orangehonda wrote:
Yeah, I heard the learning curve for chess was about 8 years... umm, what I mean is after serious study for 8 years any improvement after that is incremental.
Define serious study.
will antidepressants and other psychotropic medications make me better at chess?
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Eo____ wrote:
orangehonda wrote:
Yeah, I heard the learning curve for chess was about 8 years... umm, what I mean is after serious study for 8 years any improvement after that is incremental.
Define serious study.
I would say at least 4 hours a day and would involve (over time) reading whole books (not partial books and calling it good). When you play, it's not for fun, or at least, it's always serious. After every game, you review it for mistakes and try to never repeat them. You go to at least a few tournaments a year, but probably as many as 10-12 including your state and national opens.
By comparison, casual players don't read books, well maybe bits and pieces of one or two. They don't play in tournaments, and play a lot of online blitz.
Maybe a third group, casual tournament players. They've maybe read a book or two, play a few tournaments a year, but don't study their games more than throwing it into a Fritz blunder check (which really does nothing for you), and don't do much study in between tournaments (might look up a few opening lines, do a few tactics now and then). When they do go to a tourney, they're a few G/60 3-4 round weekend tourneys and miss the big ones such as state opens.
Not that I'm disparaging any of these groups. Most people can't treat chess like a full time job (unless they're retired, independently wealthy, pros, or kids who still live at home). And I'm sure a lot of people get a great deal of enjoyment out of the game without having to be completely serious about it.
Sep 24, 2022
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#24
BadBishop51 wrote:
Take it from someone who has been on a wide variety of anti psychotics, mood stabilizers and anti depressants at one time or another including: Risperdal, Haldol, Fluphenazine, Seroquel, Depakote, Lithium, Ativan, etc. No, It does not increase your ability to play chess at all. In fact, it inhibited my game playing. I always felt foggy in the head and was easily "tranced" (where I would find myself staring at the floor for several minutes without realizing it) I dont take any of these meds anymore and my ability to play has taken a jump up from when I was on them. ( I am not suggesting to anyone who is on pyschological medications to quit using them without first consulting your doctor) i decided to do this as a personal decision for myself and, yes I do suffer some consequence for it. I hope this helped you in some way. Keep playing and learning bro! Peace. 
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Did it return to normal fully? Are there any long lasting or permanent side effects?
Sep 24, 2022
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#25
lochness88 wrote:
I was on Prozac for 6 months for depression, from my experience I would have to say no.
Not only did it stuff up my concentration and memory during that period, I found I had difficulty thinking clearly. I believe they damage your mind rather than enhance it.
Try green tea and fish oil.
did it return to normal after you quit prozac? any long lasting or permanent side effects?
Yeah, I heard the learning curve for chess was about 8 years... umm, what I mean is after serious study for 8 years any improvement after that is incremental.
So you're not stuck yet (I would guess) practice makes perfect :)
Visualization is definitely something a person can improve through practice. I think so because I was definitely bad at it as a beginner, and since then I've gotten better. Also after doing things such as tactics (accuracy not speed) for a month I've noticed improvement... improvement that seems to have left me after a somewhat chess-less period actually, and I'm working to get it back ;)
If you don't like where you are, you can improve... but you have to not like it enough to make you do something about it.