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

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Avatar of Doc_who_loves_chess

*** UPDATE: Game 2, performed on Saturday June 8th 2013 ***


Dear colleagues, I submit for your scientific review the second game of this research endeavor.  There were several experimentally-related factors that should be mentioned.  First, prior to initiating this game, I had just performed a 6 mile run on hot day, keeping a reasonable pace and managing to get to the research venue in just under an hour. However, I was feeling quite dehydrated upon arrival so made sure I ordered two pints and consumed the first Sierra Nevada relatively quickly (from 12.40-12.43 pm). I briefly considered consuming some of the iced water my slightly concerned-looking waitress brought to my table briefly after I arrived as a panting sweating mess, but then I remembered the bathroom related issues Dr. OnStar had warned me of, and decided then and there to keep my liquid intake to the absolute minimum necessary before initiating Game 2. Beer 2 was consumed at a much more leisurely rate from from 12.43 to 1.07.  I finished consuming Beer 3 at 1.30, just prior to the start of Game 2.  Which puts all three beers consumed within a 50 minute period. On the advice of Drs. Checkevertim and Wafflemaster, I calculated my blood alcohol content (BAC) using bloodalcoholcalculator.org "Check yourself before you wreak yourself" (I wonder if this correlates with wreaking ones chess-playing ability?)... and was informed that roughly 10 minutes after the start of my game, or approximately when the opening phase had finished, and the experiment proper begin, my BAC would peak at 0.085 (many thanks to Drs. Astronomer999 and jspath2339 for bringing the corrected BAC-based calculations to my attention) at which point the website informed me that I was indeed “impaired”... Having had nothing more than half a banana to eat (my 2 year old daughter having scampered off with the other half this morning) I could already confirm that I felt quite impaired and in exactly the right state to commence game 2.


I started my seek for a 30/0 live game for an opponent rated between 1400 and 1500. Up pops Lord Anb, graciously offering me the control of the white army. I tip my hat to you Lord Anb, and offer this game, my precious hard earned Elo points, and indeed myself on the altar of science. Should these libations impair my game, as I fear, I hope you will find it in your heart to give me a quick, clean, gentleman's death, and should the fates align for me on this day, good Lord Anb, and should I be lucky enough to feel the sweet inspirational kiss of Siduri on my lips, in my mind and within my soul, then I pledge, on my honor, to perform the same mercy for you good Lord.


And thus, I humbly present, for your scientific review, the second game of this great chess/beer experiment...

And thus comes to an end Game 2... New and powerful variables, especially awareness of an audience, combined with a closely-related consistent and heavy release of adrenaline, have added extra questions to our search for the truth. What else can I do, but submit the evidence collected to date for your peer scientific review, and listen to your advice and recommendations on how best to proceed with our collaborative research...

Avatar of CRBruce

Sierra Nevada is some strong stuff. I'm surprised you opened so decently with three of those back. Nice work.

Avatar of winerkleiner

Plus beer tastes like snail pee.

Avatar of gaereagdag

There needs to be a new World Chess Championship. In every generation there is a Slayer. There is one special person who is born to slay the hellmouth of mediocrity and mutated, diabolical chess blunders and put the truth of the chess game in its place.

So, there must be a contest to find this Slayer - to find this champion.

According to the Council and Rupert Giles, ancient lore and tradition says that the true test of a new slayer is alcoholic consumption while playing chess. So our three slayer candidates:

1. Burbs Ben. Sober strength 2000. Drunk strength unknown.

2. Malt Whiz Key. Sober strength unknown. Always sloshed.

3. Cock Tail. Engages in mixed drinks. Plays chess at all times moving all pawns forward 3 squares.

May the power of the Buffyverse decide the World Drunk Chess Champion. The prize will be a mansion in Sunnydale.

Avatar of Doc_who_loves_chess

Linuxblue1, your competitive proposal is a welcome addition to our research program. Would you and your competitors consider posting your inebriated and non-inebriated games, including estimated peak blood alcohol during play, to this thread? This will provide a valuable additional data set for analysis. I also suspect my colleagues and I would be most interested to learn the identity of the World Drunk Chess Champion!

Avatar of johnyoudell

A half stops me concentrating.

Avatar of jspath2339

Oh, I did not realize that pints were more than U.S. beers. I kinda wish they served it in pints here

Avatar of winerkleiner

Plus beer tastes like snail pee.

Avatar of kco
winerkleiner wrote:

Plus beer tastes like snail pee.

how do you know that ?

Avatar of astronomer999
jspath2339 wrote:

Oh, I did not realize that pints were more than U.S. beers. I kinda wish they served it in pints here

My mistake too. When I read the OPs report of his 2nd game, it turns out that he wasn't drinking pints at all. His Sierra Nevada beer comes in 355ml bottles (at least in Australia) and his reported blood alcohol tallies with the  smaller amount consumed.

