Category Archives: PSYCHOLOGY

BUILDING AN OPENING REPERTOIRE, COACHING, PSYCHOLOGY, QUEEN'S GAMBIT DECLINED, TRAINING

CARBS AND CONCENTRATION

I recently went on a very low carb diet (for health reasons) and noticed that there was a very different feel about how my brain was working when I played chess. The difference was marked enough to want to investigate the relationship between carbs and concentration.

The evidence appears to be complex, on the one hand this 2008 study found that taking carbs out of the diet negatively affected cognition with regard to memory, visual-spatial memory and reaction time. Brain cells appear to require a continuous supply via the blood stream to work properly, take the supply away and they won't work as well.

On the other hand this recent study showed a number of benefits to ketogenic diets, they helped with general mood (calmness, reducing anxiety etc.) and improved alertness.

There is no conflict between these findings but what is clear is that what we eat has very different effects on the brain. I would say that chess players, for the most part, should have enough carbs in their blood stream when playing their games. A possible exception might be those who tend towards anxiety, for them their may be more advantages to very low carb consumption.

Training Tournaments

This week's training tournaments feature the Queen's Gambit Declined lines which appear in both the Building an Opening Repertoire course.

Sunday November 17th at 5pm UK Time: QGD with 5.Bg5 Be7

Sunday November 17th at 6.15pm UK Time: QGD with 5.e3 Bd6

Upcoming Events

Here's my approximate schedule over the coming months, subject to change! I often don't know until fairly late in the day.

December 1, 2024: Bolton Rapid Play
A fairly local event for me, so I'll be playing to to get some practice. Details can be found here.

December 7, 2024: Huddersfield Chess Club Seminar
I've run a number of seminars at this great club, this is the first since before COVID. Their website is here.

January 17-19: Huddersfield 4NCL Congress
I really enjoy the 4NCL Congresses as they're played under excellent conditions in nice hotels. This is the first one in Huddersfield, you can find details here.

January 27th: Stockport Rapidplay
I've played in this event with some regularity, so probably I'll go for it again. You can find details here.

February 16-27, 2025: World Senior Team Championship
I've accepted a place in the 50+ second team which means I'll play a much stronger field than on bottom board of the first team. Although this diminishes my chances of winning a medal I'm looking forward to the challenge.

July/August 2025: British Championships
Will these be held in Liverpool next year? There's a rumour on Tim Spanton's blog that they would be. I think I might go for the 50+ event if this is the case.

I'm hopeful that I'll get to play in the European Senior Team Championships (Walbrzych, Poland, April 4-14) in which I've said I'll play in any team and on any board.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Nigel

COACHING, OPENINGS, PSYCHOLOGY, TRAINING

The Role of Father Random

Players sometimes wonder about changes in form, how can they play well in one game and badly in another? There are many reasons this can be the case, for example in one game they may get a position they understand whereas in the next one they do not. Or someone can simply blunder every now and then, and sometimes it happens in consecutive games. What's going on? I think it's mainly father random at work.

Why is the belief in 'form' so strong? It's because of a human tendency to find patterns where none exist (apophenia). This tendency is rooted in our past, when it was essential to spot things like predator behaviour and edible plans. This pattern recognition has been perpetuated throughout history via mechanisms such as cultural norms, claims of 'poor form' are quite common and then likely to be perpetuated.

Why is this a bad thing? It's because the perception of 'poor form' can lower expectations and self confidence. Once someone believes that they are not going to play well it can become a self fulfilling prophecy.

Training Tournaments
 

This week's training tournaments are in the Queen's Gambit Declined Exchange Variation, a popular and important topic that is reached throughout my opening repertoires. This is because of the didactic value of this line and Carlsbad pawn structure. There's a slight but important difference between the two events, they will start from the positions after 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 c6 and then 5...Be7.

