playing chess while high

When I read the title about playing chess while high, I think of altitude.

These days so many people can climb Mt. Everest, but very few of them attempt to play chess at the summit.

And sometimes you hear about a Mile High Club, where people play around in an airplane, on a long, boring airplane flight, but what if this is about playing chess at high altitude too?

The best would be to free-climb El Capitan and then play a game of chess when you get to the top.

Marijuana might not be good for your brain function long-term.

you're 1190 blitz, average opponent 1186, won half your games, what's the problem ? is it the maths that's tough ? have you tried playing with your underpants over your face to see if you get whooped more often ?

Time management goes to pot, so to speak.

I don't think weed has much to do with how you play one way or the other, but alcohol is another matter...alcohol definitely "dumbs" you down.  I got the "highest" mark ever (98) on the Physics AP exam in "high school" back in 1972 after I smoked a few grams of hash. Have not done that stuff for over 25 years now....but may be getting to the age where I could use some "medical marijuana" now (63).

Try playing while drunk. You make a lot more sacrifices and may make an accidental brilliancy. I know this from experience.

I feel stupid when it comes to chess, but I love playing for some reason, definitely addicted....science and math came naturally but not chess....

I agree.  In my younger days, I had no trouble taking math tests or playing chess after smoking a joint.  However, drunk on alcohol was a totally different story.  I totally sucked playing drunk.

I agree that it's easier to focus thoughts on marijuana, but you're better without any intoxicant, booze or weed.

Personally, I had rotator cuff surgery a couple days ago and have been taking the painkiller Dilaudid, a stronger opioid than Oxycodone.  It doesn't seem to make me high, but I've still waited until it's been several hours after I take it before making moves in my daily games,

I was about to comment but you beat me to it. And you're absolutely right, Dilaudid makes Oxycodone look like a tic tac. It was honestly the best thing I've ever tried, including cocaine, Ice, heroine, or any of the family of opioids. 

While the subject is probably supposed to be "taboo" there never seemed any sense to me to ignore obvious elephants in the room, clear massive parts of the human condition, on the premise they will just go away. Getting high can be great, and it can affect your play for better or worse. 

Depends of course on the high. If it's weed, the only feeling I have ever gotten from weed, and I've had quite a bit, was fatigue, or drowsiness, or a sense of detatchment. I'd estimate my ELO would drop by a solid 500pts easy on Weed. 

Adderall however, is another matter. That type of focus, and greatly increased motivation would have a significant impact on concentration on play, and probable increase in strength. But he biggest improvement wouldn't come from using it for OTB play. It would be a greater ability to focus and study chess more effectively and gain more knowledge. The effect would result in a significant increase in strength against a control test over two years. 

Depends on the person. In my case, the gold standard by a mile is hydrocodone or oxycodone. (Vicodin/Norco/Loratabs % Percocets) The blows anything else out of the water. It opens a door inside me and allows me into a room otherwise impossible. The euphoria results in vastly increased motivation, ambition, and interest in any subject I apply it toward. For chess, it would increase my study intake my multiples, and while the change wouldn't occur overnight, over years, it would turn me into a different player entirely, with an increased strength of 600-700 ELO in the end in my estimation. 

As far as just getting high and playing someone straight up right then and there, it's difficult to say. The euphoria from the opioid family results in greater bravery, risk taking (measured of course) and lack of fear. This could result in faster, more confident play, but also slightly decreased defense and carefulness. If properly dosed, perhaps a 5mg for one game, yes it would make me a stronger player, if mostly because I'd be enjoying it more and thus concentrating with more clarity and focus. It's like you're an RPG character, and everything gets a +1 buff with Vicodin. Depends on the person, but I'd be willing to bet this would be fairly consistent among the population. 

Try playing only while high for a month or so..Your result list is likely to read loss,loss,loss,draw,loss,win,loss,loss,loss,loss and so on.. And while you are thinking about how great your idea at the board is, you see you're down 10mins on the clock at move 20. If you even get to move 20  

it does nothing for me, which means i must be in a natural high 24/7.

I really think that long term the best way to play is totally straight....mainly because there was never a drug created by man that did not have some bad side effects that effect the brain or some other part of the body....it is all connected...

PLAY POST #30..while reading this thread...puts a lot in perspective!!!

you need your wits about you if you want to take chess up professionally , dulling your most potent weapon , by lack of sleep , drugs , alcohol can mean you miss that tactical combo , even peppier things that stimulate can cause overeagerness

you get a lifetime to find the balance you like though

My brother had a lot of trouble with opiates. He had to go on methadone to get clean. He has said on more than one occasion that in some ways he misses it. It gave him sort of a sense of well being, and made everything interesting. He says ever since he quit he finds everything boring, and can't find interest in any of the things that he liked before. This sucks because his nickname growing up was FunRobbie, but he's just not the same. I wonder if that had something to do with your experience. You felt content to study for hours because of the opiates. 

Edit. Just like to add that I'd take boring Robbie over addicted Robbie any day. The whole experience changed him for the worst.  

Thanks, SylentSwords