CHESS FOR THE SHRINKING BRAIN-OLD AGE MEDICINE..

CHESS FOR THE SHRINKING BRAIN-OLD AGE MEDICINE..

I find chess fun and stimulates my brain and fading memory . Thanks for the people who play games with me as I am often in my chair and this gives me contact with people around the world as well as the patterns of chess and memory challenges. Thanks fellow players for tolerating older players.

thanks for fun and challenges

Same here. 61 years old, Brsin surgery, barelly remember the opemings and variations that I knew by hesrt in the 90's....but still playing and enjoying

Cherrs

joe-rod we should be friends - i win som but lose a lotv as my concentration gets me into muddles.

I am 80 brain damage and vascular issues but can still play chess at oldman speed

Im 62 and came back to chess a few months ago after a 6 year break due to me thinking my rating was who I am. I know...an immature and unhealthy way of thinking. But here I am 6 year later and back playing with only 4 expectations:

Mental exercise.

Healthy socialization.

Have fun.

Being a good witness to others.

At a 4th of July tournament I accomplished all 4.

Welcome back, have fun and keep exercising that brain!

Thanks to you.

i am 71 and still learning. I am working on openings that gave me trouble when I was competing

back in the 1970s and 1980s.

LieutenantFrankColumbo we should be friends . people like us need ideas that are not meant for smart young brains

there must be lots of people older or sick who play chess but need gentle guidance

and support. I suggested a forrum for struggling older players.

universal game so let it be

accessible to all who are willing to try.

Elo’s research on chess skill and aging showed that players were about as strong at age 60 as they were at age 21.

I never knew anything about chess...so I am terrible and just use it to pass time and an ego burst if I get a new high rating. Other than that it is no different than playing Battleship or Monopoly.

respect to you all

In the Boris Gulko book: Lessons With A Grandmanster. Dr. Joel R. Sneed, a professor of psychology states that the reason chess skills decline is due to less tactical ability, and patter recognition. He also states that for for whatever the reason we retain our strategy and planning knowledge.

I am a retired college professor of psychology. One of my colleagues was a neuroscientist who studied memory and aging. We had many discussions about chess skill and aging.

Older adults do experience a slowing of cognitive processes. So, they may experience some difficulty in timed events, such as speed chess.

They also fatigue more easily than younger adults. So they may make errors due to fatigue at the end of a game or a tournament.

However, unless there is a specific neurological issue, which some older adults do experience, the judgment of older adults remains intact.

in the chess world, Smyslov, Reshevsky, Korchnoi, and many others remained competitive into their 60s.

Cool

"Older adults do experience a slowing of cognitive processes. So, they may experience some difficulty in timed events, such as speed chess."

I'd agree with this,  

I'm 57 and suck at blitz.

Karpov was one of the best of all times.

The other day I saw a video of him making a castle....moving the rook first.....

I'm not so sure that aging does not affect chess skills....

It affected mine, but I have a neurological condition that worsen things for me....it is hard to memorize an opening....

In his 2nd match (If i remember correctly) against Karpov. Korchnoi asked the Arbiter if he could castle in the current position, which would have had his king pass through check, but not into check. It happens to all of us.

Once a king, always a king.

These days, once a knight is enough.

I’m twelve but I’ll keep this in mind when I am sixty

Ok, one day I will see a soccer player inside the penalty area grab the ball with the hands and ask the referee if it is a penalty kick....