The Flawed 1%-Method for Exponential Chess Growth

If you get one percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done.
— James Clear

This idea has also reached the chess world, and maybe given the illusion of reaching an unreachable rating goal in record time. I decided to dig a bit deeper to find out where the 1%-method originated and how to use it.

The philosophy of marginal gains is attributed to Sir Dave Brailsford and his tenure with British Cycling as performance director.

At its core, the marginal gains philosophy isn't about an overnight transformation but rather the disciplined practice of seeking tiny, almost imperceptible improvements in everything you do.

Neither was Brailsford's approach at British Cycling wasn't about redefining the sport with one big change; instead, it was about breaking down the whole into its smallest parts and optimizing each element to its fullest potential. Brailsford had custom-made mattresses moved from hotel to hotel during the Tour de France for each rider to optimize sleep. The floor in the mechanic’s room was painted white to better to be able to see dust accumulation. No detail was too small.

To give you a bit of background, when we first started out, the top of the Olympic podium seemed like a very long way away. Aiming for gold was too daunting. As an MBA, I had become fascinated with Kaizen and other process-improvement techniques. It struck me that we should think small, not big, and adopt a philosophy of continuous improvement through the aggregation of marginal gains. Forget about perfection; focus on progression, and compound the improvements.1

— Sir Dave Brailsford

Kaizen is a Japanese way of thinking and practice focusing on continuous, incremental improvement in every aspect of life, including business, manufacturing, and personal development. It has been associated with companies like Toyota.

Within the Toyota Production System, Kaizen humanises the workplace, empowering individual members to identify areas for improvement and suggest practical solutions.2

Kaizen emphasizes small, gradual changes rather than large, sudden leaps in improvement. When related to the concept of marginal gains, Kaizen aligns closely by advocating for the accumulation of minor enhancements over time to achieve significant overall progress and excellence.
According to Brailsford, we should forget about perfection; focus on progression, and compound the improvements. James Clear's graphical representation of the 'Power of Tiny Gains' simplifies Brailsford's philosophy to a mathematical metaphor of 1% improvement daily. While this serves as an excellent viral motivational idea, it perhaps understates the irregularity of human improvement, which we often see in chess.

In chess, we see long plateaus, and sometimes, setbacks. Yet, the idea is that persistence in the pursuit of improvement, no matter how small, ultimately compounds into a significant development.
After reading into this subject I see that the marginal gains philosophy lies not only in its application to the specific act of performance but also in its potential to transform your mindset. It is meant to cultivate critical thinking, constructive feedback, and collaborative problem-solving otherwise you will not find the small improvements.

It is also worth noting that Brailford’s marginal gains philosophy has faced scrutiny over Team Sky's medical practices. Allegations suggest an unethical use of substances like triamcinolone, not merely for medical needs but to enhance performance. Such practices, while legal under therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs3). This also highlights a downside of the continuous search for marginal gains, since some might end up bending ethical rules and barriers in the pursuit.

Applying the aggregation of marginal gains to chess
Chess offers the possibility to embrace the marginal gains mindset. I have tried to adopt this mindset and brainstorm ideas for what could be effective for chess based on my intuition and general knowledge. The following is therefore an illustration of how I think the method could look in practice and is not a scientific method.

Note, that implementing all of these if chess is “just a hobby” might be a bit extreme. Nonetheless, they might heighten your life quality regardless.

Areas to look for marginal gains related to chess

1. Sleep optimization: Prioritize consistent, high-quality sleep.
2. Eat and drink healthy: Eat a healthy diet and limit alcohol intake. Make a strategy for eating healthy during tournaments.
3. Physical exercise routine: Implement physical exercise into your chess training.
4. Study environment: Create an optimal study environment that minimizes distractions and maximizes focus. Get ergonomic furniture, controlled lighting, and limit noise from your surroundings.
5. Limit phone screen time: Phones are killing your focus.
6. Pre-game routines: Develop a routine to enter a focused state before games.
7. Post-game reflection: Take time to mentally review and learn from each game.
8. Find tournament clothes: Pick clothes that make you feel good and in a competitive mindset for tournaments.
9. Find a chess coach: Find a chess coach who wants you to succeed.
10. Join a supportive community: It is important to get support from like-minded when things get tough.
11. Time management practice: Make plans for how to manage your time for specific time controls.
12. Hydration: Staying adequately hydrated during study sessions and tournaments. During tournaments, you do not want to go to the bathroom all the time either.
13. Blindfold chess training: Improving visualization skills by playing chess without looking at the board.
14. Breathing techniques: Using controlled breathing to manage stress and maintain calmness under pressure can improve focus.
15. Post-game analysis without an engine: Analyze your games without the engine first.
16. Psychological strategies: Learn strategies to cope with losses and manage tilt.

Feel free to add ideas in the comment section. I get a bit overwhelmed when I read this list, but as I understand the method described by Sir Dave Brailsford you do not have to change everything at once.
It is the small changes you make that accumulate over time, so if you want to adopt this mindset pick one thing, implement it, review the effect, and then add to that afterwards.

I thought it was a fun exercise to brainstorm all these ideas, so you could try to note down all the things affecting your performance and try to find a solution.

Finally, if you want to work on improving your chess skills incrementally www.thechessgym.com - we have a 7-day trial for only $1 right now.

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/Martin