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Effects of Caffeine on Chess Performance and Cognitive Function in Professional Chess Players (GRANDMASTER)

8. juni 2026 oppdatert av: 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.

Studieoversikt

Status

Har ikke rekruttert ennå

Forhold

Intervensjon / Behandling

Detaljert 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.

Studietype

Intervensjonell

Registrering (Antatt)

12

Fase

  • Ikke aktuelt

Kontakter og plasseringer

Denne delen inneholder kontaktinformasjon for de som utfører studien, og informasjon om hvor denne studien blir utført.

Studiekontakt

Studiesteder

  • Forente stater
    • Missouri
      • St Louis, Missouri, Forente stater, 63104
        • Saint Louis University
        • Ta kontakt med:
        • Hovedetterforsker:
          • Hossein Rafiei, PhD

Deltakelseskriterier

Forskere ser etter personer som passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kalt kvalifikasjonskriterier. Noen eksempler på disse kriteriene er en persons generelle helsetilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Kvalifikasjonskriterier

Alder som er kvalifisert for studier

  • Voksen

Tar imot friske 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

Denne delen gir detaljer om studieplanen, inkludert hvordan studien er utformet og hva studien måler.

Hvordan er studiet utformet?

Designdetaljer

  • Primært formål: Grunnvitenskap
  • Tildeling: Randomisert
  • Intervensjonsmodell: Crossover-oppdrag
  • Masking: Trippel

Våpen og intervensjoner

Deltakergruppe / Arm
Intervensjon / 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.
Kosttilskudd: Caffeinated Coffee
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.
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.
Kosttilskudd: Decaffeinated Coffee Placebo
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.

Hva måler studien?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Tiltaksbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Chess Performance Accuracy
Tidsramme: 30 minutes after beverage consumption through completion of the tournament-style chess game at each experimental visit.
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.
30 minutes after beverage consumption through completion of the tournament-style chess game at each experimental visit.

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Tiltaksbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Puzzle Rush Correct Responses
Tidsramme: Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
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.
Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
Puzzle Rush Response Speed
Tidsramme: Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
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.
Approximately 30 minutes after beverage consumption at each experimental visit.
Stroop Test Performance
Tidsramme: Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
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.
Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
Trail Making Test Performance
Tidsramme: Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
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.
Before gameplay and immediately after gameplay at each experimental visit.
Self-Reported Alertness
Tidsramme: Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
Self-reported alertness will be assessed using a study-specific visual analog questionnaire. Higher scores will indicate greater perceived alertness.
Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
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.
Pre-game and immediately post-game at each experimental visit.
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.
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.
From the start of the tournament-style chess game until game completion, assessed over approximately 3 to 4 hours at each experimental visit.

Samarbeidspartnere og etterforskere

Det er her du vil finne personer og organisasjoner som er involvert i denne studien.

Sponsor

St. Louis University

Etterforskere

  • Hovedetterforsker: Hossein Rafiei, PhD, St. Louis University

Studierekorddatoer

Disse datoene sporer fremdriften for innsending av studieposter og sammendragsresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter og rapporterte resultater gjennomgås av National Library of Medicine (NLM) for å sikre at de oppfyller spesifikke kvalitetskontrollstandarder før de legges ut på det offentlige nettstedet.

Studer hoveddatoer

Studiestart (Antatt)

15. juni 2026

Primær fullføring (Antatt)

1. juni 2027

Studiet fullført (Antatt)

1. august 2027

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først innsendt

24. mai 2026

Først innsendt som oppfylte QC-kriteriene

8. juni 2026

Først lagt ut (Faktiske)

11. juni 2026

Oppdateringer av studieposter

Sist oppdatering lagt ut (Faktiske)

11. juni 2026

Siste oppdatering sendt inn som oppfylte QC-kriteriene

8. juni 2026

Sist bekreftet

1. juni 2026

Mer informasjon

Begreper knyttet til denne studien

Nøkkelord

Ytterligere relevante MeSH-vilkår

Andre studie-ID-numre

  • SLU-CHESS-CAFF-2026

Plan for individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)

Planlegger du å dele individuelle deltakerdata (IPD)?

NEI

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.

Legemiddel- og utstyrsinformasjon, studiedokumenter

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-regulert medikamentprodukt

Nei

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-regulert enhetsprodukt

Nei

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