I also have ADHD and it has both helped and hindered me at chess. It's helped because sometimes I can hyper-focus on the game and find creative, unconventional solutions to problems. (Even when I win, my play is rarely accurate.) I had harmed because if I'm not enjoying the game as much (either because I'm focusing on something else, my strategy was foiled, or I'm losing) I am more susceptible to impulsive moves and blunders. (Although I also am more likely to hyper-focus in a crisis, so sometimes that does work out for me.) I have quite a bit of trouble with calculation and tend to play by "feel." In general, I am happy to sacrifice material for better board position. I've found Mikhail Tal's games extremely inspirational.
a chess player with ADHD
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Jan 19, 2024
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#23
I think I also have ADHD.I can hyper-focus in my rapid games and my concentration has improved a lot since January 2022 when I started. When I started, I was rated 100 and I kept losing. I blundered literally everything because I never wanted to think. The ADHD causes me to have weird meltdown with tilts, but my overall intelligence and focus has improved (my grades are stronger than ever! 🙂).
I have ADHD and I hyper-focus on chess. The problem for me is that I can sometimes get tunnel vision and ignore most of the board leading to blunders.
NordeggenChess wrote:
I think someone with ADHD will have trouble doing well in chess, simply because of concentration. Should be own classes, like the Paralympics.
This is a typical misunderstanding of ADHD. I recently diagnosed myself as a hyperfocus ADHD, meaning that I can focus, but I focus too much only on the things that interest me. This means I can have a totally winning position and yet lose the game by having some silly and obvious blunders.
Hyperfocus can also mean my brain works too fast on something and yet is incapable of remembering things in the short term because my memory fails to register things when my brain has already jump onto something else. I am also intensively interest driven. When I am interested in playing chess, I can play for more than 10 hours straight until I am totally exhausted and end up losing most of my games. But I can also lose interest in chess completely and hence I simply don't play chess for many years as if chess does not exist. I have too many hobbies and they don't last very long or swing back and forth drastically.
For many people ADHD is not simply a lack of focus, but intense focus on something, disregarding everything else. My focus is curiosity or interest driven. Curiosity kills a cat. I guess most cats also have hyperfocus. BTW, I have a PhD and an IQ of 180+ despite my extremely slow reading speed and VERY bad memories. My intuition and ability to see the big picture of everything compensated for my problems due to hyperfocus. I read very slowly in general, especially when reading novels. Novels have too many details. My brain cannot handle too many details at the same time. But I am able to search through a book or a journal article to locate the things that interest me and that I think are important very quickly. This makes me a good researcher.
Is it possible to get ADD or ADHD after childhood?...
I've never had it, but, my behavior this past year is making me think that maybe I rewired my brain? Did I neglect my mental health and now I have it? Or, am I just mentally lazy nowadays and act like I do?
I do sometimes get tunnel vision when playing chess, but, not always. I love reading novels - the bigger the better! But, I oftentimes get distracted during conversations at home regardless of who's talking (not really in social situations, though - they're too fun/stressful/exciting for me to not pay attention).
How do I get tested for it? I think I'll probably ask about it at my next appointment.
I am quite certain, though that I have OCD.
...
Is there a thread for that?
Keep Chessing & Stay Brainy!
Dodger111 wrote:
I work with kids with ADHD and I use chess as a tool to develop their concentration skills.
I've seen this countless times, take a teen that can't focus or sit still long enough to put his name on a piece of paper, put him in front of of a chess board and he is suddenly focused and in the zone for an hour.
They suck at chess anyway but It's definately good for them.
That's really cool! For how long have you been teaching?
MrDamonSmith wrote:
I think I may have it also, it causes me to have trouble calculating so most of my games have to be handled based on positional considerations. Maybe someone should start an ADHD players group! Haha. Did anyone see that link in post #6? It works like magic.
That's actually a great idea! Does anyone want to make a chess club for mentals? - ADD, ADHD, OCD, etc.
If not, I'll do it!
Couldnotthinkofname wrote:
I have ADHD and I hyper-focus on chess. The problem for me is that I can sometimes get tunnel vision and ignore most of the board leading to blunders.
I sometimes get tunnel vision in chess, too. Though, it's mostly online, not OTB. Is that a sigh of AD(H)D? I especially get it when my opponent takes forever to make a move (OTB... online, too, except I mostly play Blitz online, so it works out fine online) and in the opening (mostly online against bots, but, a little OTB, too). I move fast in the opening because I am too impatient and excited to open slowly, but, I promise myself that as soon as I'm done opening, I'll slow down, analyze, and move thoughtfully and methodically. But, I always forget and keep moving fast and end up losing! So... does that sound more like AD(H)D or like I just need to work more on my patience?
How to beat a gm
I have the same problems, Andrew! (Maybe I do have ADHD) Literally the same!
- Addicted/Obsessed 😍🤤
- Can't beg my opponents to follow the script 😢😁
- I frequently play like a 1600 only to play the next game like a 600 (and go back and forth 🫨😵💫🥴)
I definitely suggest playing OTB: I personally can get quite impatient when playing on a device, whereas, over the board, I'm in the ZONE! It sounds like we have the same struggle, so, try it out! If you're not sure about getting a smart board, just have a partner (sibling, friend, cat, etc.) translate the moves from the screen to the board and vice vera so you can focus on the pieces on the board.
Keep Chessing & Stay Brainy!
Hi