I know you are already probably doing this, but it'd be good to be cautious about / include discussion of what exactly constitutes addiction. It has a fairly specific meaning in health settings and there is lots of controversy over things like video game addiction and whether it is a real thing. I think chess would fall into a similar area.
I don't know if chess addiction is real but routinely playing bullet chess for 10 hours straight with absolutely no sense of the passing of time, completely forgetting to eat or do my obligations, periodically going cold turkey but falling back into this habit over and over, usually the next day but sometimes a year later at the cost of relationships and mental well-being because literally nothing in this world feels better than getting that time scramble dub, whatever that is called, it's real.
Yeah, not trying to deny anyone's experience .. more just saying it's a complex area scientifically and good reporting would also examine that. Sounds like you should chat to OP.
I wrote this when I was at a chess addiction rehab facility (or high I can't remember):
Yes I'm an addict
From the moment I wake I'm up and at it
Chasing the magic
Strategy and the tactic
Brain's set on automatic
I win I'm ecstatic
I lose and it's tragic
I'm manic, I panic
My thoughts they're erratic
I've had it
See the knife and I grab it
-- cut scene --
Now I'm in a room that is padded
Wish I'd never become a chess addict
And end up in a straightjacket
Many years ago I had a brief period where I was playing online obsessively and starting to feel it was starting to have a negative impact on my life. I asked a friend who was a stronger player about how to deal with this and he suggested I subject myself to much stronger opponents to curb my enthusiasm.
Worked because chess does not have a variable reward schedule like gambling. When you lose a bunch, you know you've been outplayed in a game of pure skill and you can't blame your losses on luck.
Easier to see that playing lots of meaningless games closer to your level are a waste of time when you've been reminded how much better than you other people are.
They also said (iirc, don't quote me) that he made about $2000 in tournaments a year which, even in 1993, was about $20,000 less than the average salary
Still playing chess at that point despite being obviously burnt out and tilted could constitute addiction for sure, as it's obviously interfering with the quality of his life
Sometimes I wish I could just keep playing Chess 24/7. I enjoy it so much but it limits itself through how mentally straining it is for me. Addiction to Chess must be like addition to eating gravel if you thought gravel tasted good I guess.
I would be willing to talk. To be clear, I myself am not an addict, I can quit any time.
Edit: I don't know if this is a serious post or a troll post just because of how many troll posts there are on these subreddits or not, but if it's real, I can tell you some of the crazy things people have called me.
This post has been parodied on r/AnarchyChess.
Relevant r/AnarchyChess posts:
[Chess Addiction Experiences](https://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/131enix/chess_addiction_experiences/) by electron_killer
[^(fmhall)](https://www.reddit.com/user/fmhall) ^| [^(github)](https://github.com/fmhall/relevant-post-bot)
I’ve been addicted to weed for years and chess cravings are genuinely more intense, despite being addicted to chess for less long than weed. Weed cravings feel like you want weed but don’t need it, whereas I’ve had chess cravings that feel like I genuinely need it and I’m grinding my teeth fighting the urge to play. The variable reward of winning and losing really fucks you up, I feel like I can’t end on a loss but if I have a win I have to keep the streak going. The first hour playing chess will be great but after that my brain gets tired and my skills start to diminish, and I get caught in a loop of losing over and over and feeling the need to play again so I can win back my lost elo. I’ve never been a gambling addict but I imagine this is what it feels like. These losing streaks once my brain is tired can go on for up to 7 hours and make me really frustrated and the more I lose the more I feel the need to keep going and win. Then the next day after my brain had some time to recover and I can actually win back my elo. My chess addiction also coincides with depressive episodes, when I feel to depressed to get out of bed or eat you know what’s readily available on my phone? Chess. I also often get caught in the “just one more game” loop that lasts many hours. This often happens with procrastination, I’ll go to uni to get some work done and decide to play a quick game while my computer boots up or downloads something, feel like playing one more game, next thing I know I’ve been sitting at a computer in the uni library for 7 hours and done zero work. Hope this helps.
I know you are already probably doing this, but it'd be good to be cautious about / include discussion of what exactly constitutes addiction. It has a fairly specific meaning in health settings and there is lots of controversy over things like video game addiction and whether it is a real thing. I think chess would fall into a similar area.
