Friday, October 7, 2011

Avoiding Fatigue during Tournaments - Chess.com

Avoiding Fatigue during Tournaments - Chess.com



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Avoiding Fatigue during Tournaments

We often hear or say ourselves that “I got tired, and my brain went dead”; “I was tired and blundered”, “I didn’t have enough energy left for the last few rounds”.

Standard time control tournaments are especially demanding, as they last a few days, and are important for a person’s chess career.

Rapid chess and blitz can also be tiresome if you play a lot of games per day.

Another factor is that many people play one event after another, which is quite tough.

A tired player has problems with calculation, and that results in a lower performance than usual.

Mental activity requires a lot of energy, but chess is different from other sports in the sense that you get tired in another way. We don’t run marathons, but still sometimes feel completely exhausted.

Why does fatigue haunt chess players? How do we avoid getting tired and maximize our energy during tournaments?

One of the critical factors of fatigue is lack of control over our own emotions. Over the board a player should avoid all distracting thoughts and toss fears aside. This will allow you to channel your creative energy on the game. Unrelated thoughts and fears lead to a mental block and make us play constrainedly. Lots of energy is wasted, and we get tired more quickly. After one game you might not notice that, but over the course of a tournament, fatigue and tension can build up. One of our worst enemies is dwelling on our losses or mistakes after the game. Previously I have written a column on how to avoid mourning over one’s losses, so I won’t talk about this now. Likewise, excessive celebrating of victories also leads to hollowing out. By the way, anxiety can relate not only to chess, but to external factors: your work, family issues, financial problems, etc. An overemotional person gets tired quickly, but a stone-cold robot also lacks creativity. Try to aim for the golden middle.

Other factors are also important: proper nutrition, optimal daily routine. These issues have also been addressed before. I would like to remind you that the strength of your play is positively correlated with sleeping and eating well. By daily routine I mean a healthy sleep, taking walks and other physical activity and, if possible, avoiding distractions (e.g. coming to the game after a day of work). To ensure a sufficient rest, one has to spare enough time for it and avoid becoming a victim of one’s own emotions. The importance of taking a walk before a game has been cultivated by Mikhail Botvinnik. Boris Gelfand is a fan of this approach, and at last year’s Gibraltar tournament I saw Viktor Korchnoi on his promenade before the round. Fresh air fills our blood with oxygen and stimulates our thinking processes. Other popular choices are swimming or going to the gym. But don’t overdo it, train in “safe mode”!

Chess games and tournaments should bring you joy, not disappointment and fatigue.

http://www.pogonina.com/images/stories/01pogkost.jpg

Under the surveillance of cameras and spectators

Today I will share with you annotations to a game vs ex-World Women’s Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk that took place at the recent Russian Superfinal. As this match was important in the tournament sense, I was too emotional over the board, used up a lot of time and energy, and eventually got very tired. This resulted in missing a few strong and simple continuations.

