Program on the Global Demography of Aging at Harvard University

Chess Cognition Study

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Chess Cognition Pilot

This study is being conducted in order to gather information on the cognitive abilities of chess players who are members of the United States Chess Federation (USCF). We are interested in how chess performance calibrates with general cognitive ability and if chess performance can be used to measure the cognitive effects of aging and environmental exposures.

You may be eligible to participate in this study if:

  1. You are at least 50 years of age
  2. You have not been diagnosed with cognitive impairment
  3. You are currently living in the United States
  4. You are fluent in English
  5. You are a member of the United States Chess Federation (USCF) and have played at least one rated game since January 1st, 2019

If you consent to participate, you will be asked to fill out a survey asking a few questions about your demographic background. You will then be contacted to schedule a Zoom interview. During the interview, you will take a battery of tests to measure your cognitive ability in different dimensions. The complete study should take no more than 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete, including approximately 20-25 minutes for cognitive testing.

If you have questions, please contact ChessCognition@hsph.harvard.edu

Please be sure to double-check your email address after you enter it in to make sure that it is correct, as this is our only way to contact you. If you do not receive an email from the Chess Cognition Study Team within three (3) business days, please email us at chesscognition@hsph.harvard.edu to let us know.