Why Russians Are Banned From Playing Chess On Antarctica



Scientific research has shown that long stretches of isolation often have a detrimental impact on our mental health. People who are isolated for long periods of time frequently become confused and angry, displaying symptoms of PTSD. Researchers on Antarctica are severely tested when they are shut off from the world in a region were winter can be six months of complete darkness. The stress levels are high at the research stations there and can have extreme consequences. In fact, in 1959, a researcher at the Russian Vostok station was so extremely angry at losing a game of chess that he murdered his opponent with an axe. Since then, Russians have been banned from playing chess on Antarctica. Of course, that was an exceptional case, but high levels of stress and depression are a serious threat on Antarctica.