Chess politics - Not Talkin' Drugs

Author

Not Talkin' Drugs

Tyrone Slothrop

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

As in every area of human performance, man seeks to improve on nature.
There are, as of yet, no enhancers of the human brain, besides
caffeine, which are proven to be effective at improving the type of
thinking required by chess. But those who think it will remain this way
forever and ever amen, must be "on drugs" because researchers all
around the world are working to prove them wrong.

Chess One wrote:

quote:

> Read these words carefully: Chess is ALREADY a drug-free environment.
>
> There are people who want to voluntarily associate chess with drugs by
> advocating either highly spurious 'enhancers' or the equally spurious
> testing for 'enhancers'.
>
> This is the work of people who's own motives are highly suspect. They seek a
> little more autocratic power over the chess community and are seemingly
> indifferent to the effect on the community.
>
> Even though the current set of reactions to Naturol endorsement has ranged
> from hilarity at this chess brain pill, to utter disgust in USCF endorsing
> it, there is no acknowledgement from this 'member's organisation' leaders to
> the members themselves, who are certainly NOT being represented.
>
> Evans and Parr were the earliest to publicly and successfully confront
> drug-testing. Now they are not two isolated voices; a ground-swell of public
> opinion quite independent of their own writings concurs with them. What can
> be said of Evans Parr is that they predicted this reaction to this course of
> events. A prediction which fell on not deaf, but indifferent ears.
>
> If you Dear Reader are involved in the chess community, you should tell
> those around you "Chess is a drug-free environment", which is probably the
> best, eminently truthful and most wholesome marketing slogan there could
> possibly be.
>
> Let's keep chess and the public perception of chess drug-free.
>
> Phil Innes

Chess One

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

Read these words carefully: Chess is ALREADY a drug-free environment.

There are people who want to voluntarily associate chess with drugs by
advocating either highly spurious 'enhancers' or the equally spurious
testing for 'enhancers'.

This is the work of people who's own motives are highly suspect. They seek a
little more autocratic power over the chess community and are seemingly
indifferent to the effect on the community.

Even though the current set of reactions to Naturol endorsement has ranged
from hilarity at this chess brain pill, to utter disgust in USCF endorsing
it, there is no acknowledgement from this 'member's organisation' leaders to
the members themselves, who are certainly NOT being represented.

Evans and Parr were the earliest to publicly and successfully confront
drug-testing. Now they are not two isolated voices; a ground-swell of public
opinion quite independent of their own writings concurs with them. What can
be said of Evans Parr is that they predicted this reaction to this course of
events. A prediction which fell on not deaf, but indifferent ears.

If you Dear Reader are involved in the chess community, you should tell
those around you "Chess is a drug-free environment", which is probably the
best, eminently truthful and most wholesome marketing slogan there could
possibly be.

Let's keep chess and the public perception of chess drug-free.

Phil Innes

Rob

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> As in every area of human performance, man seeks to improve on nature.
> There are, as of yet, no enhancers of the human brain, besides
> caffeine, which are proven to be effective at improving the type of
> thinking required by chess. But those who think it will remain this way
> forever and ever amen, must be "on drugs" because researchers all
> around the world are working to prove them wrong.
>
>
> Chess One wrote:

Medically speaking, 25% for the blood sugar in the body is consumed by
the brain. The simplest method of feeding the brain is to increase
blood sugar. This causes insulin levels to rise as the body works on a
negative feed back system. Maintaining that increased level over a
period of time in match play would be difficult on longer time limits.
For "Blitz" players, two table spoons of sugar a minute prior to
playing a ten minute games should suffice to "energize" your brain.
That doesn't mean that your brain will have any more knowledge than it
did before. All it means is that your cells would be operating with a
full tank of gas, so to speak.

Rob

(Still Natrol Free)[vbcol=seagreen]

zdrakec

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

Hello all:

The notion of worrying about whether a competitor is taking a
"brain-enhancing" drug will always be ludicrous. NO DRUG will EVER come
up with even a SINGLE move on the chessboard. Drugs or no, the player
still has to think up the moves for him- or herself.
The whole issue is ridiculous.