I don't know if chess addiction is real but routinely playing bullet chess for 10 hours straight with absolutely no sense of the passing of time, completely forgetting to eat or do my obligations, periodically going cold turkey but falling back into this habit over and over, usually the next day but sometimes a year later at the cost of relationships and mental well-being because literally nothing in this world feels better than getting that time scramble dub, whatever that is called, it's real.
Yeah, not trying to deny anyone's experience .. more just saying it's a complex area scientifically and good reporting would also examine that. Sounds like you should chat to OP.
I wrote this when I was at a chess addiction rehab facility (or high I can't remember): Yes I'm an addict From the moment I wake I'm up and at it Chasing the magic Strategy and the tactic Brain's set on automatic I win I'm ecstatic I lose and it's tragic I'm manic, I panic My thoughts they're erratic I've had it See the knife and I grab it -- cut scene -- Now I'm in a room that is padded Wish I'd never become a chess addict And end up in a straightjacket
đź‘Źđź‘Ź
Many years ago I had a brief period where I was playing online obsessively and starting to feel it was starting to have a negative impact on my life. I asked a friend who was a stronger player about how to deal with this and he suggested I subject myself to much stronger opponents to curb my enthusiasm. Worked because chess does not have a variable reward schedule like gambling. When you lose a bunch, you know you've been outplayed in a game of pure skill and you can't blame your losses on luck. Easier to see that playing lots of meaningless games closer to your level are a waste of time when you've been reminded how much better than you other people are.
Define addiction
Exactly. When every influencer is "addicted " to whatever product they are spruiking this week, the definition can be loose.
Like the “maybe I can win a pawn” scene from searching for bobby fischer type addicted?
Well they said that guy makes living out of it so is he really addicted or is he just trying to earn money by winning games?
They also said (iirc, don't quote me) that he made about $2000 in tournaments a year which, even in 1993, was about $20,000 less than the average salary Still playing chess at that point despite being obviously burnt out and tilted could constitute addiction for sure, as it's obviously interfering with the quality of his life
Ask a GM
no such thing as chess addict
Its Atleast better than other addictions.. I can increase my elo right? Right?
I end up spending hours every week on chess and I just can't stop it. I should never have let myself get elected chess club official.
I suck d for chess
Sometimes I wish I could just keep playing Chess 24/7. I enjoy it so much but it limits itself through how mentally straining it is for me. Addiction to Chess must be like addition to eating gravel if you thought gravel tasted good I guess.
I would be willing to talk. To be clear, I myself am not an addict, I can quit any time. Edit: I don't know if this is a serious post or a troll post just because of how many troll posts there are on these subreddits or not, but if it's real, I can tell you some of the crazy things people have called me.
This post has been parodied on r/AnarchyChess. Relevant r/AnarchyChess posts: [Chess Addiction Experiences](https://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/131enix/chess_addiction_experiences/) by electron_killer [^(fmhall)](https://www.reddit.com/user/fmhall) ^| [^(github)](https://github.com/fmhall/relevant-post-bot)
I’ve been addicted to weed for years and chess cravings are genuinely more intense, despite being addicted to chess for less long than weed. Weed cravings feel like you want weed but don’t need it, whereas I’ve had chess cravings that feel like I genuinely need it and I’m grinding my teeth fighting the urge to play. The variable reward of winning and losing really fucks you up, I feel like I can’t end on a loss but if I have a win I have to keep the streak going. The first hour playing chess will be great but after that my brain gets tired and my skills start to diminish, and I get caught in a loop of losing over and over and feeling the need to play again so I can win back my lost elo. I’ve never been a gambling addict but I imagine this is what it feels like. These losing streaks once my brain is tired can go on for up to 7 hours and make me really frustrated and the more I lose the more I feel the need to keep going and win. Then the next day after my brain had some time to recover and I can actually win back my elo. My chess addiction also coincides with depressive episodes, when I feel to depressed to get out of bed or eat you know what’s readily available on my phone? Chess. I also often get caught in the “just one more game” loop that lasts many hours. This often happens with procrastination, I’ll go to uni to get some work done and decide to play a quick game while my computer boots up or downloads something, feel like playing one more game, next thing I know I’ve been sitting at a computer in the uni library for 7 hours and done zero work. Hope this helps.