9 replies to this topic

[Grandmaster]

Hello

Im curious if there are some nootropics that may help improve chess skills. Im not very good player and maybe some nootropics may work for learning new tactics or help to predict oponent moves( so then overall cognition)

Regards

[StevesPetRat]

It's not a nootropic per se, but I've found propranolol at a low dose (like 5 mg, half the minimum normally prescribed, YMMV) is great for cutting the adrenaline rush I get when playing a big pot in poker. This lets me keep my composure for longer playing sessions as I'm not continually wracking my body and brain with adrenaline surges. There's a fair body of research on using it for performance anxiety. If you're here looking for nootropic support for your game you may have some of that I wouldn't use it every day because it makes me feel pretty blah.

[medicineman]

Hello
Im curious if there are some nootropics that may help improve chess skills. Im not very good player and maybe some nootropics may work for learning new tactics or help to predict oponent moves( so then overall cognition)
Regards

you are in the wrong era. no nootropic will make you a better chess player. you are better off doing tactics and honing your skills the hard way.

Edited by medicineman, 26 November 2014 - 07:20 PM.

[Grandmaster]

Im not saying nootropic for magicaly becoming a better player but  rather for help with learning and logical thinking.

[fairy]

http://chesstempo.com/

[medicineman]

http://chesstempo.com/

wow. great site!

[Grandmaster]

thanks for the link fairy, i know smillar tactics trainer but this one is better   Probably the most important thing in chess after practice and tacitcal sense is memory, i think guy like John von Neumann with eidetic memory. If JvN started playing chess professionally he could be one of the best of all time chess players...

[Nootrient]

I'd suggest giving oxiracetam a try. At 500 mg, I noticed a potent improvement in my logical thinking and analytical capabilities. It's a little too stimulating at that level for me though so I'm personally not going to take quite that much next time. I would recommend starting at about 200 mg and working your way up a little at a time so you can find your sweet spot.

 

Can't guarantee you'll have the same experience though, I'm sure you know how the mileage varies with each individual when it comes to racetams.

[gamesguru]

"When you're not a grandmaster at 14, you can forget about it." Vishy Anand

Probably 1600 FIDE ELO is the highest the average person can ever attain, beyond that, lots of talent and theory is needed. Most masters are better when they first pick up the pieces as a child (1200-1400) than you will be after five years of serious study...nothing beats starting at a young age and being gifted with great visualization and memory skills.I found bacopa and green tea to help mildly with remembering positions and ideas, but nothing helped me out of the 1500s.

lichess.org & chess.com puzzles (easy)

chessgames.com puzzles & CT Art [downloadable] (difficult, 1800+ ELO).

[gamesguru]

A year ago I had convinced myself my chess rating would never exceed 1500. Today I'm somehow hoovering around 1650.. swiftly disposing of all my old foes, including that wretched 8088 intel chip,  My pawn sacs bring all the ladies to the yard.  I mean a lot of things are possible you just need to find a new solution and that takes practice.  Sometimes people expect noots to do the work for them, but unless you're dealing with adderalls, that attitude is only gonna take you so far..

Edited by gamesguru, 14 March 2017 - 02:34 AM.