Top chess grandmasters Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana share their fitness and eating habits to sustain peak concentration and performance during chess competitions.
Just because chess requires intense concentration and hours of sitting, one might think that a chess grandmaster doesn’t have to be an athlete.
However, that’s not the truth.
In fact, the top chess players train their bodies for peak performance to meet the rigorous mental demands of the game, ESPN reports.
- Chess games can last for several hours.
- During a major chess tournament, chess players can burn up to 6,000 calories per day just due to the physiological effects of stress and thinking.
- Grandmasters sustain elevated blood pressure for hours, similar to competitive marathon runners.
Top two grandmasters share the strict health habits that they adopt before training for a competition, according to ESPN.
Magnus Carlsen: Switched to chocolate milk from orange juice
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, ranked No. 1 in the world, used to drink orange juice and water for energy during chess games, but the sugar was making him crash.
On the suggestion of an Olympic performance specialist Carlsen switched to drinking chocolate milk; nutrients like protein and calcium helped him sustain his energy levels longer, which is so important since chess games at the top levels can last several hours.
Carlsen also travels with a personal chef who makes meals tailored to meet his specific nutritional needs. Before tournaments, Carlsen eats pasta to get some reserve energy. Carb-loading is a trick that runners use the night before a race to increase their stores of glycogen, which is energy stored in muscles.
During games, Carlsen often chews gum, that keeps him alert and energized. Studies suggest that chewing on gum can improve memory, concentration and reaction times, especially when completing a long task.
Fabiano Caruana: No sugar and alcohol, workout for hours
Chess Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana doesn’t eat sugar (before a competition) to keep his energy levels stable, and in past years has given up on drinking, as alcohol can interfere with the quality of “restorative sleep,” which is so crucial for memory and performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Caruana typically runs, plays basketball and swims, often all in one day, to increase his stamina before a competition.
Caruana says these preparations help him feel more confident going into a competition.
What is the Chess Bundesliga?
Schach (chess) Bundesluga is the premier league of team chess that is held in Germany every year.
Internationally, the most well-known German club is Baden-Baden which attracts some of the strongest chess players in the world. The SchachBundesliga teams offer generous contracts to chess players to become members of their 16 player squads. The season runs from October until April and fans from around the world can follow all the action on its website.
Website: schachbundesliga.de
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand participates in this league where he plays for OSG Baden-Baden. However, this time when he went to Germany, he was stuck in Frankfurt for 3 months as Germany was locked down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’m going to be in Germany till flights resume, flights that get me all the way home because I don’t want to be stranded somewhere else, even if it’s closer geographically. So the whole thing will have to open up,” Viswanathan Anand
During the lockdown, Anand would keep himself busy in the evenings by doing online commentary (through a chess website) for the FIDE Candidates tournament that was going on in Yekaterinburg, Russia to spot the challenger to world champion Magnus Carlsen.
Read: Diet and Fitness of the top Chess grandmasters
Chess Scene in India
Contrary to the belief that chess in India is only popular among the elderly/mature crowd, the fact is that several youngsters also like to play a game of chess once in a while, and most of them are not at all bad at playing the game.
However, most of them understand just about the basics and have never been coached in the game of chess. So don’t expect them to know anything about the various attacking/defensive techniques (or terms rather) that you read in the newspapers when Viswanathan Anand is playing against his top competitors.
So in case you’re serious about learning the game of chess, it makes sense to learn from a good coach.
Tania Sachdev: Adds glam-quotient to this mind game
National chess champion Tania Sachdev adds the much-needed glam quotient to the game of Chess in India, by appearing for the games in her pretty outfits.
“I think the perception of chess not being a glamorous sport is only in India. Players in Europe come professionally dressed. Being in proper attire is a crucial part, as you feel confident. Though I would like to be known for my achievements in the sport, I don’t mind if somebody calls me a hot chess player,” Tania Sachdev.
Tania is a FIDE top-50 ranked world chess player from India who holds the titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster. Tania is also an Arjuna awardee.
Tania Sachdev is sponsored by energy drink Red Bull.
The Grandmaster, who seems to be a fan of the brand, says, “I have been drinking Red Bull with my game for a decade now. It gives me the energy to play long hours.”
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