Chess and Alzheimer’s
SPRAGGETT ON CHESS
Alzheimer’s disease is not pretty. There is no cure and scientists have not yet come to the point where they can say that they adequately understand its roots and causes. Anyone who has had a family member suffer from Alzheimer’s would not wish this disease even on their worse enemy. (Well, perhaps I exaggerate…)
Alzheimer’s disease is not pretty. There is no cure and scientists have not yet come to the point where they can say that they adequately understand its roots and causes. Anyone who has had a family member suffer from Alzheimer’s would not wish this disease even on their worse enemy. (Well, perhaps I exaggerate…)
The best course of action for those in their 50’s right now is prevention. Keep your mind active and challenge yourself to learn new things and set new goals. In the spanish world there is a growing movement to use chess to help prevent this disease from setting in, or atleast from progressing rapidly once the symptoms appear. Below is the poster of a tournament in Dos Hermanas (Seville) that uses Alzheimer’s as a focus of attention.
A number of chess federations have already taken steps to cooperate with educators and medical specialists to promote awareness of this terrible disease. I wish them the best of luck! (It is unlikely, however, that the CFC will ever join this campaign as they would prefer to see members to forget as rapidly as possible what they have been up to in recent years…!)