Are you “self-destructing” when playing chess tournament? Not about skill; purely psychological.
Let’s take John Smith as an examples:
Case 1:
When facing the lower rated player, John Smith finds it hard not to focus on rating during the game, then it adds a lot of stress to him. Deep down, he thinks he is not expected to lose.
Then he loses..
He loses because:
- he focuses too much on potential losing
- and he is exhausted because of the stress
- or skill wise the opponent might be just stronger
Case 2:
When John Smith does really well in a tournament and it comes to the last round:
He could win the entire tournament if he wins the last round.
Or he could win the entire tournament if he draws the last round.
Or sometimes he can only win the tournament if he wins the last round.
But he absolutely will get nothing if he loses.
People start to talk to him like this:
“You just need a draw to win the whole thing..”
“An easy draw then the prize is yours…”
“You have to win this round to get the title.. Otherwise you get nothing..”
John Smith finds it really hard to focus on the game itself.
Then often time, John Smith loses the game, with tears in his eyes and self-confidence collapses to the dirt.
If he can calm down and focus on what really matters here: Chess itself!
Case 3:
When facing higher rated player, John Smith happily plays the game with no stress. It does not bother him because he thinks:
- This guy is too strong; look at his rating. Man, there is no way I can beat him.
- I am expected to lose
- It is ok to lose to higher rated player because my rating won’t reduce too much
Then he loses the game.
Many other cases:…
…
We call this “self-destructing” because this is actually a battle between John Smith and himself. He beats himself psychologically.
Does it happen to you? Of course.
Does it make you look like an idiot or dumb head, or somebody has no future in chess?
No, it is quite common among chess players. It works as a test to eliminate players who are not willing to adjust themselves to the correct mindset. Only those who are open to solid approaches to improve themselves stay in the battle.
Then how can I improve my mindset?
Different people might have different approaches.
Here is some practical detailed actions: but also keep it in mind that the process might need some time.
- When the round starts, don’t think about the result; don’t think about anything. Just play chess.
- Rating?: there is no such thing like: “I am supposed to win”. As chess is such a complex game which involves tremendous attacking and defensive, the result is very much uncertain at the outset. A higher rated player does not deserve anything. So just play chess, instead of thinking about “I cannot lose as I am expected to win”.
- Prize?: Do you absolutely need the money from the tournament? The answer usually should be “no”.
- Title?: thousands of players are playing chess but only few have titles. It is nice to think you should get the title; but before you have the ability to focus on Only the Game itself, better stop hallucinating. Trust me, when you have better command of your focus, you will get to the level of the titled players. In the end, chess is not for those who have weak mind. But the good thing is, you can try focusing on the game bit by bit and you will be stronger and stronger, both mentally and technically.
- If I lose the game, my parents will be mad.: if you are still playing chess for your parents; stop reading this article, because sooner or later you will quit chess if you don’t start playing chess ONLY for yourselves.
- In summary: when playing chess, just focus on chess itself. Rating is irrelevant; the result is irrelevant; Just Try to Stay in the Moment.
- Your goal is not “not to lose”. Your goal is “to play a good quality game; to play your level”. Always strive to play best moves/correct moves and do your very best white you are working towards the end.
- Daily exercise: to help your brain function well in the last round
- Enough sleep/rest: to recharge your battery
- Eat healthy food: to provide sufficient ingredients that your body needs
Photo credit to:
http://www.sec-ed.co.uk/best-practice/teaching-strategies-to-create-growth-mindsets/