Regarding substances which affect your mental performance.

[fengitreon]

I am pretty sure we are all familiar about how there are some substances which affect the performances of athlets. Many of them illegal (steroids, etc), and others legal (gaterode, coffee, etc) and others not recommended (alcohol, tobacco,etc). I do really have many questions regarding the overall topic about how substances affect your mental performances at your baduk matches. Which i will resume in three questions:

1.- Does X substance makes you play better or worse?.
2.-How does it make you feel, regardless of consequences?.
3.- Why it should be legal or illegal?.

Take in consideration i do refer to any substances, so special diets are also included, like if you feel better at thinking Go after eating chicken, pasta or a salad?. I know this is an exaggeration but this is broad generic question. Feel free to share any opinion about how what we eat or drink affect our games.

[Darsey]

LSD and Go: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11086&hilit=lsd+go

1- (yerba) Mate makes me play better.
2- Fine.
3- Legal.

1- Coffee is a crazy drink to play go for me. It can be good and bad.
2- It is dangerous.
3- It is indifferent

1- Beer and other alcohol drinks make me play worse.
2- It is a slow effect unless I am in beer go tournament.
3- You can't drive and you can forget talk = illegal or not recommend

[Anzu]

I'm from Canada, and soon marijuana is going to be legalized here.

Makes the game more fun

[Joelnelsonb]

I find that Crystal Meth seems to have been designed for go players; MAJOR performance enhancement. A little reefer is pretty nice too, makes for more complex positions. Alcohol? Does not belong anywhere near a goban...

As for any of these being legal or illegal: no comment.

[Anzu]

Alcohol? Does not belong anywhere near a goban...

Depends on what you drink. If it's just one bottle of beer or a glass of wine, it should make things more enjoyable! As long as you don't get drunk.

Of course, if we're talking vodka, scotch or whiskey, it's just as you say - a bad idea.

[Solomon]

Memorize joseki, lose 2 stones. Take adderall, gain 2 stones.

[tj86430]

If it's just one bottle of beer or a glass of wine, it should make things more enjoyable!

<stuff deleted>

Of course, if we're talking vodka, scotch or whiskey, it's just as you say - a bad idea.

Why is e.g. scotch worse than wine, given that you drink equal amount of alcohol?

[Uberdude]

After I bought a "Dan cake" at the British candidates tournament a few years ago I proceeded to win all my games.

[Darsey]

Memorize joseki, lose 2 stones. Take adderall, gain 2 stones.

I unknown adderall, is it real or only a joke? Say it before I have an addiction.

[Anzu]

Why is e.g. scotch worse than wine, given that you drink equal amount of alcohol?

Because you get drunk from scotch, even from drinking a little bit, but with wine or beer, you can have a glass and not get drunk.

Getting drunk and playing Go is a bad idea.

[Solomon]

Memorize joseki, lose 2 stones. Take adderall, gain 2 stones.

I unknown adderall, is it real or only a joke? Say it before I have an addiction.

You can google it and conduct your own research to find out.

[skydyr]

Why is e.g. scotch worse than wine, given that you drink equal amount of alcohol?

Because you get drunk from scotch, even from drinking a little bit, but with wine or beer, you can have a glass and not get drunk.

Getting drunk and playing Go is a bad idea.

First off, how drunk you get is a matter of your body chemistry, how much you have in your stomach, and how much alcohol you consume. Being more or less concentrated doesn't change that.

Second, what on earth makes you think that getting drunk and playing go is a bad idea? I've played some of my most entertaining games that way and, at least in the US, the drunken go competition is a congress tradition.

I wouldn't recommend it for a serious tournament, but for a casual game between friends or soon-to-be friends? No reason not to, apart from general suggestions of moderation and age-related appropriateness.

[Solomon]

Getting drunk and playing Go is a bad terrific idea.

[Anzu]

Second, what on earth makes you think that getting drunk and playing go is a bad idea? I've played some of my most entertaining games that way and, at least in the US, the drunken go competition is a congress tradition.

I wouldn't recommend it for a serious tournament, but for a casual game between friends or soon-to-be friends? No reason not to, apart from general suggestions of moderation and age-related appropriateness.

Can't read tactical positions when drunk, at least that's what happens to me. I remember being drunk and playing an even game with a player two stones weaker than me. Everything died, had to resign halfway through.

Maybe I should try again

[skydyr]

Second, what on earth makes you think that getting drunk and playing go is a bad idea? I've played some of my most entertaining games that way and, at least in the US, the drunken go competition is a congress tradition.

I wouldn't recommend it for a serious tournament, but for a casual game between friends or soon-to-be friends? No reason not to, apart from general suggestions of moderation and age-related appropriateness.

Can't read tactical positions when drunk, at least that's what happens to me. I remember being drunk and playing an even game with a player two stones weaker than me. Everything died, had to resign halfway through.

Maybe I should try again

The measure is not if they lived or died, but if they did so amusingly.

There is a bit of an expectation that your playing partner is drinking too, of course.