Chromosomes condense before mitosis to allow them the ability to move smoothly, without becoming entangled and breaking. (So, they are conveniently packaged for cell division, in which the chromosomes must move to both poles of the cell.)
Explanation: Otherwise it would be a massive mess to untangle and separate like a meesed up fishing reel jammed with line mixed together with the jammed lines from 3000 other messed up lines
