The Best Vitamin Supplements for Positional Players

There is a common misconception that there are two types of chess players: tactical and positional. In chess forums, beginners usually say, "I'm more of a tactical player since I love sacrificing my pieces." I encounter this misconception every day.

The one quoting it is probably an 800 Elo player who doesn't recognize they are blundering their pieces away. Some chess players never understand the difference between a genuine mistake and a sacrifice. At expert and master levels, sacrifices must provide compensation, meaning I must get something in return. But more on that later. 

The truth is- everyone is considered a positional player at heart. Regardless of strength, all chess players must master basic positional concepts, such as controlling the center and rooks on open files. Tactics arise from good positional play. 

However, some chess players have more positional tendencies than others, rather than tactical sense. For example, Tigran Petrosian hated the opponent's active counterplay and prioritized defense above all. Karpov preferred slow maneuvering games rather than a quick finish. Some modern examples of positional players today include Vladamir Kramnik, Vincent Keymer, and Alexander Grischuk. 

In my book, positional players are low-risk players who hate the opponent's counterplay and follow book theory. Because they hate risk, positional players do not lose that often, and we do not win as many games. That is our weakness as well as our strength. 

This article will discuss the best vitamins and supplements

to aid your chess journey if you are a low-risk reward player. 

Why Chess Players Should Take Supplements

I have been consuming vitamins for over five years, and there is a direct correlation between chess and supplements. Taking vitamins alone has boosted my elo by around 50 to 100 points. 

Chess players experience high stress during crucial moments in the game. Stress is a limiting factor during play, so I usually take supplements to reduce cortisol. 

I recently watched Nodirbek Abdusattarov vs. Wesley So on YouTube, an Armageddon game in the French Defense. Both players started calm and probably prepared multiple theory lines before the game. 

Then, suddenly, both players' heart rates jumped massively. I guess the time scramble gave them a scare, which spiked their blood pressure. Nodirbek was trying to build a fortress, but in the end, Wesley mopped up the board, which is why I recommend supplements for cortisol. Long-term chess causes stress and anxiety, which can be detrimental if you want to continue this beautiful game. 

As you move up the Elo ladder, including masters and fide masters, the margin of error becomes smaller and smaller. It becomes harder to milk rating points above the 2100 range as most chess players grasp the fundamentals well. Reducing cortisol levels through supplements is one of the best ways to calm nerves before a chess match. 

How do I know if I am more positional or tactical?

Well, for starters, you should look at your chess openings to see if your openings for white are 1. d4 or something slow like 1. Nf3. If they are, then you are probably a positional player. 

However, if you see that your white openings in chess are 1. e4 or even 1, f4, you are most likely to be more tactical. 

You would most likely reverse it for black openings in chess to determine whether you are a positional or tactical player. Openings such as the Nimzowitsch defense, the Queen's Gambit positional line, or even Caro Kann have a low-risk appeal. I think Ruy Lopez Marshall, Kings Gambit, and Evans Gambit Accepted are all gambling lines and are too high risk. 

The chess middlegame is also a great indicator of your type of player. Do you maneuver in equal positions or want to pawn-storm your opponents? Do you favor sacrifice or keeping pieces intact? 

As I mentioned, there is a vast difference between a blunder and a sacrifice. One must carefully analyze if you are getting compensation or something in return for the sacrificed piece. 

I have noticed that grandmasters love sacrificing their rook pieces for a bishop chess piece. At times, grandmasters sacrifice their rooks for the bishop pair. 

Another form of sacrifice is two central pawns for a knight piece to gain control over the center. Sure, it isn't equal material on paper, but it is an exciting form of play. It can make for a dynamic game.

The Best Supplements for Positional Players

I mentioned that all players are positional to some extent; they have to be to climb up the rating ladder. However, if you have slight tendencies to be more positional, I have some recommendations for vitamins to improve your chess game. 

I previously touched base on the personality types of positional geniuses. We tend to be low risk, low reward, avoiding active opponent counterplay, and solid opening choices. 

But there are some games where we have to fight in a tactical matchup. I have experienced this, where I want to be solid in my matchup, but the opponent intends to push for the advantage that isn't there. 

When things do not go as expected, my stress starts to shoot up. My blood pressure personally spikes when things start to get out of hand. IM Eric Rosen uses a heart rate monitor, and his beats per minute tend to spike up during crucial positions. 

I recommend taking magnesium before all chess games. The best magnesium vitamins are proven to reduce blood pressure, improve bloodstream circulation, reduce anxiety, and help promote a positive mood. I take around two capsules a day with water. 

Ashwagandha is an herb from Asia and Africa that has properties that reduce anxiety. It is considered one of the best vitamins for cortisol reduction. This herb also has similar benefits to magnesium, as it is regarded as an adaptogen, meaning it reduces oxidative stress caused by the body. Usually, they come in gummy form, and you can probably pick up one for less than 30 dollars. 

Why Taking Supplements Can Improve Elo Rating

If you are a beginner, expert, or fide master, there comes a point in your chess journey when breaking through to a new level becomes harder. In my experience on chess.com, 1500 and 1600 players seem hard to get through. It took a couple of months before I could break the 1600 barrier. 

Sometimes, players reach a flat plateau for months on end. It

can be frustrating when one plays every day, hoping to improve at chess.

I believe vitamins and supplements can help one improve at chess, even by 50 or 100 rating points in the short term. It seems like a placebo, but I gained 50 points to get to 1700 blitz. 

If you're hesitant to believe it, check out my stats on chess.com, username chesscats82. I always care for my mental and physical health before all my chess games.

How to Get Better at Chess: Practical Advice for Positional Players

One of the best ways to improve chess is to read books. But bear with me if you are too lazy; I have a hack to cheat on while studying. 

If you are around 2000 level strength and above and are the next Anatoly Karpov, I have some books to recommend and tips to help you improve at chess. Tactical heavy players, feel free to leave but play along if interested. 

The best chess books for your player type are My System by Nimzowitsch, Jonathan Rowson's Chess for Zebras, and Dvoretsky Endgame.

But here's the secret to studying: I personally never go over the notation. If you have ever opened a chess book before, it can sometimes get intimidating with all the chess moves displayed. Sometimes, the lines are so long that they get confusing. I never read the lines; I take the ideas from the book and the words in bold. What do I mean by this? 

Usually, chess books provide a chess idea to execute in each chapter. For example, chapter 1 is on the bishop pair, chapter 2 is on blocking passed pawns, and chapter 3 is on saving tempo in the endgame. I take the ideas with me. Sure, I may go over some of the material in the chapter to clarify some points, but the point of the book is to grasp the knowledge and add it to your chess toolbox. 

Why don't I take the time to read the notation?

First, the chess notation in the book is so long that I don't have time for it (I also have a life). Second, a chess game has 10 to the power of 120 combinations. 

So the probability of a chess player reading that line and appearing in a practical game in blitz is less than 1 percent. Maybe even much less. If you are a chess nerd and want to study the notation, I'm not against it. But if you want to play blitz chess for fun and gain a couple of rating points to impress your friends, that is probably the best way to have a life and still be able to play chess on the side.

Tips for 2000-level positional players

Some tips I milked from all the chess books I "read" were the importance of the bishop pair, saving tempo in the endgame, fixing the pawns on the same color as the opponent bishop, and double attacks on both sides. 

Nimzowitsch also emphasized the overprotection of very strategic points on the board, such as the center. I never use this technique personally, and I lost a bunch of rating points because of this dumb idea.

Kasparov mentioned that chess is about ideas, not notation. 

That's all for today. Make sure to subscribe to my email list for more updates!