Chess training was able to rescue some of these deficits experienced by schizophrenic patients, improving voluntary processing, inhibitory capacity and planning proficiencies.
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I mostly play against the computer (my ELO is about 1,300), but I like to watch chess on YouTube. I watch Gotham Chess, Hikaru, Anna Cramling, etc.
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I’ve never taken a “serious” interesting in chess. In School,a physics teacher said to me, I’d should take it on seriously and suggested “My System” the book. But I never pursued it because I was more interesting in Science
I feel did enjoy the old windows vista chess game though, glass pieces and nice graphics - but found it super difficult lol
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If you get your elo to 2400 it automatically reverses your schizophrenia
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I played competitively as a child. Starting shortly after my first break, I’ve played online games almost every day. I often don’t think much when I play but, when I’ve had good socialization, my cognition improves for a bit and I tend to play better for a week or so and my rating goes up 200 points. So far it’s usually the same rating as before my first break. Wish my cognition was always better.
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I’d need to get on ADHD meds to have a chance of being OK at chess.
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@firemonkey You should try it out online. You can start at any level of functioning, even with adhd. Just have fun I guess
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My father tried teaching me. I don’t do well with sequential thinking. Planning x steps ahead. Lifelong problem for which I’ve never had help. Crap when it comes to prioritising re multistep tasks. Organising and planning skills are in the toilet.
Ah, sorry. That’s tough for chess at the least
Now, that’s something I have a hard time with. I’m not good with small details and looking for little pieces is tough for me. Congrats to you for doing that man
Also very poor visual memory
Visual memory is one of the quiet engines behind strong chess play, but it’s not the whole machine.
Here’s how it matters — and where it fits among other skills:
Why visual memory matters
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Pattern recognition — Many positions in chess recur in slightly different forms. Being able to “see” those familiar piece arrangements in your mind helps you recall the right plans quickly.
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Calculation clarity — When you analyse several moves ahead, you’re essentially moving pieces in a mental chessboard. The sharper your visual recall, the less you need to keep checking the actual board.
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Avoiding blunders — Strong visualisation helps you spot tactical threats that aren’t obvious in your immediate view.
Balancing with other skills
While visual memory is vital, it sits alongside:
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Strategic understanding — Knowing why a move is good matters as much as remembering what moves are good.
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Evaluation skills — Judging whether a line favours you or your opponent, even if you can visualise it perfectly.
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Adaptability — Being able to adjust when the position drifts into unfamiliar territory.
Training your “mental board”
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Blindfold chess drills — Play without seeing the pieces to push your brain’s board-retention abilities.
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Chunking — Study positions in “clusters” of interacting pieces rather than one piece at a time, which mirrors how masters remember games.
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Recall exercises — Look at a position for 10–15 seconds, cover it, and try to reconstruct it from memory.
A neat way to think about it:
Tactics demand crisp visual memory; strategy demands deep conceptual memory — and mastery comes from blending the two.
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We had it on a table on the common area and did the puzzle between half a dozen of us
There was one piece missing at the end!
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Tell that to Bobby Fisher who had psychosis and arguably sz lol and was arguably the greatest chess play of all time.
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Tactics are what I love the most about chess. You can get really creative! I used to make them for my brother to solve
Yes, if anything, it’s the opposite! They say some people at high levels of play have had mental illness from studying chess.
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it reminds me of the Icelandic*** study put into the british medical journal about psychosis and correlation with mathematical ability. But the problem I had with that study was that if i remember right, the conclusions were drawn from a sample size of 3 to 5 people or something!
Interesting. I was pretty good at math and science growing up up until Calculus. If I recall you’re in school, correct? What major are you trying to get? Lol, that’s a small sample size
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I was good at math as well until age 11 when I stopped caring about school and smoked pot instead
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Yeah, I’ll have to dig up the research to confirm if I remembered it correctly though. It could have been 3 -5 studies instead of 3-5 individuals according to gemini summary. And yeah, doing Mathematics and Physics combined honours
Edit. I interpreted it wrong:
You’re thinking of an intriguing line of research: an Icelandic study that explored whether exceptional mathematical ability is associated with a heightened risk of psychosis or related mental illness. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Key Findings from Iceland
1. Initial Study: Top Graduates and Psychosis
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Research by Jon L. Karlsson investigated a small group of 180 male graduates selected for top academic performance (across all subjects) in Icelandic preparatory schools between 1871 and 1960.
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Findings showed that among these top performers, there were 4 cases of hospital-treated psychosis (versus about 1 expected based on population rates), and among their 1,016 first-degree relatives, 22 cases were observed (vs. approximately 8 expected) Psychiatry OnlineCambridge University Press & Assessment.
2. Humanities vs. Mathematics Divide
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In a more nuanced analysis (1931–1960), the researchers compared relatives of top humanities students versus top mathematics students.
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Humanities group: Psychosis rates matched what was expected in the general population.
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Mathematics group: Elevated rates were seen—e.g., relatives of top male math students had 7 observed cases versus 3 expected; relatives of top female math students had 10 observed versus 3 expected Psychiatry Online.
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3. Focus on Pure Math Talent
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Another comparison assessed male students who achieved exceptional (>90%) scores in the final written mathematics exam (1931–1960), plus their first-degree relatives (365 individuals).
- Results: 11 observed cases of hospital-treated psychosis (4 schizophrenia, 7 affective disorders) contrasted with an expected 4 cases Psychiatry OnlineCambridge University Press & Assessment.
4. Broader Academic Performance and Genetics
- A complementary study confirmed that individuals who later developed psychosis—and their relatives—often showed strong academic performance, particularly in mathematics, supporting the idea that traits linked to psychosis may also enhance reasoning ability PubMed.
5. Relatives’ Creative and Academic Strengths
- In yet another study, healthy first-degree relatives of psychotic patients performed exceptionally well in mathematics, general school performance at age 20, and creative endeavors like writing fiction or poetry—across both schizophrenia and affective disorders Wiley Online Library.
Interpretation & Hypotheses
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The Icelandic data support a possible balanced polymorphism — a genetic scenario where genes increasing psychosis risk might also confer cognitive or creative advantages ResearchGatePsychiatry Online.
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Researcher Lynn DeLisi noted caveats: diagnoses were based on hospital records (which could misclassify schizophrenia vs. bipolar), and replication in other populations was needed Psychiatry Online.
Summary Table
| Study Focus | Subjects & Relatives | Observed vs. Expected Psychosis Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Top all-subject graduates (180 men) | Graduates + relatives (~1,016) | 4 vs. ~1 graduates; 22 vs. ~8 relatives |
| Humanities vs. Mathematics graduates | Relatives of 90 top humanities vs. mathematics | Humanities: no increase; Math: elevated cases |
| Pure math exam high scorers | Male students + 365 relatives | 11 vs. 4 expected |
| General academic performance & relatives | Individuals who later developed psychosis & relatives | High academic performance seen in both groups |
| Relatives’ abilities | First-degree relatives of psychotic patients | Excelled in math, academics, creative writing |
Takeaway
The Icelandic studies by Jon L. Karlsson present compelling evidence that high mathematical ability—and talented academic relatives—correlate with an increased risk of psychosis. This association was specific to mathematical/science achievement rather than humanities and supports theories that psychiatric risk genes may also carry cognitive or creative benefits.
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