This is a question I often struggle with when I play in tournaments.
Because on the one hand I want to play against 'weak' opponents to beat them, but then it's also scarier to lose to them because I'm afraid of losing ratings. What do you think about this issue?
Vice versa for strong opponent you want to gain rating by defeating them but they are stronger than you
Games against stronger opponents are space for growth. You’re pushed to think deeper, adapt to unfamiliar ideas, and confront weaknesses in your play. Losses here are not failures but investments.
Games against weaker opponents test your precision and discipline. The fear of losing to them is a mental trap, deep breathe and focus.
Playing opponents rated 100-200 higher feels best. It has the advantage of feeling more relaxed (it's them who is supposed to win) and just do my best but I don't get completely outplayed from the start without even having an idea what I did wrong.
I have the rating range set to plus or minus 250, but I do not like it when folks more than about 100 points above the high end of my range accept a match. Maybe that is a character flaw, but I feel the way I feel.
I prefer slow 2300s they're ez to flag lol
You need a mixture of both. It is important to be stretched in your playing ability, so you must be prepared to challenge stronger players 100-200 points above you; that's how you improve. At the same time, you must develop the killer instinct to convert positions where you have an advantage into an actual win, so you should have no reservations about playing someone 100-200 points below your rating.
(That also prevents you from getting demoralised from suffering defeat after defeat.)
I prefer playing equal or stronger opponents. When I play against weaker opponents, I like them to do the attacking while I parry all their attacks and wait for them to implode or quit.
@eitan1111 said in #1:
> This is a question I often struggle with when I play in tournaments.
> Because on the one hand I want to play against 'weak' opponents to beat them, but then it's also scarier to lose to them because I'm afraid of losing ratings. What do you think about this issue?
do you have a FIDE rating?
i like playing stronger opponents because if you win you get i lot of rating points and if you lose you don't lose much rating.
