Ugh, I'm annoyed.
I don't know how many games I've lost to the same player despite us being at the same skill level. This is getting on my nerves and I want this to change (duh). As I'm probably not the only player with this problem, I found it weird to not see any results on Google about this.
So, fellow Lichess players: What are some good ways to play the position and not the player sitting across the board?
Reading Steinitz and Tarrasch. And forcing yourself to make dull and ugly moves if at some point you feel they are objectively the strongest and nothing else is there to change your mind.
If you mean here online,try focus or zen mode.
Few people can 'play the postion instead the opponent'. And that is not like a best approach. Kasparov was World Champion playing his opponents!
Few people like play against engines, why? I think in some sense we can 'feel' our opponent. we tell a story to ourselves. If we make a good move, we know that our opponent saw, and to think what he thought of the move and concluding that he enjoyed makes us happy. We play chess for recognition and who recognize us are our opponents.
Your problem is not that one. What is happening to you is vanity. You think you have to play better than you currently play and when an opponent with the same strength as you beat you consistently he shows you flaws that you are not ready to accept.
'play the position' is just a escape...
Play again and again and again against that opponent. You should think WHY you are losing... That opponent are showing something about you, take this opportunity, do not run away from the opponent...
J U S T F O C U S , m a t e
"As I'm probably not the only player with this problem, I found it weird to not see any results on Google about this."
This is known in sports as nontransitive results.
A beats B, B beats C, C beats A.
A non chess related example is boxing: Frazier beat Ali, Foreman beat Frazier, Ali beat Foreman.
@will_is_mythI can agree that there are flaws, and I'm currently working on them (opening repertoire based on recent games, play more against higher rated player, etc.). But one of my problems also include me knowing that they will into play more confident than I do, and therefor I feel inferior. As a result, I play worse. I'd like to focus on the position more than I do, but past games keep me from doing so. If I could just see the position, it'd be a lot easier to focus on the game since I don't have to worry about any psychology.
As for the advice on facing the opponent, thank you :)
@kenzaburo Thanks! I'll check them out
