The Theoretical Model of Decision-Making Behaviour Geospatial Analysis Using Data Obtained from the Games of Chess

The game of chess offers a conducive setting to explore basic cognitive processes, including decision-making. The game exercises analytical cause-and-effect thinking skills regardless of the level of play. Moreover, chess portals provide information on the chess games played and serve as a vast database. The numbers of games played thus have the potential to be analyzed comprehensively, including for purposes other than analyzing chess matches only. The primary objective of this study is to develop a methodology for using information obtained from chess games for geospatial social analysis. The assumption is that the methodology will allow for general geographical variation in personality inference in the future, relying on big data from chess databases. Future large-scale studies of the geographical differentiation of personality traits using the developed methodology may be applicable in a number of ways. The results can be used wherever cross-sectional social analyses are needed in the context of personality traits (decision-making) to better understand their geographical background. In turn, the geographical distribution of these traits is accompanied by a range of important social, educational, health, political and economic implications.

Are there neurophysiological differences behind the play of different chess modalities?: An international grandmaster case study

The study of mental load is an emerging research topic in the field of sport sciences. In the sport of chess, there is a need to understand the mental demands of the sport of chess in order to manage training loads. The present study aimed to analyze the electrical brain pattern of an elite chess player during different chess games: 15 + 10, blindfold 15 + 10, lightning game, and problem-solving chess tasks. The participant was a male 33-year-old chess player with 2562 points of ELO and more than 26 years of chess experience, training between 3 and 4 h a day. The 15 + 10 game consisted of 15 min + 10 s increment per move. In the blindfold game, the participant cannot see the positions of the pieces and does not touch them. In the lightning game, the participant played four consecutive one minute game. In addition, two high-level, two low-level, and two medium-level chess problems were performed. Electroencephalographic (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) responses were measured to assess the electrical brain pattern and autonomic modulation respectively. The participant won both games at 15 + 10 (normal and blindfold), lost three and drew one of the four lightning games, solved the two low-level and the two medium-level problems and solved one of the two high-level problems. Although in both games the player achieved victory the average player move quality measured with both pure analysis and analysis with additional limitations were lower in 15 + 10 blindfold game than in 15 + 10 game. Increments in theta and alpha power spectrums can be observed during the most demanding chess games (blindfold chess, lightning game, and the chess problem at difficult- level). Furthermore, the highest alpha power spectrum values can be observed during blindfold chess. In conclusion, this is the first study investigating the EEG pattern of a International Chess Grandmaster during a blindfold chess game. We found that in the chess games where lower performance is exhibited, theta and alpha power spectrums increased.

Local and Distributed fMRI Changes Induced by 40 Hz Gamma tACS of the Bilateral Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: A Pilot Study

Over the past few years, the possibility of modulating fast brain oscillatory activity in the gamma (γ) band through transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been discussed in the context of both cognitive enhancement and therapeutic scenarios. However, the effects of tACS targeting regions outside the motor cortex, as well as its spatial specificity, are still unclear. Here, we present a concurrent tACS-fMRI block design study to characterize the impact of 40 Hz tACS applied over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in healthy subjects. Results suggest an increase in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity in the targeted bilateral DLPFCs, as well as in surrounding brain areas affected by stimulation according to biophysical modeling, i.e., the premotor cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, off-target effects were also observed, primarily involving the visual cortices, with further effects on the supplementary motor areas (SMA), left subgenual cingulate, and right superior temporal gyrus. The specificity of 40 Hz tACS over bilateral DLPFC and the possibility for network-level effects should be considered in future studies, especially in the context of recently promoted gamma-induction therapeutic protocols for neurodegenerative disorders.

Neurophysiological and autonomic responses of high and low level chess players during difficult and easy chess endgames - A quantitative EEG and HRV study

The aim of the present study was to analyze the heart rate variability (HRV) and the electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectrum in low and high performance chess players during easy and difficult chess endgames. A total of 28 chess players participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were divided into two groups according to their ELO level (rating system used by the international chess federation): 1) high level chess players (more than 1600 of ELO score); and 2) low level chess players (ELO less than 1599 of ELO score). Chess players had to complete two easy and two difficult endgames while the electroencephalographic activity and heart rate variability were assessed. High level chess players exhibit more alpha EEG power spectrums (p-value>0.05) during difficult than during easy chess endgames in the occipital area (O1 and O2 electrodes). Moreover, high performance players showed a reduced autonomic modulation (p-value>0.05) during the difficult chess endgames which low performance players did not reach. These results could suggest that high level chess players adapt their neurophysiological response to the task demand.

