Why chess is a sport
We are used to thinking that chess is a quiet game in silence. But for the body it’s a marathon of survival. Chess is a sport. The quietest, but also the most ruthless.
In 1984 the match between Karpov and Kasparov was interrupted, partly because Anatoly Karpov lost 10 kilograms. He looked emaciated, even though he was just sitting and thinking.
What happens to a chess player’s body during a tournament?
Extreme calorie consumption. A grandmaster can burn up to 6000 calories a day — that’s three times the normal human norm and comparable to the loads of elite athletes.
The brain in overdrive. The brain makes up only 2% of body weight, but in moments of the toughest deliberations it consumes up to 25% of the body’s total energy.
Stress like in war. A player’s pulse during a game can jump to 160–170 beats per minute, and blood pressure — soar to marathon‑runner levels at the finish.
Constant nervous tension forces the adrenal glands to work to the limit, leading to rapid weight loss and physical exhaustion. A cortisol hit.
Today top chess players prepare like professional athletes: they run, swim and watch their diet. Because the winner is not only the smartest but also the most enduring.
Dauren Musa
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