Chess players to face anti-doping measures
Tue Nov 28, 2006 5:17 PM GMT
DOHA (Reuters) – Chess’s world governing body will introduce dope testing at the Asian Games this week, although the sport’s top official in Doha said he had no idea how drugs could enhance chess performance.
“I would not know which drug could possibly help a chess player to improve his game,” competition manager Yousuf Ahmad Ali said.
“But, yes, there will be official monitors who may demand that players undergo a drugs test after the rounds.”
Drug testing is the latest move by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to raise international standards in the hope of making chess an Olympic sport in the future.
The full article can be read here. 
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Drug testing? Interesting. But why? There are physical performance enhancing drugs but chess is a mental game. If anything, I think drugs would mess up your concentration. Or does being high improve chess play. If so then I might as well just quit chess forever 🙂
kmc
FIDE already have a doping list
allthoug the testing has been very sparse.
But if they are going to adopt the
http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/2007_List_En.pdf
list and really abolish alcohol I predict that we will hardly have any russians
left in chess competition.
(and that goes for players from Canda, Greenland, Island and Scandinavia too)
And any prohibition of cannabinoids will surely affect a lot of other GM’s in the southern countries too.
Formerly these drugs were never tested because FIDE did not recognice their potential.
And as for myself, i aviod chess alltogether when i am sober.
The drug Methylphenidate has effects which should be monitored even in chess players.
Normally this drug is used to deal with narcoleptics, ADHD, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
The military has begun giving this to soldiers in the field to wire their brains to keep them awake with little side effects from being tired.
Remember that chess is also a game of alertness and stamina. Without these players can miscalculate, etc.
This drug has proven not to slow mental function and to improve concentration, however there are side effects which some people get. The biggest side effect, which military personnel experienced, of being on the drug is the crash you can experience if you don’t maintain dosage – the military found they could keep soldiers alert with no verifable loss of concentration and alertness for 96 hours straight (no sleeping, powernaps, etc.) but the crash took them down for 2 days.
This is a hurdle for chess to get recognized as an Olympic sport.
Also for all of you out there that keep taking cracks and making jokes on how chess is becoming a comedy – I don’t see you (a) opening up your cheque books, and(b) organizing classicial events yourself to bring things to ‘normalcy. All you do is be part of the problem and not part of the solution.
Makes pure sense…extra oxygen in the bloodstream…and who knows what other mind altering drugs might help…beta blockers?
Sure beats that pretentious coffee cup and saucer of Cram-nick
sadly it is not uncommon that kids are given ritilin and adderal during chess tournaments to keep them focused. these are kids that are not ADD.
not as bad as ritilin is caffine. Kids as young as 7 or 8 are loaded up to give them a boost
I found this on fide.com
—
FIDE Actual Handbook
Chapter 18 – Doping and Drug Use
18.1.
FIDE, its affiliated member Federations, bodies and players hereby subscribe where appropriate for chess players as agreed between FIDE and the International Olympic Committee, to be bound by the relevant rules and guidelines prescribed by the International Olympic Committee and other relevant agencies or bodies set up for the monitoring of drug use and doping by athletes in all FIDE competitions.
18.2.
A Medical Commission comprising medical experts and laymen chosen on the basis of their personal merits shall be appointed by the Presidential Board to liase with the relevant organs of the International Olympic Committee and agree from time to time on the list of prohibited substances and methods of doping that are applicable to chess players in FIDE competitions.
—
This chapter does not tell very much,
so I now ask you dear readers;
What is appropriate?
Is it OK to take a drink between games in order to relax?
Now I do not use caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol or any drugs and I am more than happy to let my opponent handicap himself by useing any and all of them. Just makes it easier for me to win my games.
And lastly, I do NOT want chess to be in the Olympics.
Great! So now we can look forward to Topalov’s manager dropping beaners in Kramnik’s water glass while he is in the bathroom to get him disqualified.
I tried taking steroids for my chess. My rating went further but my pieces got too big for the board.
Drugs can certainly enhance chess performance. And if the stakes are big enough, players will be motivated to use those drugs. The debate will revolve around which drugs should be banned and therefore tested for. If you’re a 30 year old GM, trying to stay competitive enough to continue to get desirable tournament invitations, but finding that your stamina doesn’t hold up as long as those darn 18 to 20 year old rising stars, you’ll be tempted to take a short cut. Maybe get a less than scrupolous doctor to prescribe something that has the effect of keeping you highly alert longer … kinda like a mental viagra. Or you mix cocktails of over the counter medications, designed to treat colds and sinus type problems, but also causing “useful” side effects. Any sport that has aspirations of increasing commercial sponsorship has to take seriously the issue of doping.
“Also for all of you out there that keep taking cracks and making jokes on how chess is becoming a comedy – I don’t see you (a) opening up your cheque books, and(b) organizing classicial events yourself to bring things to ‘normalcy. All you do is be part of the problem and not part of the solution. “
Where did this come from all of a sudden? A rather high and mighty view to have. Now people aren’t allowed to have opinions of their own? If you’re doing all that good for you but don’t go around judging others. Or are we going to give the impression that chess players are all stuffy, humourless and oversensitive. Not to mention elitist, i.e. “thou shalt never joke about chess”.
I personally don’t think chess is becoming a comedy. If efforts by Susan and others of her ilk are anything to go by, I can only see it improving in professionalism and recognition.
Why should chess play this Olympic charade? Olympics is cutting its number of events and has basically told chess to get lost.
In the futile hope of joining with a bunch of sweaty weightlifters, we have to follow ridiculous doping regulations.
Due to doping controls, FIDE has announced that from now on:
1. the Knight will move two squares straight in only one direction.