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I read a couple of poker books and I thought I could win, which was not the case.

Fortunately for me I have a decent chess level, 1930 in rapid, and I simply changed poker books for chess books and returned to the club. I have not lost a lot, but I realized if I don't win money why play something I enjoy less than my favourite game since I was a child.

As the game is helping me not to gamble, I wonder if it is documented from a medical point of view similar cases where chess helped.

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    I guess anything you enjoy helps against an addiction; running, music, food could work too. Unless that thing becomes an addiction itself ...
    – Glorfindel ♦
    Mar 7, 2020 at 13:02
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    @Glorfindel. Chess is also a bit adictive but much more less. Maybe you can say chess acts as a less harmful sustitutive.
    – user18196
    Mar 7, 2020 at 13:15
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    Its worth noting that it is also possible to gamble/bet on chess games (or pretty much anything in life) so perhaps it is not the game itself that is the substitute but the substitute is that it is far less likely to wager money on chess games.
    – Mike Poole
    Mar 8, 2020 at 9:04
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    I don't know about chess. At least one local bridge master, not playing for money, used to have a cash gambling problem with poker.
    – Andrew Lazarus
    Mar 9, 2020 at 5:02
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    I think the game per se is more adictive. I have been playing a couple of months and it is AJKQ raise 2759 fold,.thousands of hands...very repetitive. And you finish by geting tired and playing bad->gambling. you have not minutes to act as on chess. Chess mouvements can be automathic if you playing a known openning, but I find chess less adictive for money but for the game itself too.
    – user18196
    Mar 9, 2020 at 10:30

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I have seen plenty of people, who are addicted to chess, as it can become very time consuming if you take it seriously. So yes, it could easily help people swap an addiction that most would see as potentially more detrimental for one that is more healthy.

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