Humans are exposed to air pollution almost everywhere. The World Health Organization estimate that 99% of the world’s population breathe in polluted air each day. Chess players competing indoors are no exception – and it can affect their performance.
A recent study conducted by researchers from Maastricht University (Netherlands) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) analysed the quality of chess moves across multiple German chess tournaments. They found that chess experts perform worse when there is more particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air.
Some of the threats air pollution poses to human health are already known. For example, bad air increases the risk of suffering heart disease, strokes and certain cancers. But the recent research implies that poor air quality may be linked to a reduction in cognitive functioning.
