Brain Food: An Inside Look at How Elite Grandmasters Eat.
Sitting for long hours at the chess board can be taxing, both mentally and physically. In order to maximize their performance at tournaments that can often be weeks long, many players focus on their health and nutrition just as much as their opening prep. Chess players burn tons of calories at high level tournaments, and some even lose a significant amount of weight after grueling week long tournaments. Because of this, many chess players are very conscious about what and how often they eat. But what foods allow elite chess players to preform their best? And what strategies can you employ at your next tournament to make sure you stay sharp?
How much to eat?
According to a study done by Dietician Roberto H. Baglione, around 2/3 grandmasters eat at least 3 meals a day (Baglione). Breakfast is a key part of this as the "most important meal of the day" is even more important for chess players. Many tournaments have matches starting in the morning, and some of these matches may stretch into the lunch hour if not later. Because of this, a healthy and filling breakfast is essential for chess players to have enough energy to last the entire match.
Mid-game snacks are also common among elite chess players. In fact, Baglione's study also found that 95.8% of chess players eat some sort of snack during their games (Baglione). Popular snacks include things with sugar like granola bars, or chocolate, which help keep players more alert (Baglione). Players often opt for different drinks like tea and coffee during their games to give them more energy (Bagloine).
What to Eat?
While having a hearty breakfast is often important for key grandmasters, too much food or the wrong food can leave them feeling more sick than energized. Many grandmasters avoid heavy food, foods with lots of fat or that are processed, and instead opt for fresh fruit, yogurt, and breakfast staples like eggs (Baglione).
Magnus Carlsen
How does top highest rated chess player in history approach his nutrition? Well, Magnus Carlsen is actually a vegetarian and is also pretty conscious about what he eats before and during games ("Facts"). Magnus also drinks a lot of milk, which give him both protein and calcium ("Magnus"). Additionally, Carlsen and other top grandmasters have also sometimes cut sugars out of their diets ahead of major tournaments.
Thanks For Reading!
Works Cited
Baglione, Roberto H., and Bauer Mendonca. “Chess and Nutrition – how to feed a chess grandmaster.” ChessBase, 19 December 2007, https://en.chessbase.com/post/che-and-nutrition-how-to-feed-a-che-grandmaster. Accessed 27 May 2023.
“Facts about Magnus Carlsen - chessarticle.com.” chessarticle.com -, https://chessarticle.com/facts-about-magnus-carlsen/. Accessed 27 May 2023.
“Magnus Carlsen Daily Routine, Diet and Sleep in 2023.” ″ - Wiktionary, https://viproutine.com/magnus-carlsen-daily-routine/. Accessed 27 May 2023.
My Sources:
Facts About Magnus from chessarticle.com.
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