Practice when feeling out of sorts

[chipschap]

I thought I would put this in a discussion thread separate from the ongoing "improvement" threads.  My thought/question is about practicing when you don't feel like it.

I have made it a habit to do at least 10 standard problems per day, every day, except for Thursday night (chess club night) or when I'm away on business (about a week per month on average).  There are times when I am very tired and really don't want to --- and then my rating takes a dive.  (A look at my rating graph shows interesting cycles.)

My reasoning is that tournaments can come when you are tired or a bit under the weather, and you still have to play.  So you need to train yourself to play under unfavorable conditions whether you like it or not.

However there's no doubt that practice often goes better by stopping, taking a break, or even coming back fresher the next day.  (Certainly your rating benefits from this, if you care about ratings--- and therein is a question for another thread, namely how well do rating improvements correlate with skill improvements?)

These principles seem in conflict.  My question for the experts is then: which principle dominates?  The principle of quality practice or the principle of training under all conditions?

No doubt there is no single, simple answer!

[tomohawk]

The principle of training under all conditions predominates, imo. Nevertheless you should generally train when you feel like it, since chess is supposed to be fun, eh? ;-) I tend to aim for about 25% practice when I am feeling ill, tired, distracted, etc. BTW, I am always surprised to most players don't take byes during weekend events when they are burnt out. Go home, get some extra sleep, then come back refreshed. There's no shame in that.

[revenant]

Chipschap, would you buy a pair of shoes one size too small and wear them to the office just so you can feel "ah, what a relief" when you take them off at the end of the day?   

I solve here at CT even when I'm tired but that's just because I'm a chess addict.  The value of it as far as solidifying one's skill is indeed debatable.

Doctors in training are often made to endure a grueling series of 36-hour shifts so that they become able to dispense certainly accurate treatment even almost literally "in their sleep".  As a patient, one might take comfort knowing that one's physician had gotten their M.D. that way, but I sure wouldn't want to be the med student who had to do it!

Maybe a more productive question for us to ask is, How can we avoid feeling "out of sorts" in the first place?  (Or at least minimize the times when we are.)  Chess is a physical game requiring physical stamina.  When I'm sharp and "in the zone", it feels like no problem is unbreakable.  When I'm foggy though, no amount of trying or concentrating can avoid missing seemingly even the most obvious things like checks and captures.  So I try to eat right, sleep right, and stay positive in the face of adversity.

(2 cents from someone who hasn't played a tourney in years)

[drahacikfm]

chipschap:  When you aren't feeling good, do a bunch of unrated problems with low ratings so you get a high percentage correct and feel better.  When you are feeling good, do the usual rated training.

[chipschap]

Some excellent ideas have been expressed.  Training at a lower level (25% of normal, or a series of easy problems) seems to combine the ideas of training at all times with taking a break.

I don't think the analogy of wearing too-small shoes is really apt   It's more likely continuing to walk even if you have tired feet.

The comment about eliminating causes for feeling out of sorts is very appropriate.  Tournaments come when they come; how, then, to maximize the chances of being in form when they do?

We haven't discussed physical training regimens to supplement chess training regimens.  The top performers all do this (Fischer swimming, was it Kasparov? weight lifting, etc.).  I suspect the real answer to my original question lies there.

Thanks to all for the replies.

[chipschap]

I have one additional reflection on this topic, having "tanked" pretty badly after a recent illness and much business travel combined into an overall inability to practice for a while.

I think, despite everything I've said to the contrary, I've been too worried about my rating and really need to worry more about "What am I learning?"  If I follow that idea, I'll practice no matter the situation.  If I lose rating points, c'est la vie.  If I win rating points, fine, but that should no longer be the point.