Can Chess Cause Mental Illness?
It sounds like a dumb question. Like, why on earth would a silly board game like chess cause mental illness? That's just outrageous!
I thought that this question was insane once, too. Then I decided to do some research after reading my fellow blogger @Rodgy's fascinating chess blog about Claude Bloodgood, an American chess master who was arrested many times growing up and then convicted of and thrown in jail for murdering his mother. Clearly, he was a mentally troubled man.
And what's interesting is that Claude Bloodgood is just the beginning. There is a long list of chess masters who suffered from mental illnesses. Bobby Fischer, who is thought to be the greatest American chess player of all time, in my opinion, tops the list even though he was never diagnosed with anything. Paul Morphy, who is most well-known for the Opera Game, is also up near the top.
Other grandmasters who suffered from mental illnesses include Wilhelm Steinitz, the first official World Chess Champion, who spent most of his days in different mental asylums and actually died while in a mental asylum in New York; Harry Nelson Pillsbury, an aspiring American chess master, who had an infection that caused him to go temporarily insane and then eventually led to his death at just age 34; Alvis Vitolins, a Latvian International Master known for creating many chess opening variations, who battled mental illness all his life and then reached a tough season where his parents tragically both died in the same week, which led him deeper into depression and eventually caused him to commit suicide... sadly, the list goes on.
It was once believed that chess was to blame for these illnesses and some people still believe this to be true today. But... what does science say?
Nothing. Literally nothing.
There is no evidence at all that chess is to blame for these masters' mental illnesses. Some of these masters were born with mental illnesses without anyone knowing. Some of them had a rough upbringing. There are many other things that can be traced to these illnesses.
Chess is not the reason that Fischer went missing. Chess is not the reason that Morphy died in a bathtub wearing women's shoes (yes, that did happen!). In fact, chess has been scientifically proven to strengthen mental health rather than damage it.
Healthline found 9 mental benefits from playing chess in their article on the topic:
1. Chess develops the ability to see from someone else's perspective
2. Chess improves memory
3. Chess enables you to enter a flow state
4. Chess elevates your creativity
5. Chess leads to better planning skills
6. Chess can make therapy more effective
7. Chess may offer protection against the development of dementia
8. Chess can improve the symptoms of ADHD
9. Electronic chess may help stave off a panic attack
The same article went on to explain how chess can benefit children. It was a very good article. See it here for more information.
The main point I want to get across here is that chess is not the problem. Chess is the solution. I believe that these chess masters turned to chess and began to play it to help them with their mental illnesses.
Bill Hartston, a professional journalist and chess player, said it best when he said, quote, "Chess doesn't drive people mad -- in fact, it keeps mad people sane."
Paul Morphy himself even stated, quote, "[Chess] is at best a relaxation from more serious pursuits."
So there's my hot take on the whole thing. It's not thought of as much of a problem today as it was back in the 1800s and 1900s, but it is still interesting to me. Only a handful of people still believe that chess can cause mental illness, so I am writing this blog to hopefully win over those few people. Chess is a fun way to exercise your brain and is definitely not to blame for mental illnesses!
I hope you enjoyed this blog. Cya next time! 
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