For the last two years, I have spent much of my free time doing two different things: exercising and studying or playing chess. Over the course of that time I have been charting my chess performance and correlating it with the kind of physical preparation I've had. The results have been a mix, but some trends have emerged.
The up-shot of this is important for chess players certainly, but I think it's also important for studying anything. If you want to improve--whether at chess or anything that requires a degree of mental exertion--the best way is to study or practice. None of what I'm about to say should take away from any of that. What proper physical preparation does is not increase your knowledge or strength; instead, it maximizes the strength that you already have.
Some of the people I have learned the most from are triathletes, because they know how to prepare themselves both mentally and physically for race day. Over time I've come to realize that preparation for a chess tournament is not so different. You can play chess completely out of shape, and yet an in-shape person will be more consistent and overall a better player than the same person out-of-shape.
So here's my advice: prepare for a chess tournament physically as well as mentally. Chess is a workout--even if it's not the kind that will make your legs sore in the morning. To prepare for a tournament, exercise regularly with particular emphasis on the time a week before the first game. Peak in your workouts sometime around 3 days before the tournament. You can workout up to the day before (and you should), but don't push yourself too hard on Friday if you're going to be playing 2-3 games on Saturday.
On the day of a chess tournament don't exercise unless you feel the need to do something light in the morning--say, take a walk or do light weight lifting. Don't do cardio on the same day that you play chess! The more lactic acid you build up in your legs the more your body will have to detox and that's going to make you tired; if your body is tired your brain is not functioning at full capacity.
Next, diet is crucial. Eat well, especially the day before. Fruits, vegetables and grains are all very good. You don't need to carb-load like a triathlete because you're not going to need to burn that many calories, but that's no excuse to pound down a Big Mac, fries and a shake. Not only will this keep you from getting sick, but it will also give your body the needed vitamins and minerals to give you a clear mind.
Most importantly: hydrate. If there is a single thing that even a couch potato can do to improve your physical preparation for a chess game it is this. Hydration is crucial in determining whether you have energy after a long weekend chess tournament. Hydrate while you are playing, but even more importantly the day before. You should be guzzling water the day before a chess tournament. When I go on a run or a long bike ride the difficulty is almost always proportional to how much I hydrated the day before. Water is your friend.
And this brings me to my final point: stay away from caffeine leading up to a tournament. Energy drinks are a big no-no. The day of a tournament is a different story. Everybody is affected by caffeine differently. Personally, I find it difficult to say if the benefits of the rush associated with caffeine outweigh the slightly altered state of mind, but I can understand if you feel the need to have an energy drink before the third game in a day or coffee to wake up in the morning. The problem is in coming down from that high. While runners and bicyclists might not think twice about caffeine, you have to remember that their mental focus need only be on going forward; the chess player needs to be able to process quickly and slowly, with restraint and with accurate calculation.
I hope this has been helpful. If you have any further insight I'd love to hear it!
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