What's your biggest fear in Chess?

Bobby Fischer was resurrected and came from heaven to beat the crap out of me.

My opponent turns out to be a 10-year-old prodigy Youtuber, and the resulting humiliating video goes viral.

Then my spaniel disowns me and runs away with a collie.

Come back, spaniel ... come baaaaacccckkkk. Sob.

a friend of mine back in Canada used to say that he dreaded playing little kids. If you win, you look like a heartless bully for beating up on just a little kid. If you lose, you look like an idiot. "and these days, I'm almost certain to look like an idiot"

Making a stupid mistake that costs the game then realising a second to late

Thinking about quitting it.( Chess has improved my life significantly)

@Noflaps said in #12:

My opponent turns out to be a 10-year-old prodigy Youtuber, and the resulting humiliating video goes viral.

Then my spaniel disowns me and runs away with a collie.

Come back, spaniel ... come baaaaacccckkkk. Sob.
Very funny

Being flagged with mate in 1

Getting so involved in my own plans I forget my opponent may have plans of their own. That and missing the obvious.

I',m, winning but almost out of time:10 + 0

Well, I'm following a bit of advice I read in an article and got into the habit of regularly asking all my pieces "how they are doing". Like "Hey bishop, everything alright? Are you happy on that square or shall we try to get you somewhere else? Do you want to stay on or get traded off?" That kind of thing. Well, my fear is that, some day, after they've all told me about their thoughts, some inquisitive little horsey will slowly turn its head around, look me sternly in the eye and say: "Hey, listen, man, I don't want to be a nosey horsey, but, you know, now we've all told you about how WE are doing and I'm just wondering...how the bloody hell are YOU doing?!"