[YeGoblynQueenne]

OK you guys. Here's the serious bit then:

>> McKay probably saw this as a bit of a holiday, while the Nigerians saw it as work.

That's probably his way of unwinding and managing his psychology after a match. It's a bit misleading for the article to bring it up as a disadvantage since he's obviously a strong player who has probably competed for some time, so he should be expected to know what works for him.

Also, you can perfectly well go to the pub without coming back with your pants on your head. I usually drink half a glass of wine, then go home and code. No reason why the guy didn't have a light drink then got back to his hotel and trained.

By contrast, the Nigerian's practice of playing 48-hour games and studying non-stop during their flight sounds more performance-degrading to me (having played a board game competitively, I won't say which). But, again: what works for them works for them.

[scott_s]

Agreed. The time before a competition is all about stress management.

[whack]

48 hours of non-stop practice does sound a little extreme, but keep in mind that this is a one-time event in the middle of their training. Not right before the competition.

Avoiding burnout is certainly important in the long run, but short bursts of intense training, with recovery time afterwards, can indeed work well.

[absolutenumber]

Stop.Just stop.You guys always begrudge success when Africans do good things.It is pathetic and low.You ought to learn to appreciate and celebrate people when they work hard to achieve success rather looking for ways to belittle their achievements.

[YeGoblynQueenne]

Did you post this under the wrong message? I didn't write anything that sounds like I'm begrudging the Nigerians their victory.

[hola_hola]

You are projecting your personal issues into this conversation. Nobody has done what you just said.