Five-Year-Olds Still Need Plenty of Sleep

The Chess Olympiad is a grueling tournament even for adult players.

Eleven rounds over the course of two weeks.

It’s rare for a game to end quickly.

Players have to sit in front of the board and concentrate for two hours, three hours, or even longer than four.

Their bodies stay still, but their minds keep working nonstop, so by the time a game is over, they’re as exhausted as if they’d exercised.

And as soon as a game ends, they have to prepare for their next opponent.

They check who they’ll be facing tomorrow, look through that player’s games, and practice how to respond to their opening.

Before they know it, the night has grown late, and they haven’t had a proper chance to rest.

Then they play another long game the next day.

For two whole weeks...