Chess is a cruel game. One gets to know certain aspects of oneself and others that you might not so easily learn otherwise.
It does not necessarily bring out the more pretty aspects of human beings.
On the other hand chess helps me in many ways. Visualisation, analytical and my ability to better predict people's behaviour to some extent. In a period where I'm rather active chess-wise I feel I'm thinking faster throughout the day. I'm a sharper debater and so on.
But so to me it seems a lot of chessplayers have this.
They have a sort of how to put this.. Cold analytical ability over them and are not so afraid to state harsh truths. Might be our code of conduct is slightly coloured. Give and take, I make a "good move", make one back. People are not always used to that.
When I'm sick or in vacation or so and I can spend all day at chess I find my brain can't do that. Not only does it stop playing chess well but if I really go overboard I start to have some trouble snapping out of it and I feel generally blurry and confused.
All those things combined can no doubt do interesting things to people with certain dispositions. As perceived by the outside world anyway. In moderation chess can likely only be beneficial but when taking it too far it might make people that were likely to go crazy anyway..really go crazy. 
Does Chess make you sane/insane?
Interesting...
Spending the days playing blindfold chess against oneself should probably be avoided outside Siberian prisons though.
I have been playing chess for over 20 years now. Seven of my eight personalities believe chess has not affected my sanity one bit.
Da sah je predivna igra ali ne pod ovakvim okolnostima,zasto i dokle ?
Chess is a cruel game. One gets to know certain aspects of oneself and others that you might not so easily learn otherwise.
Cruel and enlightening. It's obviously true that chess can help us become more aware of our psychological strengths and weaknesses (including character flaws). To me this is the most valuable aspect of chess, making it a kind of "yoga" for those who seek better self-understanding.
Chess quickens the eyes and helps organize the mind.. what I find difficult is when you calculate to a move that is a mistake and out of frustration make the move anyway..
chess can make me nuts sometimes....I will agree to that....but according to my husband Im always crazy! hahahahahaha Oh well...
Chess does not have the power to make a sane person insane. Escaping from life into a game can drive you nuts maybe, ask that guy Michael Douglas.
"Annabella1 wrote:
chess can make me nuts sometimes....I will agree to that....but according to my husband Im always crazy! hahahahahaha Oh well..."
A woman can drive a man nuts, it is infectious.
Scar-pov wrote:
"Annabella1 wrote:
chess can make me nuts sometimes....I will agree to that....but according to my husband Im always crazy! hahahahahaha Oh well..."
A woman can drive a man nuts, it is infectious.
And men love it
I won't argue with that. In fact, I'm all for it.
Another interesting article on the BBC Online magazine based on one of the Across The Board Radio Programmes where various people are interviewed over a game of chess.
Human rights activist Natan Sharanksy recalls how playing blindfold chess against himself, and winning, helped keep him sane during his years as a political prisoner in solitary confinement in a Siberian prison.
Click one of the links above to read the article, or to listen to the programmes, which will be available to listen on iPlayer for at least a year.