Teen Chess: Rating Performances and Supplement Recommendations

Dave Mizrahi May 03, 2024
48 People Read
Table of Contents
  1. My Thoughts on Teenagers Playing Chess
    1. Can Teenagers Improve Their Chess Rating?
    2. How to Get Better at Chess: Teen Edition
    3. The Secret to Get Better at Chess
  2. The Benefits of Vitamins For Teen Chess Players
    1. Downsides of Chess: Sunlight Deficiency in Teen Players
    2. The Role of Vitamin C: Could Chess Be Causing Acne in Teens?
  3. Final Thoughts

Disclosure: We mention the word Chess.com strictly for informational and educational purposes. ChessVitamins.com is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Chess.com. 

Teenagers love chess; it was apparent when we were all locked in our homes during the pandemic. Our love for chess unites us all, playing blitz chess online or even at a local club in your area. Modern time controls like blitz and rapid can get competitive and bring on the heat!

Almost all teens love studying the best chess openings in the Ruy Lopez and Sicilian Defense, and we try to emulate our idols, such as Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura.

Whenever I see kids my age look up at the ceiling and perform chess calculations, it always reminds me of Naka. 

I am still a teenage kid as of 2024, turning 19 in August. I love watching and consuming the best chess material on Twitch and Kick. Some streamers are heavily addicting, so I prefer watching a 5-minute video on Benjamin Finegold.

In this post, I will discuss a generalized view on teen chess and the vitamins you should take before your games. 

My Thoughts on Teenagers Playing Chess

It was very apparent during the pandemic that the popularity of chess was increasing steadily like a trend. I have played chess for almost a decade, but the hype was real when people were at home with nothing to do. Teens my age come to me in chess forums asking, "What do you recommend as a beginner chess opening?" Before 2020, chess was somewhat of a dead sport, but it has slowly come back to life, and it makes me happy.

We now have a huge number of talented young grandmasters. Some examples include Vincent Keymer, Andrey Esipenko, and Gukesh. 

My favorite has to be Keymer, though. His simple chess-playing style is so aesthetically pleasing to watch. It is almost as if he has both the styles of Aron Nimzowitsch and Jose Raul Capablanca, very strong masters of the past. Each of these old masters was very solid and played defensively. 

wooden chess set

It is amazing to see youth always beat masters like Levon Aronian and Ian Nepomniatchi. The under-19 pool is crazy strong; almost all boys are in the 2600 rating. 

Although he isn't a teen anymore, Levy Rozman is an excellent influencer on teenage chess. I would consider one of the people who rekindled the sport's popularity.

Can Teenagers Improve Their Chess Rating?

In the United States, the average chess rating for players under 19 is less than 1,000 elo, which makes sense. 

Chess players devote much time to their craft and hours of repetitive study. The youngest chess grandmaster, Abhimanyu Mishra, studied chess for more than 8 hours a day. It is rare to see someone all worked up and obsessed with the game. 

However, it can be hard to climb the rating ladder if you're like me and a casual club player. We have other obligations, such as school, a part-time job, or even weekend parties. Chess is just a casual pastime for us. 

I have never met a chess player, even a part-time one, who would not like to boost their Elo score by even 100 points. 

How to Get Better at Chess: Teen Edition

I know it is hard to climb the rating ladder. I remember being stuck at around 1500 elo on chess.com, and it was so frustrating. I couldn't break a single barrier.

Even though I watched streams and did long chess calculations like Hikaru Nakamura, it ate my time when I played blitz chess. I remember calculating a long variation but losing on time. 

chess set

It is annoying when Grandmasters stream on Twitch and kick and make it look so easy. It seemed like Hikaru knew all the basic principles, like controlling the center, knight pieces on the rim being dim, and chess rooks on open files, but when it came to applying them to my games, I hardly saw any improvement. 

Why do grandmasters know basic principles like beginners but achieve a higher elo than us? I know it cannot be hard work alone. Faustino Oro, a master from Argentina, was around 1500 strength during the pandemic and became 2800 on chess.com in 2024, achieving this feat only at age 12.

I'm not discrediting hard work; I am just saying that hard work alone cannot be the answer to your chess rating. I have played with players on chess.com who have been playing blitz for almost eight years, but they are still at the same rating of 1700. 

The Secret to Get Better at Chess

Garry Kasparov said that chess is about ideas. However, in blitz and rapid chess today, I see many teens trying to use chess calculations when they are not necessary. 