For a scientist, he seems to be rather loose with his reporting.

Avatar of winerkleiner
kco wrote:
winerkleiner wrote:

Plus beer tastes like snail pee.

how do you know that ?

Sensitive taste bubs plus my roommate was a snail, lol.

Avatar of Doc_who_loves_chess
astronomer999 wrote:
jspath2339 wrote:

Oh, I did not realize that pints were more than U.S. beers. I kinda wish they served it in pints here

My mistake too. When I read the OPs report of his 2nd game, it turns out that he wasn't drinking pints at all. His Sierra Nevada beer comes in 355ml bottles (at least in Australia) and his reported blood alcohol tallies with the  smaller amount consumed.

For a scientist, he seems to be rather loose with his reporting.

My apologies to both of you, and to my colleagues in general. I have indeed been rather loose in my reporting and the fault is mine.  I have been drinking three standard American pints (serving size 473ml) which is equivalent to about four 355ml bottles of beer.  I now realize that I incorrectly calculated my blood alcohol content (BAC) using the bottle rather than the pint.  I have now recalculated and realize my BAC actually peaked at 0.085.  I will correct my earlier post to include this corrected BAC measurement and I thank you both for bringing this embarrassing oversight to my attention.

Avatar of U_N_I_C_R_O_N
DrJamesB wrote:

My proposal is that three pints of regular strength beer should reduce your chess playing ability by a quantifiable amount.  In order to test this theory I generously offer myself as a human guinea pig (you're welcome). I have been playing fairly well recently against 1400+ opponents, winning most of my 30/0 live matches and my games have been completely free from blunders and VERY weak moves, although each game has had around 6-12 non-optimal moves (as determined by post-game computer analysis), although none of these were particularly weak or losing moves (at least not against opponents in their 1400s). My hypothesis is that after consuming three pints of regular strength (5% abv) beer my game (regardless of whether I actually win or lose against the same 1400 opponents in a 30/0 game) will contain significantly more non-optimal moves, and will also contain at least one very weak move and/or blunder. It should be noted that after consuming those three pints of beer I will be drinking a regular strength coffee with sugar and a glass of iced water (as I play).  These are mitigating variables (sugar, caffeine) that may potentially negate the effect of the alcohol in my system, especially as I don't usually drink coffee.  I guess if I get more blunders then the alcohol is more important at reducing my chess playing ability, but if I get an even stronger than usual game (unlikely, but possible) then the effect of caffeine is probably the culprit.  Either way, a fun experiment... In the name of chess researchers everywhere... Cheers!

 

Actually, it's rather simple.

 

3 pints of beer will affect your chess ability proportionately to how much you suck at playing chess. 

 

If you suck really bad, then the 3 pints of beer may make you better by chance.

If you suck, then the 3 pints of beer won't make you any worst.

If you are decent, then the 3 pints may make you suck.

If you are really good, then 3 pints of beer may make you average.

Cheers to sucking.

Avatar of AlCzervik

Unicron, in your short time here (this time) you have already accomplished that without playing a game.

Avatar of U_N_I_C_R_O_N
AlCzervik wrote:

Unicron, in your short time here (this time) you have already accomplished that without playing a game.


Talk is cheap. 

My opponents will face a suffocating form of blitz chess.  If you wish to be my first opponent, then I challenge you to a 10/0 match so that you may experience my skill first-hand.  You should take no comfort in your rating, because it is meaningless and all of your nearly 7,000 games of preparation will amount to nothing.

I am new to this site.  Not new to the game of chess.

Avatar of AlCzervik

Please. Stop. You're scaring me.

Avatar of roochaser

gday all...just joined this site and this thread leapt of the page,as they say.as an aussie,i offer my exhaustive anecdotal beer knowledge. i find that beer makes me delightfully witty,very attractive to ladies,and definitely de-stresses a chess game (also gives me a great singing voice).

Avatar of DEEPFROGGER
roochaser wrote:

gday (sic) all...just joined this site and this thread leapt of (sic)  the page,as they say.as (sic)  an aussie (sic),i offer my exhaustive anecdotal beer knowledge. i (sic) find that beer makes me delightfully witty,very attractive to ladies,and definitely de-stresses a chess game (also gives me a great singing voice) (emphasis added).

That's what we all think, until we see the Youtube video the morning after. Cool

Avatar of madhacker

On Saturday I had been out drinking most of the day and probably had 9-10 pints. In the evening we went to play blitz chess and I whooped everyone else's backside, I scored 14/17, despite struggling to stand up Laughing

Avatar of CoenJones

if your doing more games, i'd love if you could shoot me a link when you start the game so I can watch it