Some thoughts on physical fitness and chess.

  Here are the pairings for game 1 in Round 4 tomorrow, I hope they will have enough energy after all the excitement today, I can hear some non-chess playing people thinking, "Excitement? In a chess tournament?"  Actually, YES!  It has been found, and I can attest to this, that player's adrenaline and heart rate go up, a test done on top rated Grandmasters done a while back, has shown that their body's physical reactions compare to those of top athletes when they are in competition!  This is why Grandmasters usually peak in their 20's and 30's, with some exceptions of course, when their bodies are in top physical shape.  They have now started exercise routines and workouts to help with stamina and strength during games.  Someimes a game can last 5-6 hours, even longer before shortened time controls came along, there used to be a time when there was no clock used and games would last many hours, but still, it's common for games to last 3-5 hours in top level play at times, so all the exercise is really needed! 

 I often wonder how many rating points I could have achieved had I not started playing tournament chess after I became disabled.  Also it really would have helped if I had learned at a much earlier age and had some good competition to play.  I think I could have achieved expert level, no way I could have become a Grandmaster, these guys see amazing things, their visualization of positions many moves ahead is amazing. Oh, and gals, I had included them in my thought process, especially with the likes of the Polgar sisters and many other lady players who have achieved titles of Grandmaster the same way men do.  It's much easier for women to achieve a Woman's Grandmaster title than a man's, no disrepect to them as many are showing they can hang with the guys now!  I started this post intending to post the pairings for tomorrow's games, but got off topic and just decided to throw this in as some of my musings. NOW on to the next post and tomorrow's pairings!