A lot has been said about preparing for the actual chess. What about the non-chess items? What do you take to eat? Carbs, energy drinks or what? Interesting extract on Topalov's prep he
What are the plans for Topalov's preparation?
Currently we are selecting coaches and seconds for Topalov. After that we will have training sessions in Spain, they will be in November, December, and January. As he needs practice, for sure he will participate in the Linares 2010 tournament from 13th to 25th of February. There is a theoretical chance that he participates in Monte Carlo as well, but that depends on the dates of the match with Anand.
There will be new names in Topalov's camp, for now I will keep them secret. It is always good to have motivated people and new ideas, We will have a doctor, psychologist, nutritionist, fitness instructor. Of course there will be 7 to 10 days rest between the sessions, we will send him to the Canary Islands to regain energy.
What is the role of the nutritionist?
The nutritionist makes a special selection of food and a diet for Topalov. Some foods cannot be mixed, and so on. Such diet begins at least two months before the competition.This is in all sports, not just in chess. Before chess was considered to be only mental sport, but it turns out that without serious physical preparation it is difficult to endure a whole game. In a match like the World championship every detail counts.
Yesterday evening I ate four cheese and pickle sandwiches, followed by an apple, washed down with a mug of tea. Then I drove 30 miles through a clear frosty night under a silvery moon to the home team venue - a room in a cricket club - to play a club match. After the game I drove back again, logged onto RHP, cleared my moves and went to bed. I won my game but the team stood badly when I left.
Make of it what you will, but that is grass roots chess as it most often is. Why make things more difficult? Lucky Topolov, good enough to be able to do it differently. . .
Originally posted by RagwortI eat anything and drink too much fizzy drink. I thought one of you would have the recipe for the "perfect preparation".
Yesterday evening I ate four cheese and pickle sandwiches, followed by an apple, washed down with a mug of tea. Then I drove 30 miles through a clear frosty night under a silvery moon to the home team venue - a room in a cricket club - to play a club match. After the game I drove back again, logged onto RHP, cleared my moves and went to bed. I won my game bu ...[text shortened]... Why make things more difficult? Lucky Topolov, good enough to be able to do it differently. . .
Topalov plays on the highest level, and as such, he prepares on the highest level. Here's a couple of things he does that helps him become the player we know oh so well
Insult preparation
You have to prepare your insults beforehand. Now a lot of people think that insults are created as the situation arises, after all you can't plan on a volcano erupting and impeding your opponent's journey to the chess match, but you CAN in fact prepare insults that will cover almost every base. If the unexpected occurs, you have to be prepared to use that situation as a means to call your opponent a coward.
Seismic activity holds your opponent up? Obviously that's an excuse to prolong what will assuredly be a crushing defeat. Opponent dies? That's because the coward realized that the cold hand of death was preferable to meeting you OTB!
You see it's the combination of preparation and spur-of-the moment creativity that makes players like Topa the best of the best.
Also, at the top-level, no man is an island. It takes many people to help prepare for a match at the top level, so the intrepid super GM master also studies his opponent's assistants and prepares ways to disparage his character based on those helping him.
Why did I lose?
If you win, win with style. Unfortunately you can't always win, so the greatest masters look at their losses objectively.
Usually your losses come for two reasons: your opponent was an outright cheat, using bodily functions as an excuse to use a chess computer hidden in the bathroom ceiling, or your opponent actually beat you, but your loss was due somehow to your opponent's deficiency as a human being.
The best of the best analyze the second case with subtlety, because they're totally magnanimous.
You say:
"My opponent was a really great "defensive" player"
You mean:
"My opponent is an Indian eunuch."
Prophylaxis
Remember that despite your "winning attitude" you can't always be on the offensive, after all people might not think you're a very nice dude if you're always roasting your opponent and serving him cold with your brilliant insults. Therefore you need to use prophylaxis before you attack. Accuse your opponent and his team of doing exactly what you're about to do. That way you have given yourself a great opening for a crushing character attack!
Ragwort has it nailed.
Topolov and his cosy chums don't play the chess we play.
"These GM’s types get venues in holiday resorts with playing conditions
and time controls that would have your average league player
thinking they were in heaven.
They have fancy computer controlled chess boards that record their moves for
them and at the premier events they even get a celebrity to make their opening
move for them. How lazy is that?"
http://www.chessville.com/GC/Janaka.htm
Ragwort does a 60 miles round trip after work to play chess in a cricket club
and wins. Ragwort is a true chess player.
Originally posted by RagwortMy friend, you reminded me of when I played tired, I played sick, and took off for weekend tournaments with my friends and used my rent money to pay the entry fee.
Yesterday evening I ate four cheese and pickle sandwiches, followed by an apple, washed down with a mug of tea. Then I drove 30 miles through a clear frosty night under a silvery moon to the home team venue - a room in a cricket club - to play a club match. After the game I drove back again, logged onto RHP, cleared my moves and went to bed. I won my game bu ...[text shortened]... Why make things more difficult? Lucky Topolov, good enough to be able to do it differently. . .
I think I forgot why I do this, and you reminded me! Rec'd!
Paul
Eh I don't care what anybody says, I respect Topalov. The guy goes for the win every game. I can't even think of another top player who goes for the win with black these days... And I think it definitely has a lot to do with working with sports psychologists. He's trained himself to not fear losing.
I think the advantage of the nutritionist and personal trainer has to be 90% to make Topalov feel as prepared as possible, rather than obtaining an actual physical edge. I mean sure, if you live a sedentary life on nothing but warm coffee and cold pizza, it will impact your chess. But eight hours of sleep, a reasonably well-balanced diet, and a mile run in the morning should be enough for any player's physical needs.
Coffee and loads of sugar is the secret to good chess.
"But what I enjoy more than anything else is sitting with my chessboard and
pieces, with a good mug of coffee and playing through top class games,
usually annotated by one of the players". – Carsten Hansen
"A brain without sugar is not a brain." – Alexander Alekhine.