A 10-minute pre-game routine for better chess

Most pre-game advice is either superstitious or impractical. A good routine is short, repeatable and focused on the things you can control: your attention, your setup and one or two chess reminders.

Minutes 1–3: warm up, do not cram

Solve three easy puzzles. The goal is not to learn a new motif; it is to switch on the pattern-recognition part of your brain. Easy puzzles build rhythm and confidence. Hard puzzles before a game can leave you frustrated.

Minutes 4–6: review one opening file

Look at the first eight to ten moves of the line you expect. Remind yourself of the typical plans, not the exact move order. If you do not know what to do after move ten, the file is not ready; play a simpler line.

Minutes 7–8: check the practical setup

• Board, pieces, clock and notation ready.
• Water nearby; phone silenced and out of sight.
• Time control and colour confirmed.
• One sentence about the session goal, such as “check every check” or “use my time on critical moves”.

Minutes 9–10: breathe and start

Sit still for a minute. Do not open another tab, check a rating or read a forum thread. The first few moves of a game set the tone; start them with a clear head.

After the game

Write one sentence before you start the next game. Not a full analysis; just the first thing you noticed. Over a month, those sentences become a record of your recurring habits.

Use the puzzle set for the warm-up and the game library for the post-game note. The routine is small on purpose. A routine you actually follow is better than a perfect one you abandon after three days.