How Did You Improve Your Mental Stamina?

Hi all,

I'm pretty happy with how I am going in my chess development, I have an elementary but consistent understanding of most grandmaster games that I look through, and I feel like I play a bit above my classical rating on The Site Which Shall Not Be Named (1796).

However, I only seem to have one decent game in me per day. I find I start to lose my grasp of chess after playing another game, and anything related with chess starts to make my head confused. Is this a sign to stop playing for a while and do something else? (Weird things like going outside and enjoying the sunshine...) How do I build this concentration muscle for tournaments? What have been your experiences? Any advice is appreciated.

~ Willy

Bumpity

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ketogenics

Try tactics for 30-45 minutes at a time? Might help a little, I really don't know. Have you tried playing multiple blitz games, longer blitz like 10 0?

My eye's start crossing at about 20 mins, but I will keep "squeezing the muscle" by playing just one good game a day. Blitz tends to draw down the quality of my play, not something I want. Thanks for the reply!

What time control do you play for your one game per day? I'll assume it's OTB classical length as you sound like you play that too.

I've played in several weekend tournaments in the last 12 months and whilst I'm yet to try 3 OTB classical games in a day I find for 2 games in a day it's just important to have an hour between and to switch off from Chess. There is a temptation to analyse your first game and keep your Chess head on but personally I always make sure I get a good break, a bit of fresh air and completely put my game/next game out of my mind. I only really properly analyse games I've played at the end of that Tournament.

On a related point, I was away last weekend and did some analysis on the draw rate by round. By round five on Sunday afternoon the % increase of draws had shot up significantly. I think this is largely down to energy levels, so you're not alone. Everyone has more energy for their first game than their last.

I would think that the best way to improve mental stamina is with 3 things: proper rest, diet and exercise. 

Perhaps it would be a good idea to keep somewhat of a track on how you are doing on those 3 things that day when you start to feel this way. Usually when I can't focus it can be attributed to 1 of those.

I usually play 15 + 10 games online, while the standard time control at my local club is 60 + 30. 60 + 30 tends to make restless, so I have to learn how to get up and walk around. Also, over the board I find the pressure of playing another competent human being to be a bit hard as well.

That's a good idea, go outside, take a walk, stop thinking about chess, and save the energy for another time. As someone recently pointed out to me "Your brain does not forget how to play chess." However, yeah, I think I have been excited at this new level of improvement, and subsequently burned out on it. Thanks for the advice!

That makes sense, I have been working on improving those. Unfortunately I often can't tell what my body is feeling. But yes, I have found it easier with good rest, full stomach of protein, and having done some good exercise.

I'll have to try that at the board if I start losing.

It's definitely more challenging OTB when your opponent isn't just going to resign when they're a couple of pawns or a piece down. Within game, I tend to try to manage my concentration by getting up and walking whenever the game enters a new phase (opening into middlegame, or one of us getting an advantage or edge) to freshen my head. I will also allow myself a mental break if we get to a complex position where my opponent has several options and I'd need to calculate deeply on all of them. If it's my opponents turn, I'll save myself the hassle of calculating until they make their move. Sure, it means I need to think on my clock but it means I've had a 3-4 minute mental break and I've also not muddied my mind up looking at 9 different lines when I could just look at 3 different lines after they move.

listen classic music and sleep properly is enough 

Yeah, I agree with the idea of calculating only on my own time, especially in the opening when the ideas are pretty basic, or when I still have a lot time on my clock. In a 15 + 10, the extra time is worth it, but 60+30 is a leisurely time control, not to mention 90+30. I also need to work on my calculation speed, if I could calculate past 2-3 forcing moves a minute I would be able to spend a lot less time chugging my brain.

Proper sleep helps for sure, I see the results when I sleep well enough.

I am on a keto diet since almost a month. I have felt a few benefits but i am not sure yet how it affects my chess performance, specially during otb tournaments. Proper chess training has a much larger impact..

Congratulations!  Keto on my friend!

I have been doing keto since last April, and lost 80 lbs.  No more arthritis, i sleep better, feel better, no more mental "fog", my thinking is clearer.  Its been a God send.

I do actually eat close to the keto diet, without the intermittent fasting.

Ahh, that might be part of it too. When playing important games I feel... Anxious and jangled. I think this is a big part of it, and I am working on just playing the board not the opponent, as when I have done so previously it has made a big difference. However, getting there is another thing, just comes from practice.

by taking a sleep...