Cheers,
zdrakec
(user of the following excellent chess enhancing substances: coffee,
tobacco, and alcohol)

Chess One wrote:

quote:

> Read these words carefully: Chess is ALREADY a drug-free environment.
>
> There are people who want to voluntarily associate chess with drugs by
> advocating either highly spurious 'enhancers' or the equally spurious
> testing for 'enhancers'.
>
> This is the work of people who's own motives are highly suspect. They seek a
> little more autocratic power over the chess community and are seemingly
> indifferent to the effect on the community.
>
> Even though the current set of reactions to Naturol endorsement has ranged
> from hilarity at this chess brain pill, to utter disgust in USCF endorsing
> it, there is no acknowledgement from this 'member's organisation' leaders to
> the members themselves, who are certainly NOT being represented.
>
> Evans and Parr were the earliest to publicly and successfully confront
> drug-testing. Now they are not two isolated voices; a ground-swell of public
> opinion quite independent of their own writings concurs with them. What can
> be said of Evans Parr is that they predicted this reaction to this course of
> events. A prediction which fell on not deaf, but indifferent ears.
>
> If you Dear Reader are involved in the chess community, you should tell
> those around you "Chess is a drug-free environment", which is probably the
> best, eminently truthful and most wholesome marketing slogan there could
> possibly be.
>
> Let's keep chess and the public perception of chess drug-free.
>
> Phil Innes

Chess One

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

"Rob" <robmtchl@msn.com> wrote in message
news:1118673662.443074.70710@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

quote:

> Medically speaking, 25% for the blood sugar in the body is consumed by
> the brain. The simplest method of feeding the brain is to increase
> blood sugar. This causes insulin levels to rise as the body works on a
> negative feed back system. Maintaining that increased level over a
> period of time in match play would be difficult on longer time limits.
> For "Blitz" players, two table spoons of sugar a minute prior to
> playing a ten minute games should suffice to "energize" your brain.
> That doesn't mean that your brain will have any more knowledge than it
> did before. All it means is that your cells would be operating with a
> full tank of gas, so to speak.
>
> Rob

An analogy is with the boy scouts! Just imagine your job to win one of them
badges is to find old ladies to escort across the road. You get hyped on on
sugar or some 'speedy' equivalent, and /rush/ the poor old dears across...

Deranged but not forgotten! Phil

quote:

> (Still Natrol Free)
>

Tyrone Slothrop

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

Chess One wrote:

quote:

> "Tyrone Slothrop" <lttyroneslothrop@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1118671234.476966.149320@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> A wise man once wrote here, "the brain makes chemicals of its own". Phil

And this wise man's point was?!?! The human body also manufactures
testosterone "of its own". Are you against the idea of athletes taking
this perfectly normal, human chemical testosterone, and adding more of
it in their bodies to improve their sport performance? I am.

I am not discussing the here and now. I don't believe any reliable
double-blind studies have shown improved performance at mental sports
such as chess due to chemical enhancement. But the future is the
future. And I can see this in the future of neural-biochemistry
research. And those that claim they can't see such a future are
obviously suffering from a failure to vision properly about the future.

Tyrone Slothrop

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

Why ludicrous? It is certainly not hard to imagine a future where a
FUTURE drug will allow you to process information faster, or to think
more clearly. This won't come up with a single chess move on the
keyboard, but it would nonetheless change your performance in chess
(and other games requiring mental acuity).

