... Later, after he gave up alcohol, he regained his title.

Look it up and be wise.

I see, so, a 5th, or 750ml, of Jack Daniels, (at 40% abv) corresponding to 300ml of pure alcohol, or approximately 12 pints of regular strength beer, resulted in 10 straight loses, while 5 beers resulted in a 3 game winning streak.  Yet additional evidence in support of the dose-dependent hypothesis, thank you for sharing.

Drinking three beers is fine as long the person your playing has had four.

Indeed, but the Alekhine story can be used as evidence in both directions. As in, the fact that Alekhine was a fully functional alcoholic almost all of his adult life, while being able to play chess at the very highest grandmaster levels whilst under the influence, may be argued to provide additional evidence in support of the hypothesis that limited amounts of alcohol may have negligible negative impact, and possibly a mild positive impact, on one's chess playing ability. Either way, very interesting, thank you for sharing.