There is no doubt that Bronstein's shrewd understanding of chess psychology was crucial to his success. Without it, his impetuous style and technical flaws might have relegated him to a minor career.

Since your mental state can have such dramatic effects on your body, obviously your physical condition can affect your mental well-being. It follows that regular physical conditioning should be part of your overall chess training.

Under no circumstances should you play fast if you have a winning position. Forget the clock, use all your time and make good moves.

According to such great attacking players as Bronstein and Tal, most combinations are inspired by the player's memories of earlier games.

There is nothing wrong with trying to exploit the natural human tendency to become impatient when forced to play a boring position.

When you defend, try not to worry or become upset. Keep your cool and trust your position - it's all you've got.

Typically, in the last round of open tournaments the level of play is markedly lower, the number of blunders higher.