Effects of Caffeine on Chess Performance and Cognitive Function in Professional Chess Players (GRANDMASTER)
8. juni 2026 opdateret af: Hossein Rafiei, St. Louis University
GRANDMASTER: Gauging the Role of Alertness and Neurostimulation With Dietary Caffeine in Master-Level Chess; A Double-Blind Randomized Crossover Trial
This study will examine whether caffeine improves cognitive and competitive performance in professional chess players during tournament-style games.
In a randomized double-blind crossover design, participants will complete two experimental sessions in which they consume either caffeinated coffee or decaffeinated coffee before playing a standardized chess match.
Cognitive performance will be assessed using attention and reaction-time tests, including the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and Puzzle Rush task.
Chess performance outcomes such as move accuracy, time management, and error rates will also be evaluated.
The study aims to determine whether moderate caffeine intake enhances focus, alertness, and decision-making during prolonged competitive chess play.
Studieoversigt
Status
Ikke rekrutterer endnu
Betingelser
Intervention / Behandling
Detaljeret beskrivelse
This randomized double-blind crossover trial will evaluate the effects of moderate caffeine intake on cognitive and competitive performance in professional chess players. Twelve FIDE-rated chess players will complete two experimental conditions in randomized order: caffeinated coffee and decaffeinated coffee placebo. During each visit, participants will complete standardized cognitive assessments and a tournament-style chess game under controlled laboratory conditions.
Primary outcomes will include objective chess performance metrics derived from chess engine analysis, including move accuracy, centipawn loss, error rates, and time management. Secondary outcomes will include cognitive test performance, tactical reaction time, and self-reported alertness and fatigue. Chess games will be analyzed using standardized software-based evaluation methods.
The crossover design allows each participant to serve as their own control, minimizing variability related to individual differences in skill level, caffeine tolerance, and playing style. The study aims to determine whether caffeine enhances sustained attention, decision-making, and competitive chess performance during prolonged gameplay. Findings may provide insight into nutritional strategies for cognitive performance optimization in mentally demanding competitive environments.
Undersøgelsestype
Interventionel
Tilmelding (Anslået)
12
Fase
- Ikke anvendelig
Kontakter og lokationer
Dette afsnit indeholder kontaktoplysninger for dem, der udfører undersøgelsen, og oplysninger om, hvor denne undersøgelse udføres.
Studiekontakt
- Navn: Hossein Rafiei, PhD
- Telefonnummer: 13149778675
- E-mail: hossein.rafiei@health.slu.edu
Studiesteder
-
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Missouri
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St Louis, Missouri, Forenede Stater, 63104
- Saint Louis University
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Kontakt:
- Hossein Rafiei, PhD
- Telefonnummer: 1314-977-8675
- E-mail: hossein.rafiei@health.slu.edu
-
Ledende efterforsker:
- Hossein Rafiei, PhD
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-
Deltagelseskriterier
Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.
Berettigelseskriterier
Aldre berettiget til at studere
- Voksen
Tager imod sunde frivillige
Ja
Beskrivelse
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male and female professional chess players aged 18-50 years
- Current Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) standard rating between 2300 and 2600 Elo, or achievement of a standard FIDE rating within this range during the previous 12 months
- Habitual caffeine consumers consuming ≤2 cups of coffee per day
- Willingness to comply with all study procedures and study visits
- Ability to provide written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Non-caffeine users
- Habitual caffeine intake exceeding 2 cups of coffee per day
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Metabolic disorders
- Psychiatric disorders
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Current smoking
- Shift workers
- Use of psychoactive medications
- Participation in another clinical trial within the previous 3 months
- Known allergy or intolerance to milk proteins, dairy products, or soy
- Known red-green color blindness or other color vision deficiencies that may interfere with Stroop Test performance
Studieplan
Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.
Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?
Design detaljer
- Primært formål: Grundvidenskab
- Tildeling: Randomiseret
- Interventionel model: Crossover opgave
- Maskning: Tredobbelt
Våben og indgreb
Deltagergruppe / Arm |
Intervention / Behandling |
|---|---|
|
Aktiv komparator: Caffeinated Coffee
Participants will consume one serving of black caffeinated coffee prepared from 15 g of ground coffee brewed in 200 g of water, providing approximately 100 mg of caffeine.