Sunday October 27th at 5pm UK Time: QGD Exchange with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 c6 

Sunday October 27th at 6.15pm UK Time: QGD Exchange with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 e6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 Be7

Upcoming Events

Here's my approximate schedule over the coming months, subject to change! I often don't know until fairly late in the day.

October 25-27, 2024: Scarborough Congress

This one of the UK's most prestigious congresses, the sections include a 'foundation' tournament and a junior event. Click here for details.

December 1, 2024: Bolton Rapid Play

A fairly local event for me, so I'll be playing to to get some practice. Details can be found here.

December 7, 2024: Huddersfield Chess Club Seminar

I've run a number of seminars at this great club, this is the first since before COVID. Their website is here.

February 16-27, 2025: World Senior Team Championship

I finally got a place in the 50+ second team. This means that I'll play a much stonger field than on bottom board of the first team, so in many ways it's quite welcome.

July/August 2025: British Championships

Will these be held in Liverpool next year? There's a rumour on Tim Spanton's blog that they would be. I think I might go for the 50+ event if this is the case.

I'm hopeful that I'll get to play in the European Senior Team Championships (Walbrzych, Poland, April 4-14) in which I've said I'll play in any team and on any board.

I offer discounts on some of my video series on Vimeo for which my catalogue is here. To get the discount codes please sign up for my weekly newsletter via the form on the right.

Nigel

COACHING, PSYCHOLOGY, TRAINING

FINDING THE NEXT MOVE

This last week has seen a couple of incidents in which notable players did themselves a disservice. I'm not going to comment on the incidents themselves, but rather on the mindset required to avoid sabotaging yourself. In short it's a question of focusing on the board and making this the most important thing.

I learned this lesson the hard way after letting things distract me. In one incident, before computerized pairings, my opponent complained to the arbiter that he was Black against me instead of White and the colours were changed. I only found out about this when I came to play and lost a really horrible game. I've also played badly because of thinking about the outcome, for example in games in which I've played for a norm or a decent prize. Another good way to lose is to carry forward negative emotions from the previous game or go in overconfident.

Eventually I decided to limit my focus to one simple thing, finding the next move. And it works.

Training Tournaments
 

This week's training tournaments are in the Queen's Gambit Accepted. They will include my repertoire recommendation of the Furman Variation of 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2 a6 plus 4...Bg4 which seems to be an interesting and underrated line: 

Sunday October 20th at 5pm UK Time: Queen's Gambit Accepted with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.Qe2 a6 

Sunday October 20th at 6.15pm UK Time: Queen's Gambit Accepted with 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4

Here's my approximate schedule over the coming months, subject to change! I often don't know until fairly late in the day.

Upcoming Events

October 25-27, 2024: Scarborough Congress

This one of the UK's most prestigious congresses, the sections include a 'foundation' tournament and a junior event. Click here for details.

December 1, 2024: Bolton Rapid Play

A fairly local event for me, so I'll be playing to to get some practice. Details can be found here.

December 7, 2024: Huddersfield Chess Club Seminar

I've run a number of seminars at this great club, this is the first since before COVID. Their website is here.

February 18-23, 2025: Isle of Wight International

I've been invited to play in this one but will have to pull out if I get invited to the World Senior Teams. It's a new event but the organizers seem to be on the ball. You can find details here.

July/August 2025: British Championships

Will these be held in Liverpool next year? There's a rumour on Tim Spanton's blog that they would be. I think I might go for the 50+ event if this is the case.

I've not been selected for the England 50+ team for the World Senior Team Championships (Prague, February 16 to 27, 2025), but I'm still hopeful that I'll get in the 65+ team (I'm 64, but you become eligible the year you turn 65). There are also the European Senior Team Championships (Walbrzych, Poland, April 4-14) in which I've said I'll play in any team and on any board. I'm hopeful that clarification will be forthcoming quite soon.

I offer discounts on some of my video series on Vimeo for which my catalogue is here. To get the discount codes please sign up for my weekly newsletter via the form on the right.

See you next week!

Nigel Davies