Blood Glucose monitoring device and OTB chess

[John Hickman]

I have Type 1 diabetes and am using a blood glucose monitoring device to check my blood sugar levels. It is an electronic device that is glued and sealed to my skin. It can communicate over Bluetooth wirelessly to cause an alarm to trigger on my phone app to alert me if my sugar levels get to dangerous levels. So as well as being useful for managing my diabetes, it is potentially life saving. I can't take it on and off as it is glued on and needs a special applicator to inject a sensor under my skin, so I'd need to replace it with a new one.

Pretty much all OTB chess forbids electronic devices. Given the choice between playing OTB chess and wearing it, I'd choose the latter.

So does this then mean I can't play such OTB chess anymore? I'm not aware of exceptions for such medical devices.

[Roger de Coverly]

So does this then mean I can't play such OTB chess anymore? I'm not aware of exceptions for such medical devices.

In practice, British arbiters will allow medical devices, particularly for players already known. There are clauses about making allowances for players with disabilities they can invoke. I've certainly played in the 4NCL against a player who had a heart monitoring device which would beep every so often. I had been told about this before the game.

[Kevin Thurlow]

A friend of mine has a similar problem. I think it's an insulin pump, so not a great idea to turn it off... At the start of league matches he informs opponents and the other match captain, and so far they have immedately agreed that if strange beeps come from his direction, they will not worry. I don't believe he plays in tournaments. In that case, I assume you tell the organizers when you plan to enter and see what they say. It is unfortunate that you have to disclose your medical history to a bunch of strangers of course. Presumably, the device can be inspected (privately), so the arbiter can assure opponents it's above aboard. In general, people will probably be sympathetic.

I can think of one exception, a player who complained when his opponent needed the clock on the "wrong" side, owing to a severe disability. Once the obnoxious player realised that everyone else was really outraged by his comments, he subsided.

[John Hickman]

Thanks for the replies, so I can check with the organisers/arbiters beforehand. I don't want to travel somewhere for chess and find I can't play!

My device doesn't make a noise, it sends an alert to my phone, so I could check my glucose levels beforehand and then turn my phone off.

[Roger de Coverly]

My device doesn't make a noise, it sends an alert to my phone, so I could check my glucose levels beforehand and then turn my phone off.

That would be one concern removed, that you had a live phone whilst playing.

If the device on your skin is metallic, you may need to warn anyone conducting a metal detector test what they might find. Not that these are very frequent.

[John Hickman]

My device doesn't make a noise, it sends an alert to my phone, so I could check my glucose levels beforehand and then turn my phone off.

That would be one concern removed, that you had a live phone whilst playing.

If the device on your skin is metallic, you may need to warn anyone conducting a metal detector test what they might find. Not that these are very frequent.

It is metallic. I was informed airport security are aware of such devices and I can't go into a full body scanner with it. I was randomly hand scanned at the British this year, so it can happen.

I expect it is just a matter of keeping people informed beforehand.

[Alex McFarlane]

There is no reason for any tournament to 'ban' you when it is clearly a medical condition.
It is important that you let the organiser and arbiters know in advance.

From what you say there may be no need to let an opponent know. If it made a noise or your phone had to be on then I would strongly advise alerting your opponent as well. An arbiter should warn them that you have a medical condition (no need to go into details) and that as a result you would fail a normal security check. However, in the rush to get a round started the arbiters may forget to tell your opponent so it might be a good idea for you to alert them anyway.

If a tournament did prevent you from playing then they could leave themselves open to legal action for discrimination.

[Chris Goodall]

I've encountered a case of a player using an iPod playing white noise for tinnitus. He offered to let me listen to the sound.

I feel like a grey area would be using the same white noise app for ADHD. What chess player wouldn't like a device that improves their concentration, whether or not they have a diagnosis of pathologically bad concentration? The wearing of noise-cancelling headphones (as opposed to passive mufflers or earplugs) must have come up at a tournament by now.

I note that WADA's drug schedule, and by extension FIDE's, bans Ritalin despite the potential discrimination lawsuits.

[John Clarke]

Mrs C uses one of those glucose monitoring devices, but her readings are taken with a small hand-held gizmo that generates audible signals and provides a visual display. I could easily imagine some folk being suspicious of anybody using one of these, even after being given an explanation.

[Chris Goodall]

If you were an up-and-coming GM who reeeeeeeally wanted to beat Magnus Carlsen, you could have an associate transmit moves to you by stirring between 1 and 64mg of glucose into a drink and handing it to you.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"I've encountered a case of a player using an iPod playing white noise for tinnitus. He offered to let me listen to the sound.

I feel like a grey area would be using the same white noise app for ADHD. What chess player wouldn't like a device that improves their concentration, whether or not they have a diagnosis of pathologically bad concentration? The wearing of noise-cancelling headphones (as opposed to passive mufflers or earplugs) must have come up at a tournament by now.

I note that WADA's drug schedule, and by extension FIDE's, bans Ritalin despite the potential discrimination lawsuits."

All good points. Unfortunately, WADA's documents are a bit messy, but despite offers of expert help. they are not interested in improving them. I suspect at some stage, ritalin will be banned by everybody. Side effects are unpleasant, but it is a very effective aid to concentration. There is a danger that people could take ritalin, when they do not need it medically. (I really do not recommend anyone doing that.) If you do need it, you could apply for a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption). Users of beta-blockers e.g. could do that, if FIDE did want to take WADA seriously and introduce expensive drug-testing.

I aid my concentration by removing hearing aids, but pre-warn my opponents to make sure they attract my attention if they want to offer a draw or a drink.

[Phil Neatherway]

At the recent 4NCL, I spoke about my hearing aids to the arbiter because they can communicate with my phone via Bluetooth. He said to mention them to my opponent and take them out if he requested it. But otherwise he was pretty relaxed. Unlike Kevin, I prefer to keep them in where possible.

[David Shepherd]

I have come across this once before in a league match although I wasn't playing on that board. From memory the player said it was a medical alarm on their phone and they normally turned it off before a game and had forgotten to do so. There then followed an argument with the player whose alarm had gone off insisting that he should lose the game and everyone in our team saying that it was totally wrong and inappropriate for him to lose the game in that manner.

I think the argument partly consisted of the player believing it was his fault for forgetting to turn the alarm, and our players expressing the opinion it was a medical alarm and that it was wrong for him to have intended to turn it off in the first place, particularly as he could forget to turn it on again after the game. In the end I think the game continued.

I believe people generally understand that where medical devices are concerned, it is more important than the chess. Of course it is best to warn people in advance that there might be an alarm, but there is no way it should prevent you from playing OTB chess.

[A.Kluckova]

Maybe you could use just a reader instead your phone during the game. l use a reader only during the game, so it is only a medical device , no other memory just your blood sugar level measurements. You can check your sugar level anytime you want, also when you are behind the board, you don't need to go somewhere else. You can take it also to the toilet. Just inform an arbiter and opponent , leave it on the table near your mobile phone and turn off the notification sound, and instead of waiting for notifications, check your sugar level as often as you need or feel. I think it's the least complicated, my advice.