The beverage will be consumed approximately 30 minutes before completion of cognitive testing and a standardized tournament-style chess game during the experimental visit.
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Black caffeinated coffee prepared from 15 g of ground coffee brewed in 200 g of water, providing approximately 100 mg of caffeine.
The beverage will be consumed approximately 30 minutes before cognitive testing and tournament-style chess gameplay.
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Placebo komparator: Decaffeinated Coffee Placebo
Participants will consume one serving of black decaffeinated coffee prepared to match the caffeinated coffee in taste and appearance.
The beverage will be consumed approximately 30 minutes before completion of cognitive testing and a standardized tournament-style chess game during the experimental visit.
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Black decaffeinated coffee prepared from the same batch of coffee beans and matched for taste and appearance to the caffeinated condition.
The beverage will be consumed approximately 30 minutes before cognitive testing and tournament-style chess gameplay.
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Hvad måler undersøgelsen?
Primære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
|---|---|---|
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Chess Performance Accuracy
Tidsramme: 30 minutes after beverage consumption through completion of the tournament-style chess game at each experimental visit.
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Chess performance accuracy will be assessed using engine-based analysis of tournament-style chess games.
The primary reported metric will be average centipawn loss per move, with lower values indicating better chess performance accuracy.
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30 minutes after beverage consumption through completion of the tournament-style chess game at each experimental visit.
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Sekundære resultatmål
Resultatmål |
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse |
Tidsramme |
|---|---|---|
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Puzzle Rush Correct Responses
Tidsramme: Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
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Tactical accuracy will be assessed using the 3-minute Puzzle Rush task on Chess.com.
The outcome will be the total number of correctly solved tactical puzzles, with higher scores indicating better tactical accuracy.
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Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
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Puzzle Rush Response Speed
Tidsramme: Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
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Response speed will be assessed using the 3-minute Puzzle Rush task on Chess.com.
The outcome will be average response time per puzzle, with lower values indicating faster response speed.
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Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
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Stroop Test Performance
Tidsramme: Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
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Selective attention will be assessed using the Stroop Test.
The outcome will be the change in Stroop Test completion time from before gameplay to immediately after gameplay, with lower completion time indicating better performance.
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Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
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Trail Making Test Performance
Tidsramme: Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
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Cognitive flexibility and processing speed will be assessed using the Trail Making Test.
The outcome will be the change in Trail Making Test completion time from before gameplay to immediately after gameplay, with lower completion time indicating better performance.
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Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
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Self-Reported Alertness
Tidsramme: Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
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Self-reported alertness will be assessed using a study-specific visual analog questionnaire.
Higher scores will indicate greater perceived alertness.
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Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
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Self-Reported Mental Fatigue
Tidsramme: Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
|
Self-reported mental fatigue will be assessed using a study-specific visual analog questionnaire.
Higher scores will indicate greater perceived mental fatigue.
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Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
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Average Time Per Move
Tidsramme: From the start of the tournament-style chess game until game completion, assessed over approximately 3 to 4 hours at each experimental visit.
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Chess time management will be assessed as the average time used per move during each tournament-style chess game.
This value will be calculated from the total game time divided by the number of moves completed by the participant.
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From the start of the tournament-style chess game until game completion, assessed over approximately 3 to 4 hours at each experimental visit.
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Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere
Det er her, du vil finde personer og organisationer, der er involveret i denne undersøgelse.
Sponsor
Efterforskere
- Ledende efterforsker: Hossein Rafiei, PhD, St. Louis University
Datoer for undersøgelser
Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.
Studer store datoer
Studiestart (Anslået)
15. juni 2026
Primær færdiggørelse (Anslået)
1. juni 2027
Studieafslutning (Anslået)
1. august 2027
Datoer for studieregistrering
Først indsendt
24. maj 2026
Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier
8. juni 2026
Først opslået (Faktiske)
11. juni 2026
Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler
Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)
11. juni 2026
Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier
8. juni 2026
Sidst verificeret
1. juni 2026
Mere information
Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse
Nøgleord
Yderligere relevante MeSH-vilkår
Andre undersøgelses-id-numre
- SLU-CHESS-CAFF-2026
Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)
Planlægger du at dele individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)?
INGEN
IPD-planbeskrivelse
Individual participant data (IPD) will not be publicly shared because this is a small pilot study involving highly specialized professional chess players, and there is potential risk of participant identification despite de-identification procedures.
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