An example that is is true is the alcohol you mentioned. Who doesn't
think they perform any worse at chess when that "excellent chess
enhancing substance", ethyl alcohol is added to their body in large
quantities? If ethyl alcohol can cause a deterioration in chess
performance, why is it such a stretch to imagine a FUTURE where
biochemical enhancement can increase your chess performance?

zdrakec wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> Hello all:
>
> The notion of worrying about whether a competitor is taking a
> "brain-enhancing" drug will always be ludicrous. NO DRUG will EVER come
> up with even a SINGLE move on the chessboard. Drugs or no, the player
> still has to think up the moves for him- or herself.
> The whole issue is ridiculous.
>
> Cheers,
> zdrakec
> (user of the following excellent chess enhancing substances: coffee,
> tobacco, and alcohol)
>
> Chess One wrote:

Chess One

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

"Tyrone Slothrop" <lttyroneslothrop@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1118671234.476966.149320@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

quote:

> As in every area of human performance, man seeks to improve on nature.
> There are, as of yet, no enhancers of the human brain, besides
> caffeine, which are proven to be effective at improving the type of
> thinking required by chess. But those who think it will remain this way
> forever and ever amen, must be "on drugs" because researchers all
> around the world are working to prove them wrong.

A wise man once wrote here, "the brain makes chemicals of its own". Phil

quote:

> Chess One wrote:
>

Tyrone Slothrop

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

zdrakec

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

Well, again, the drug won't help me invent the move to play. It may
indeed help my brain function at its peak level; even so, it is my
knowledge and skill (or lack thereof!) that will determine the move
played.
Unless the drug can suggest moves, it's not cheating.
<<shrug>> I think the entire controversy is silly. There is a
qualitative difference between chess and physical sport. All the
"mind-enhancing" drugs in the world won't help me if I haven't studied,
or if my understanding of the game is inferior to my opponent's.
Anyway, this is why ludicrous. Just one man's opinion

Cheers,

zdrakec

Tyrone Slothrop wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> Why ludicrous? It is certainly not hard to imagine a future where a
> FUTURE drug will allow you to process information faster, or to think
> more clearly. This won't come up with a single chess move on the
> keyboard, but it would nonetheless change your performance in chess
> (and other games requiring mental acuity).
>
> An example that is is true is the alcohol you mentioned. Who doesn't
> think they perform any worse at chess when that "excellent chess
> enhancing substance", ethyl alcohol is added to their body in large
> quantities? If ethyl alcohol can cause a deterioration in chess
> performance, why is it such a stretch to imagine a FUTURE where
> biochemical enhancement can increase your chess performance?
>
>
> zdrakec wrote:

Chess One

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

"Tyrone Slothrop" <lttyroneslothrop@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1118682285.647043.299740@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

quote:

>
>
> Chess One wrote:
>
> And this wise man's point was?!?! The human body also manufactures
> testosterone "of its own". Are you against the idea of athletes taking
> this perfectly normal, human chemical testosterone, and adding more of
> it in their bodies to improve their sport performance? I am.

Yes. I think the original proposer of "the brain makes chemicals of its own"
was making a similar point about forcing nature by artificial stimulation.

quote:

> I am not discussing the here and now. I don't believe any reliable
> double-blind studies have shown improved performance at mental sports
> such as chess due to chemical enhancement. But the future is the
> future. And I can see this in the future of neural-biochemistry
> research. And those that claim they can't see such a future are
> obviously suffering from a failure to vision properly about the future.

Would you still think such a future chemical preferable or even equivalent
to one's own chemistry, which is stimulated by real environments, rather
than fanciful expectations of what is otherwise not available to the person,
but is sorced upon it?

A sort of pill-for-wankers?

Phil Innes

Chess One

2005-06-13, 8:32 pm

A small selection of comment: //Phil Innes

I don't have to time to read the whole thing but skimming through it got my
blood boiling. I think it is embarassing. I believe it is dangerous. What a
TERRIBLE thing to teach to children. How about telling the world that hard
work is the "secret" to performing well on the board. Chess is getting more
and more like boxing, not less. BTW, Susan how was the simul? Wish I could
have flown to Vegas. Are you sisters going to be in NYC anytime this week??

