In 2026, I have had students who need my services in Russia, Germany, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Hawaii. As a chess coach based in Fremont, California, teaching a chess class in the middle of the night or at dawn forces me to battle my body’s natural circadian rhythm. To be a sharp at odd hours, I have developed a routine to get my chess brain up and running in 20 minutes. Here’s what I do:
- Set an alarm to wake up 20 minutes before a chess lesson. (The minimum amount of time needed for a professional.)
- Splash cold water on my face. (Splashing cold water on your face can significantly increase your alertness by stimulating your nervous system and invigorating your senses.)
- Drink iced coffee while reviewing my lesson notes. (Combining the effects of caffeine and coolness to reduce feelings of drowsiness and fatigue, providing a quick and effective way to regain alertness, which is especially important after waking up.)
- Put on my chess hat (work clothes). Then play one game of speed chess to see how my brain is functioning. (I have trained my mind to get into chess mode when I dawn my pageboy hat.
5. Avoid groggy blunders by using Checks, Captures and Threats method.
Hopefully my routine can be of use to traveling chess tournament players or those who work in a mentally demanding field with varying shifts. At the least, it answers the curiosity of “How does Coach Chris do it?” Feel free to comment with your own thoughts on batting drowsiness when working at odd hours.