Stop trying to be like Stockfish Engine and give three variation trees for each line. Humans are not designed to think that way.

Instead, solidify your ideas. Control the bishop pair, the center, and the chess rooks on the open files. Simple chess always prevails. It hurts to see opponents lose on time. 

I have a free, complete blog article that will teach you about Steinitz's theory and the execution timing.

It'll boost your elo for any casual player who wants to improve their rating by 100 points, guaranteed.

The Benefits of Vitamins For Teen Chess Players

We chess players only want to increase our rating and skill level. However, chess improvement is not all about reading books and playing games. 

In the famous book series Think Like a Grandmaster, Alexander Kotov emphasizes knowing yourself and your mood. He states that your playing strength directly correlates with nutrition and how well you care for yourself. That is why vitamins are so essential. Players need that extra boost in cognition when playing this game. 

The best teen vitamins for chess players improve cognition and reduce stress. A multivitamin also helps with general health and maintenance. I recommend an ashwagandha or magnesium supplement to enhance clarity and focus and relieve tension in your games. 

Another vitamin I recommend for teens is a B complex supplement. B vitamins help players boost their energy and optimize the nervous system. They can also help with brain fog when playing blitz online. The supplements listed above are just for the general, casual player type. They should do the trick if you are like me and want an extra boost in your chess game. 

Downsides of Chess:  Sunlight Deficiency in Teen Players

Playing long hours of chess with your friends has unintended consequences. Sometimes, too much indoor time can make one deficient in vitamin D.

Your next checkup could include a vitamin D deficiency, ICD 10, which lacks this helpful nutrient. Especially in areas such as Seattle and Portland that do not get enough sunlight, teens who live there might find this problem exacerbated. 

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor eyesight and impaired bone health. Nowadays, I see many teens who play chess or wear glasses, and I can attribute this to the lack of sunlight. 

I would not recommend taking a vitamin D supplement with 50,000 IU units if you lack sunlight in your area. This is way too high and can potentially put you at risk. Even a dosage of 5,000 IU is not suitable for this age range. 

A safe vitamin D supplement would be one with 2000 IU units. In my experience, this is generally safe for teens, but always consult a medical professional if you have any underlying medical conditions.

You can take this on an empty stomach, but I generally recommend taking it with food so that it will dissolve in the bloodstream optimally. 

The Role of Vitamin C: Could Chess Be Causing Acne in Teens?

It is generally known in the chess world that playing this beautiful game can cause stress and anxiety. Especially when ratings are on the line, it can be hard to control these emotions.

Unbeknownst to you, the hormonal changes caused by chess stress can cause severe acne. Pair that with a vitamin D deficiency; your skin might not be in the best shape.

Some teens might forget to maintain their hygiene because they focus on chess. Heck, they might forget to take showers after a competitive game. This can lead to dirt and grime being stuck on your skin for months.

A good skincare routine, with some salicylic acid, can clear up acne. A good vitamin C cream should also improve skin quality. Vitamin C helps smooth out the skin and form new skin cells.

The best vitamin C for teen acne is probably Cerave. My teen brother used this product; you can see the before and after. There used to be tons of tiny bumps on his forehead, but they are no longer there after two months of use. 

Final Thoughts

Throughout this post, I discussed young grandmasters crushing it and the rise of chess's popularity during the 2020 pandemic. 

I emphasized the importance of nutrition, vitamins, and the best supplements to increase strength. I also discussed the potential health risks that too much chess can cause and whether stress from chess contributes to teen acne. 

I applaud you if you are a teen that loves this game. Young players must have a burning desire to play to keep this game alive for decades. I have been playing for almost a decade and have not achieved mastery, but I have tremendous faith in other players to surpass me.

Feel free to add me on chess.com. I hope we can play soon!

Table of Contents
  1. My Thoughts on Teenagers Playing Chess
    1. Can Teenagers Improve Their Chess Rating?
    2. How to Get Better at Chess: Teen Edition
    3. The Secret to Get Better at Chess
  2. The Benefits of Vitamins For Teen Chess Players
    1. Downsides of Chess: Sunlight Deficiency in Teen Players
    2. The Role of Vitamin C: Could Chess Be Causing Acne in Teens?
  3. Final Thoughts

Disclosure:  We mention the word Chess.com strictly for informational and educational purposes. ChessVitamins.com is not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by Chess.com.