Pogonina, N. (2442) vs. Kosteniuk, A. (2497)
61st ch-RUS w | Moscow RUS | Round 7| 26 Aug 2011 | ECO: C42 | 1-0
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 Nd7 8. Qd2 Nf6 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Kb1 ( 10. h3 c5 11. g4?! Bd7 ) 10... c5 11. h4 ( 11. Bf4 a6 ( 11... d5 12. c4 d4 13. Bd3 ) ) 11... b5 ( 11... Bd7 ) 12. h5 ( 12. Bxb5 Qb6 ( 12... Rb8 13. Bd3 d5?! 14. Bf4 Bd6 15. c4 ) 13. Bd3 ( 13. Bc4 Rd8 ) 13... d5 14. Rhe1 Re8 15. Ne5 ( 15. c4 Ne4 16. Bxe4 dxe4 17. Ng5 Bb7 ) 15... Be6 16. f4 ) 12... Rb8 ( 12... h6 13. Bxb5 Rb8 ( 13... Qb6 14. Bd3 d5 15. Rhe1 Re8 16. Ne5 Nxh5 17. Rh1 Nf6 18. Bxh6 Bf8 19. Bf4 ) 14. Bd3 ) 13. h6 g6 14. Ng5 Rb6 ( 14... Bb7 15. f4 Ng4 16. Bxc5 dxc5 ( 16... Bxg5 17. Bxa7 Bf6 18. Bxb8 Qxb8 19. Qxd6 Rd8 20. Qxb8 Rxb8 21. Rd2 ) 17. Qe2 Qb6 18. Qxg4 ( 18. Qxe7?? Rbe8 ) ) ( 14... d5 15. Bf4 Rb6 16. Be2 b4 ) 15. Be2 Bd7?! ( 15... d5 16. Bf3 Bf5 17. Bxd5 Nxd5 ( 17... Rd6 18. Bxf7+ Rxf7 19. Nxf7 Kxf7 20. Qe2 ) 18. Qxd5 Bxg5 19. Bxg5 Qxg5 20. g4 Rf6 ( 20... Qxg4?? 21. Qe5 ) 21. gxf5 Qxf5 22. c4 ) 16. Bf3 Bf5 17. Rhe1 ( 17. Qe2 Qc7 18. Rhe1 Re8 19. g4 Bc8 20. Nxf7 Kxf7 21. g5 Bb7 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. gxf6 Bxf6 24. f4 ) 17... d5 18. Qe2 ( 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 ( 18... Rd6 19. Bxf7+ Rxf7 20. Nxf7 Kxf7 21. Qe2 ) 19. Qxd5 Bxg5 20. Qe5 Qf6 21. Bxg5 Qxe5 22. Rxe5 f6 23. Rxf5 gxf5 24. Be3 ) 18... Qd7 19. Bc1 ( 19. Bf4 Re8 20. Qd2 Rd8 21. Bxd5 ( 21. Be5 Bf8 ) 21... Nxd5 22. Qxd5 Qxd5 23. Rxd5 Rxd5 24. Rxe7 Rd1+ 25. Bc1 Rb8 26. Rxf7 Rd7 27. Rxd7 Bxd7 28. Ne4 ) 19... Re8 20. Qd2 Rd6?! ( 20... Bf8 21. Rxe8 Qxe8 22. Bxd5 Bxh6 23. c4 ) ( 20... Rd8 21. Bxd5 Nxd5 22. Qxd5 Qxd5 23. Rxd5 Rxd5 24. Rxe7 ) 21. Qf4 Ra6 22. g4 Ra4?? ( 22... Bd6 23. Qd2 Bxg4 ( 23... Be4 24. Nxe4 dxe4 25. Be2 ) 24. Bxg4 Nxg4 25. Qxd5 Rxe1 26. Rxe1 Nf6 27. Qa8+ Bf8 28. Ne4 Nxe4 29. Rxe4 Re6 30. Rxe6 fxe6 31. b3 ) 23. Qg3?? ( 23. b4 Be6 ( 23... Bd6 24. Rxe8+ Nxe8 25. Qd2 Be6 ( 25... Bxg4 26. Bxd5 ) 26. Bxd5 cxb4 27. Nxe6 fxe6 28. Bb3 ) ( 23... cxb4 24. gxf5 b3 25. Qd2 bxa2+ 26. Ka1 ) 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. g5 Nh5 26. Qg4 ) 23... Bxg4 24. Bxg4 Rxg4 25. Qf3 Ra4? ( 25... Rd8 26. Re5 Rf8 ) 26. Re5? ( 26. c4! d4 ( 26... bxc4 27. Rxd5 Qxd5 28. Qxf6 ) 27. cxb5 Rb4 28. a4 Rxa4 29. Qb3 ) 26... Rf8 27. Rde1 Bd8 28. Qe2 Rh4 29. f3 b4 ( 29... Rxh6 30. Ne6 ) ( 29... Qc6 ) 30. Qf2 Rc4 31. cxb4 cxb4 32. b3 Rc3 ( 32... Rc6 ) 33. Qd4 ( 33. Bd2 Bb6 34. Qh4 Qd6 35. Bxc3 bxc3 36. Qa4 Bf2 37. R1e2 Qb6 38. a3 ) 33... a5 34. Bb2 Rc6 35. Qd2 d4 36. Qxd4 Rd6 ( 36... Qxd4 37. Bxd4 Bc7 38. Rb5 Rd8 ) 37. Qg1?! ( 37. Qc4 ) 37... Bb6 38. Qf1 Bd4 ( 38... Rd8 ) 39. Bxd4 Rxd4 40. Ne4 Nxe4?! ( 40... Qd8 41. Nxf6+ Qxf6 42. Qf2 ( 42. Rxa5 Rh4 ) 42... Rh4 43. Qd2 ) 41. fxe4 Rc8?! ( 41... Qc6 42. Rc5 ( 42. Rxa5 Rd2 ) ( 42. Rd5 Rd8 43. Rxa5 Rd2 ( 43... Rxe4? 44. Rxe4 Qxe4 45. Qf6 Qe1+ 46. Kb2 Qc3+ 47. Qxc3 bxc3+ 48. Kxc3 ) 44. Rc1 Rc8 45. Ra7 f5 46. Qc4+ ( 46. exf5 Rxc2 47. Rxc2 Qxc2+ 48. Ka1 Qc3+ 49. Kb1 Qc2+ ) 46... Qxc4 47. bxc4 fxe4 48. Re1 Rh2 49. Rxe4 Rxh6 50. Ree7 ) 42... Qe6 ( 42... Qxc5?? 43. Qf6 ) 43. e5 Rh4 44. Rxa5 Qe7 ( 44... Rxh6 45. Qf4 ) 45. Qf6 Qxf6 46. exf6 Rxh6 47. Ra4 Rh4 48. c4 ) 42. Rd5 Qc6? ( 42... Rxd5 43. exd5 Qd6 44. Qb5 ) 43. Qe2? ( 43. c4 ) 43... Qc3 44. Qf2 ( 44. Rd1 Rxd1+ 45. Qxd1 ) 44... Rd8 45. Rf1 f5 ( 45... Rd7 46. Qh2 R4xd5 47. exd5 ) 46. Rxd8+ Rxd8 47. Qb6 Re8? ( 47... Rc8 48. Qe6+ Kh8 49. Rc1 fxe4 50. Qxe4 ) 48. Rd1? ( 48. Qxa5 Rxe4?? 49. Qd5+ Kf8 50. Qxe4 ) 48... Qf3? ( 48... fxe4 49. Qxa5 e3 50. Qd5+ Kh8 51. Qd8 Qe5 52. Qd7 ) 49. Qd4 Re7?? ( 49... Qc3 50. Qd5+ Kf8 51. exf5 ) 50. Qc4+ ( 50. Qh8+ Kf7 ( 50... Kxh8 51. Rd8+ Re8 52. Rxe8# ) 51. Qxh7+ Kf6 52. Rd6+ ) 50... Kf8 51. Rd8+ Re8 52. Qc5+ Kf7 53. Qd5+ Kf8 ( 53... Re6 54. Rd7+ Kf6 55. e5+ ) 54. Qd6+ Kf7 55. Rd7+

In a rare variation of the Petroff I didn’t get any substantial advantage. Black was doing ok until Alexandra played 15...Bd7. After that Black had to start playing defensively. Then mutual mistakes followed. The game transformed into a major piece ending, where I had a better position due to having a “nail” pawn on h6. Black failed to solved the problems, and, after some chess adventures, White won.

Video commentary of the game

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