Aughghg MY EYES

So, while playing chess, after two to three games, my eyes become very bloodshot.

I don't know if this is because I am concentrating on the board so much that my eyes blood vessels start to pop, or if it's the mental part of my brain that somehow makes this happen... this happens online and OTB (especially when I have a really good game)

So after about 3-4 games my eyes are itchy and stuff and it's hard for me to concentrate, so I usually play a lot worse.

Anyone else have this strange problem?

My eyes get bloodshot but it's probably not from the chess.

It's probably because your blink rate decreases when you're concentrating like that, and your eyes are drying out.  Remind yourself to blink more often.

I find in my case it's from staring at a screen from 10pm - 2am.

Get some eye drops.

Or lighten up on the booze

I'm 16 man I don't use booze =/

But yeah good suggestions... I will remember to blink more often :P

Also, great amounts of mental exertion brings more blood flow to the brain (indeed, some people adept at mental arithmetic can achieve up to 6 or 7 times the blood flow to their brains compared with normal people). Having all that blood in your head, it is reasonable to expect some of the blood to trickle to your eyes, which are stuck directly on your brain.

Blinking helps to reduce stress caused by dry eyes too. However, blinking only helps prevent dry eyes... if your eyes are already dry, eye drops is a good idea. Crying to force out tears is a bad idea because the kind of tear that lubricates and protects your eyes is different from the watery kind that comes out when crying.

All of the GMs that were around when I was a kid had really huge heads and were bald--no joke.  Think Fraiser Crane times 10.  At the time I was in JR high and my dad teased me saying that my hair was going to fall out and my head was going to swell up.

Maybe it was too much blood to the brain??

Its either the spores or the pods.

I dont know what its called when after looking at something so long the lines and board just dont want to stay straight and things start looking more like someone and the lines just wont line up any more? I dont know, I thinking I'm playing way to much chess. I hope thats all it is. but it must have something to do with the boards exact dimentions as well as the squares because even after reading for hours on end my eyes dont react the same way. I think my eyes just need a rest.

too much screen time can cause serious eye and sleep damage

His account got banned

From staring at the screen too long. I get migraines from looking at artificial light too long

One thing you'll notice about GMs is that they're ALWAYS hydrating. Observe any of the chess streamers, they drink a lot of water. Playing chess online really takes a toll on your eyes because of the screen-time as well as the "exercise of the brain".