Headwear

[JustinHorton]

[Matt Mackenzie]

Pal Benko wore sunglasses to counter the piercing stare of Mikhail Tal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKvy0spdWY4

And, famously, a somewhat amused Tal got a silly "novelty" pair to wear in retaliation.

Benko officially complained, and frankly looked a bit stupid

[Stewart Reuben]

When I was 13 an adult opponent explained to me that the best ploy, when playing a female opponent, was to ladder her stockings with one's shoe as one sat down. I was aware that stockings were very expensive. It's all his fault that I am an arbiter.

[Keith Arkell]

Gata Kamsky often wears a baseball cap at the board. I as often as not wear my golf cap. The reasons aren't complicated. On a cold day it keeps me warm ( we lose a lot of body heat out of the top of our heads - especially us baldies!), and on a hot day it protects my head from the sun. I just happen to have the hat with me sometimes when I'm indoors and, just like when I'm playing, keeping the thing on my head is simply a convenient place to park it. I think it can help a bit by sort of tunnelling your vision though.

[Andy_Stoker]

Mike Surtees is very attached to his Bucket hat.

[Phil Morgan]

Keith has put his finger on it at the end. Nobody picked up the racehorse analogy. Blinkers are applied to a horse to aid concentration. A GM shouldn't need this, but for a young player entering a higher grade of competition, it can only help to cut out distraction and focus on the board. If the kid is playing amazingly well like these 2, their shield can disarm the stronger opponent who is expected and expecting to win.