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is Chess? What does it teach? What does it require for success and
satisfaction? Strategy! Thinking ahead! Planning for the future. The most
enjoyable moments in chess are those where a few pieces are moved on both
sides "AS PLANNED" and a devastating pin or check is discovered. The longer
the anticipation, the stronger the joy.

Logically, one would deduce that the people entrusted with leading a
prominent chess organization would be leading CHESS into the future. I see
NULL evidence of even Zugzwang, let alone the actual planning for Chess'
development to it's complete potential.

So WHY would these people promote a product to procure some simple pennies
in the present with complete disrespect for Chess' rich past and future
prospects?

I made sure to feed my daughter salmon and eggs when she was an infant and
toddler and still do at age 6. I am clearly a proponent of filling my
daughter's mind with the essential nutrients and experiences to allow her
brain to reach its potentials. But I give her the WHOLE egg. The WHOLE
salmon. Not some shortcut. Not some pill promoted to garner shekels.

Just like I am introducing her to the whole game of chess. Beyond strategy
there are tactics. There are strong openings. There are checkmates.

Our leaders should be teaching our children that there are NO shortcuts in
life. Just as there are no shortcuts in chess. Especially in Chess.
They even warn at the merchandise's manufacturer's website that no one under
the age of 18 should take these pills. So who will pay when children do
manage to get some? When they take dozens of them. Isn't the current
Steroids example a stark enough example? Why begin a journey on a line the
rest of the world is beginning to file away.

Which chess players succeed? Those that only try to spring "Fool's Mate" and
Scholar's mate in every opening???? Or those that build a solid
foundation!!?

In this day and age where it is documented that people want too many quick
and speedy gratifications I can think of no greater INCONGRUITY than pushing
these pills. Chess should be marketed as an activity, which provides
contentment and rewards for time and effort. The children of Chess are the
future of CHESS. Every move should be planned with them and that in mind.

They say all publicity is good. Not in this case. They are publicizing a
mindset, which advocates shortcuts instead of productive time and effort.
We should be publicizing a completely contrary way of thinking for a lasting
growing future for Chess and its participants.

Fyi.

http://www.homeschoolmath.net/other...ntelligence.php

http://www.child.com/kids/health_nu.../brain_food.jsp

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nutr.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a neuroscientist, I am seriously thinking of cancelling my membership to
USCF because of this. First, it is clear that there exist drugs which aid
attention, memory, and mental stamina. Almost all such psychopharmacological
agents act by changing the concentrations of neurotransmitters of the
synapses in the central nervous system (neurotransmitters are chemicals
released by neurons: it is how they communicate with one another; these
transmitters are released into synapses, which are tiny contact points
between neurons). Caffeine and amphetamines are good examples.

The promoters of this drug say it works on the cholinergic systems of the
brain (that is, it causes more acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter) to
accumulate in synapses; this is *hypothesized* in neuroscience to be a key
element in the attentional system of the human brain). Nicotine also targets
the cholinergic system, and has been shown to improve attention/memory. Why
don't we hook everyone up with nicotine patches at chess tournaments?

The ingredient list for the product is here.
Aside from some standard B vitamins, it includes four other ingredients, two
of which are herbal extracts, which have not gone through the process of
clinical trials to evaluate safety. The other two are known to boost
acetylchonine levels in the brain (like nicotine).

Note that on their web site, they stress that "These statements [i.e., their
claims about how great the drug is] have not been evaluated by the Food and
Drug Administration." It also says "Keep out of reach of children." The
drugs' potential side effects, effects of long term use, and especially long
term effects on developing brains, have not been evaluated.

Everyone knows how addictive nicotine is: this drug, which targets the same
system, is likely to be addictive as well. They say to take two tablets a
day: how long before you can't stop?

