Chess with ADHD

Another post by a user with ADHD inspired me to make this post.

When you have ADHD, keeping motivation for a task over time is really difficult, and we have to find strategies to keep our motivation levels high. But as long as we feel interested and stimulated by something, it's much easier to focus on it- we can actually hyper-focus on the task and perform very well.

My ADHD chess tips:

1. Only play or study when you truly want to (so you will be able to focus) and don't force yourself
2. Stop when you get bored or frustrated (otherwise you will start to dislike the game)
3. Find fun ways to learn e.g. entertaining lecture videos
4. Turn studying into a game. For example, playing puzzle rush, or challenging yourself to always get more tactics puzzles correct than the previous day
5. Give yourself rewards for completing your goals

I followed these rules to reach the 1500s from the 500s. In my experience, having ADHD and following these rules has not slowed down my rate of progress. I never play or study when I don't feel like it. It's SUPER IMPORTANT that the game remains an enjoyable experience, otherwise all my motivation will disappear.

Other ADHD-ers, what are your tips which help you to keep motivation and improve at chess?

This is a great post. Even someone who doesn't have ADHD could take some good advice from this. I will be following some of these steps to boost my rating. :tup

Thank you for this! It makes me hopeful to know there are ADHD-ers out there who have built up their skills and stayed motivated.

You might be pleased to know that Eric Hansen (GM and #2 chess.com rapid) has ADHD too, so anything is possible for us ❤️