Chess Players Increase the Theta Power Spectrum When the Difficulty of the Opponent Increases: An EEG Study

The present study aimed to analyze differences in the electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum (theta, alpha, and beta) between participants who won (winning group) and those who lost (losing group) in three different chess games: against their same Elo (100% chess games), 25% over their Elo (125% chess games), and 25% under their Elo (75% chess games). EEG was assessed at baseline and during the chess games. Method: 14 male chess players (age: 35.36 ± 13.77 and Elo: 1921 ± 170) played three games of 3 min, plus two additional seconds per move, while EEG was assessed. There were three difficulty levels (75%, 100%, and 125%), with two games (one with white pieces and another with black pieces) per level. The winning group showed higher theta power in the frontal, central, and posterior brain regions when difficulty increased (p-value <0.05). Besides this, alpha power showed higher values (p-value <0.05) in 125% games than in 75% chess games in C3, T3, T4, T5, and T6. The losing group showed a significant decrease (p-value <0.05) in the beta and alpha power spectrum in frontal, central, parietotemporal, and occipital areas, when the opponent's difficulty increased. Moreover, between groups, analyses showed higher theta power in the losing group than in the winning group, in C3, T5, T6, P4, and Pz (p-value <0.05). Therefore, the winning group was able to adapt to each difficulty level, increasing theta power in the frontal, central, and posterior brain areas, as the efficiency hypothesis postulated. These changes were not observed in the losing group. Moreover, increases in alpha power during the most difficult games, in comparison with the easier, could have been caused by creative ideation and divergent thinking, as participants looked for alternative solutions against a higher-skilled opponent.

Heart and Brain Responses to Real Versus Simulated Chess Games in Trained Chess Players: A Quantitative EEG and HRV Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate how the heart and the brain react to playing chess with a computer versus in a real context in chess players. We also aim to investigate if familiarization with simulated practice leads to changes in heart rate variability (HRV) and the electroencephalographic (EEG) power spectrum. We designed a cross-sectional study, enrolling 27 chess players. They were randomly assigned to 3 minutes plus 2-second chess games: one with a computer (simulated scenario), and another in a real context. Additionally, participants were divided into two groups according to their level of familiarization of playing chess in a computer context. While they were playing, HRV and EEG were continuously recorded. Differences in HRV and EEG theta power spectrum between playing chess in a real or a simulated scenario were not found in chess players (p-value > 0.05). When participants were divided into groups (familiarized and unfamiliarized with simulated chess practice), significant differences were observed in HRV and EEG (p-value < 0.05). The EEG theta power spectrum was significantly lower, and HRV was higher in unfamiliarized players during the simulated scenario, which could indicate that they were less focused in a simulated environment than in a real context. Therefore, familiarization with simulated environments should be taken into account during the training process to achieve the best performance.

Differences Between High vs. Low Performance Chess Players in Heart Rate Variability During Chess Problems

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) has been considered as a measure of heart-brain interaction and autonomic modulation, and it is modified by cognitive and attentional tasks. In cognitive tasks, HRV was reduced in participants who achieved worse results. This could indicate the possibility of HRV predicting cognitive performance, but this association is still unclear in a high cognitive load sport such as chess.

Objective: To analyze modifications on HRV and subjective perception of stress, difficulty and complexity in different chess problem tasks.

Design: HRV was assessed at baseline. During the chess problems, HRV was also monitored, and immediately after chess problems the subjective stress, difficulty and complexity were also registered.

Methods: A total of 16 male chess players, age: 35.19 (13.44) and ELO: 1927.69 (167.78) were analyzed while six chess problem solving tasks with different level of difficulty were conducted (two low level, two medium level and two high level chess problems). Participants were classified according to their results into two groups: high performance or low performance.

Results: Friedman test showed a significant effect of tasks in HRV indexes and perceived difficulty, stress and complexity in both high and low performance groups. A decrease in HRV was observed in both groups when chess problems difficulty increased. In addition, HRV was significantly higher in the high performance group than in the low performance group during chess problems.

Conclusion: An increase in autonomic modulation was observed to meet the cognitive demands of the problems, being higher while the difficulty of the tasks increased. Non-linear HRV indexes seem to be more reactive to tasks difficulty, being an interesting and useful tool in chess training.