Checkmating Alzheimer's

I felt many of our older chess players and them to be, would find this interesting! I got this in the mail and would like to share.

'As you know there is no cure for alzheimer's and no drug to prevent it. There may be a however a way of avoiding alzheimer's symptoms-playing chess"!!

Grandmaster Arnold Denker often claimed that no grandmaster had ever been diagnosed with alzheimer's. While most medical authorities urge being mentally active as deterrance against age related dementia, some experts believe that playing chess regularly may be a uniquely positioned activity in inhibiting alzheimer's sysptoms.

There is more but I am a slow typist, and you get the meaning for sure. So keep playing our game, for health reasons as well!!

Just on a side note, after about three years I feel I have reached my peak skill level with chessmagnetschool, and when I told them should I continue? this this is what one of the instructors said,  " it is good exercise for the brain".  That kinda goes alone with the above comment.

Sorry, forgot what I was going to say.

What am I doing here, anyway? I only came out to buy a packet of biscuits.

 Good answer, lolo

Al? Zeimers?

Wasn't he my buddy fightin' in Nam? Or was it on that beach...Norm..Norm..Dee-deee...

I know! He was a Jazz Muso in the 30's. Yeah. That was him. Al.

Is Chess Magnet school worth the money? I thought about doing it a long time ago, but never did.

First I love chess.com over anything I have tried out, but what has kept me connected to chessmagnetschool, is the problems are nothing like chess.coms tactics and chess mentor. many of the problems you get to play out and have active counter play regardless if you make the wrong move. and most important, I can sip a coffee in the morning or a cold one in the evening, sometimes the dogs interrupt, which is often, and I can get up and walk away, come back and continue, there is no time clock making you move fast, its at your speed! I wish chess.com could remove the time factor in one of its training programs? I like to be laid back and relax with chess.

I like the idea of being able to play it out, even if you're wrong, as well. So it's mainly just tactics?

Well they have you make 5 to six  given moves in your head, from what you see on the board and then give you four possible positions , only one is right, you pick the only and right move. End games with pawns and king and minor piece.  A best move problem, like its your turn, whats white or black's best move?? Not sure if that is all considered tactics. Like there is one problem you have a Knight, and must start at point A and reach point B on the board in so many moves without landing on a attacked square. There is alot more but it really gets your brain waves working, but at your pace. HTH Oh and its very inexpensive for a whole year.

I was thinking it would be fun to have multiple choice puzzles like that. Didn't know they did it that way though. I might give it a whirl. Did it help your rating much?

The idea that chess may be a preventative to Alzheimers is actually one reason that I play. Several relatives have come down with this horrific disease.

I am very open to that idea. I've played OTB someone who was 90 who still had a standard of 1700 FIDE.

C-Planet, I would get you a one year membership because I feel you would have as much fun as I do with it. I can tell you more about it the good points and maybe only one bad point! Let me know and I will PM you! It has definately helped when looking at the board and seeing things I missed before!  I also highly recommend it to beginning chess players, for a good jump start over the school of hard knocks, just playing chess! 

Also Chess.com is my first choice if I could only have one! Because it has so many first class whistles and bells, and the videos etc, and most important meeting and playing other chess players. Must not forget to say they have a wonderful staff all the way up to Eric!

I'd love to believe that chess actually helps to checkmate Alzheimer's Disease. One year ago, I was a superhuman and now I feel as if my working memory is going bonkers. Although I have led a seriously healthy lifestyle and never had sleep problems, I currently have a wannabe-mental health disorder. (Wannabe means not diagnosed.)

It's something like depersonalization. Ten minutes ago I actually felt the sensation as if my legs aren't working, as if doesn't exist, and my mental focus was just not there.

That doesn't mean I am no longer capable of checkmating someone on chess. Fortunately I am comfortable with 5 min time controls and brought up my Blitz rating from 900+ to 1100. 

Alzheimer's and Dementia is the main reason why I started playing chess.com. Including 4-player chess. I believe I can beat my mental condition and be fully smart again!

I'm 22 btw.

Yeah but playing TOO MUCH chess is bad for your health.

Keeping mentally active is a very good thing, obviously, but I'm dubious that it might prevent Alzheimer's. The precise cause is still unknown but it appears likely to have both a genetic component and a physiological one, so mental activity is highly unlikely to prevent it.

Chess and a keto diet...What a smooth combination!

About 7 months here. I guess that makes me a keto newbie.

One of the most terrifying conditions known to man. We base everything, our entire lives, on logic, memories, and knowledge. All to try and make sense of things. To then have that slowly crumble away, it's like the ground slowly disappearing beneath your feet, the answers slipping away, and eventually ones life itself.

I hear meditation can be very helpful, hopefully. Meditation itself can be healing, let us begin healing even before any illness, and trust to keep the balance.