Brain Strain?

Hey - Shelby Lyman is still alive! ON CHESS Even world's best aren't immune to mental miscues Saturday, November 3, 2007 3:48 AM By SHELBY LYMAN Chess players of all levels should be mindful that grandmasters aren't so unlike the rest of us. Garry Kasparov testifies that he, too, has difficulty remembering phone numbers. And he and his chess colleagues make mistakes even in critical situations. Looking at games from the recent Bilbao blindfold tournament in Spain, I found egregious blunders in three of the first eight. In one of them, Veselin Topalov -- a former world champion -- placed a bishop where it could be captured easily by his opponent. In another, Indian grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna left his queen in position to be snatched away. Why so many errors by skilled players? My experience has shown that it's possible to play chess blindfolded without a high frequency of blunders, but only under less-hectic time restraints. To attract spectators, blindfold tournaments are often played at rapid speeds -- in Bilbao, 25 minutes per player plus an additional 10 seconds per move. Because the clock introduces the looming specter of sudden death almost from the outset, players must constantly perform with an eye on their remaining time. Under such stressful conditions, their cognitive processes -- already slowed by the lack of a board and chess pieces -- often simply abort. During his career, Kasparov has shunned blindfold events apparently because happenstance plays a large role. He, more than most, abhors losing -- even in what can be considered a marginal form of chess. ****************************************************************************** This kind of play appeals to some fans but is it really chess? Regardless, I'm sure the participants in this event, which included Judit Polgar, made some $$$ via appearance fees. What the heck - they've paid their dues, so to speak!