1/26/2021 – In the Spanish region of Extremadura, there are a number of centres dedicated to the care, treatment and overcoming of addictions: addictions to substances (alcohol, drugs, pills) and others (gambling). The centres that treat these problems in a comprehensive manner are known as Therapeutic Communities. Many were set up in rural areas, where they functioned as real communities. One of the activities used to help the recovering addicts is chess. | Photo: Juan Antonio Montero

1/25/2017 – It is the first time that drugs have been found under rigorous scientific conditions to improve chess performance. The results of the ground-breaking study have been published in a leading scientific journal. The drugs are methylphenidate, which is most commonly marketed as Ritalin, and modafinil, which is sold as Alertec, Modavigil and Provigil. They improved the players’ performances by an average of 13 and 15 percent, while caffeine, which also has an ameliorative impact, improved it by around nine percent. Report in WorldChess.com.