{"id":142,"date":"2021-01-13T21:28:41","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T21:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chessquestions.com\/?p=142"},"modified":"2021-01-13T21:28:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T21:28:41","slug":"drugs-in-chess","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chessquestions.com\/drugs-in-chess\/","title":{"rendered":"These Drugs will get you Banned from Chess"},"content":{"rendered":"

⭐⭐⭐ Take 6 minutes to read and improve your chess game ➡️ : This article was first published on, and is Copyright of Chessquestions.com<\/p>\n

Of all the sports a competitive edge may be thought of first when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs and doping control, Chess may be well down your list. But consider this. Sitting for hours, huge mental stress<\/a> and pressure, and the need to maintain concentration for long periods of time. it makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, Chess wants to be included in the Olympics<\/a> and for that to happen, mandatory drug testing has to be fundamentally present in the sport<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So with all that in mind, let’s find out if there is drug testing of players in competitive chess<\/a> and which drugs will get you banned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Chess Players get Drug Tested?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chess players have been tested for drug use since 2002 when they were introduced for the Olympiad. All 802 tests returned negative results, although 2 years later 2 players refused to provide samples and were excluded. Today drug testing in chess is routine and generally accepted by everyone.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You may find it interesting that despite 20 years of drug testing in chess, there has not been a case where a player has been eliminated for a failed test. there have however been instances of players refusing to take a test and thus being eliminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

read on for more information about drug testing in chess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performance Enhancing Drug Testing in Chess<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The majority of professional sports across the world require you to take a drug test before or after you compete. Why? Because steroids and amphetamines (or another substance) can greatly increase your performance and overthrow your opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, it’s cheating<\/a>. All competitions have to be fair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is it the same for chess?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Although, it’s worth mentioning that this didn’t always happen. People assumed that doping wouldn’t have any useful effects on chess players. We’re assuming that the reason behind this thought process was the fact that it isn’t a physical sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do Drugs Make you Better at Chess?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not all drugs are alike, and using an athletic analogy, plainly recreational drugs are not going to help you run faster, but more specialized performance-enhancing substances can be used to undertake more intense training and thus improve on the daily performances, and improve ability beyond what would be naturally possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Substance<\/span><\/th>Enhancement<\/span><\/th>Status?<\/span><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Modafinil<\/td>15%<\/td>Banned<\/td><\/tr>
Ritalin<\/td>13%<\/td>Banned<\/td><\/tr>
Caffeine<\/td>9%<\/td>Monitored<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So with chess being a more mental event than a physical one, can certain drugs improve your chess playing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drugs made some tested players better spending an average of 437 seconds on placebo compared to 550 seconds on the banned substance to make the move. Players on drugs considered options for longer, making more calculations and better overall decisions, then when on placebos.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was the questioning of 1500 players to provide information on the commonalities and prevalence of drug use in competitive international chess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst those results have never been publicly released [that I can find], it has been revealed that two substances were often used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those was Modafinil which when tested was shown to improve performance by around 15%, the other, an ADHD treatment is known as Ritalin helped to around 13% in comparison, whilst caffeine was also shown to assist and improve by around 9%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cup of coffee is not going to be a problem though, and whilst caffeine is monitored, it is not on the list of banned substances in chess. See below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which Drugs are Banned in Chess?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The list of potential performance-enhancing drugs is virtually endless and new substances are constantly in development all around the world in a quest to beat the testers, so banned substances lists are ever fluid and under review, and for chess can see prescription drugs in the monitor list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taking a look at the latest Chess WADA Anti-doping Policy pdf <\/a>from FIDE which is a shortened offering from the comprehensive list of prohibited substances and methods<\/a> we find the following most relevant banned substances for chess:<\/p>\n\n\n\n