That the USCF has sold out to some new-age hack company trying to make a
quick buck is sickening. Do the decision makers at USCF ever consult its
members before making decisions like these? I don't think I want to be part
of an organization like this. It is sending the wrong message to kids, and
is promoting a drug with potentially harmful long-term effects. The USCF is
whoring out its name to a company selling "smart drugs". Chess is known as a
thinker's game, so the benefits to the company are obvious. What benefits,
besides MONEY, could USCF get from this?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I got the USCF email on this product and I couldn't believe they would
endorse such things. I loathe junk mail and I consider this an abuse of
their membership.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unbelievable. No time to investigate this but there must be definately
something wrong with the USCF. What kind of people lead this organization?
Are they elected democraticaly?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is plenty of oppositon to the USCF being voiced at
http://www.uschess.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=5879#5879 and many other
chess websites.

Does anyone know how to find out which board members voted for this policy
and which ones voted against it?? Yes, Peter there is a democratic election
and by chance our ballots are due in the mail less than a month.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is absolutely unbelievable! How low does this current USCF policy board
have to go to reach bottom! First, this drug or herbal extract has not even
been tested by the FDA. All drugs have side effects and drugs that are
oriented toward brain function can have some of the worst. In an era when
everybody is trying to get drugs out of sports, we are endorsing them!? And
to make matters still worse, in an organization that has over 50% of its
membership below the age of 18? If every there was a reason for voting
people off of the Policy Board and out of chess altogether, this is it!
Outrage is too mild a word...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beatriz Marinello, Elizabeth Shaughnessy, and Tim Hanke endorse the drug.
Beatriz and Elizabeth are chess teachers and they make a living working with
kids. And yet they have no problem endorsing chess drugs for kids. They are
also the same three who voted to kill the US Women's Olympiad Team.
Unbelievable!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is shocking that chess coaches like Elizabeth Shaughnessy and Beatriz
Marinello can defend chess drugs aiming for young people.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They should make the contract they signed with the company available to
members of USCF. As a member, I don't want stupid advertisements for a new
version of nicotine, I want them to open up their books in the next issue of
Chess Life and let me see all the details of this business arrangment: we
pay their @#$% salaries and they should be accountable to us!

Is there anyone out there who thinks this is a good idea? Perhaps there is
an end justifies the means thought process: this will really help get USCF
more popular. For one, all marketers know controversy breeds exposure. Also,
maybe the money they make from this will be used to promote chess and get
more people, or maybe the money will help furnish the new offices in
Tennessee.

At any rate, whatever ends they had in mind is not justified by these
foolish means.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree Blue Devil, this is very bad. Beatriz and Elizabeth should resign
immediately. Endorsing a chess enhancement drug to kids is simply
inexcusable!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That is why you're the perfect ambassador to chess. You have always fought
to protect the integrity of this game while chess politicians fight for
their own interests.

I will vote NO NO NO to Elizabeth Shaughnessy and Bill Goichberg in this
election. I will also vote NO to Sam Sloan. Chess politicians have no
business running the USCF.

Thank you Susan for all you've done for American Chess and Chess overall!
You're the best!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't believe what the USCF is doing. How can they promote the lies about
this chess drug Natrol? It's worst when it's promoted to kids. I won't renew
my membership until the current leadership resigns.

Ray Gordon

2005-06-14, 3:32 am

> As in every area of human performance, man seeks to improve on nature.

quote:

> There are, as of yet, no enhancers of the human brain, besides
> caffeine, which are proven to be effective at improving the type of
> thinking required by chess.

Adderall XR does a damn good job of coming close.

--
Ray Gordon, Author
http://www.cybersheet.com/library.html
Four FREE books on how to get laid by beautiful women

Seduction Made Easy: http://www.cybersheet.com/easy.html
Get this book FREE when you purchase ANY affiliated product!

Visit our FREE SPEECH SEDUCTION REVIEW message boards at:
http://cybersheet.com/eve/ubb.x
Compare over a dozen different seduction e-books and get SME for FREE if you
buy!

http://www.cybersheet.com/chess.html
Free Chess E-book: Train Like A Chess Champion

Don't buy anything from experts who won't debate on a free speech forum.