Today i played my first rapid game on the site with IM Ericrosen rated 2400+, he was streaming and was accepting random challenges , i droped a challenge which got accepted and we played the game , eric is my inspiration to play chess.
He played a dubious fun opening which i was not aware of , the subject comes here tat i found the best moves which would save me from getting crushed, but i didnt play them coz i was very nervous and ended up getting forked entire game. The point is tat i was not even able to play normal moves, my question is how to overcome the psychological aspects while ur playing the game against a high rated player ?? Your suggestions will be very helpful to me and everyone who starts has begginer. Thank you
Play the board, not the player.
He who is scared, gets beaten as well.
personally i think it would be pretty normal to be quite nervous and play well under par if you're challenging your 'inspiration.' and on top of it he was streaming....... i think it's just fun, at this point. now, if you're playing him in a tournament, that's different.
I have a major serious issue with this. The solution is to play more and its gets easier. But for me I think it will take me a long time to recover from it. On another site I play correspondence chess and my rating is above 1600. Here I can barely maintain a 1200 rapid rating because of extreme nervousness. I play OTB as well. Last weekend I lost 3 games and lost about 100 rating points. I think my OTB rating is currently at least 3 hundred points below what I would be capable of if I didn't fall apart. The month before that I won 2 games in a rows of players of the same rating. (In a G/120 I can spend a long time making sure I didn't blunder. But in a G/45 I fall apart because of the time pressure and on this site in a 15|5 I am terrible).
The psychological issue is the major reason I let years ago by without playing because I just didn't know how to get past that. In puzzles I can solve puzzles that are over 1800. But a puzzle isn't a person sitting across from you and waiting on you to make a move. That is a major difference. So then I tried playing engines. I can do well against engines. But its totally different because real people do not play like engines. Its not the same.
So I think I know the solution but I have been unsuccessful in doing it. I think the solution is to just forget about the rating system and play many games. The thing I am focusing on right now is not blundering. I'm looking at all the captures, checks, threats, and vulnerabilities every move. In that OTB tournament I lost 2 games to leaving a piece free for the taking. I can't see that my piece is being attacked and unprotected but I can easily see a 3 move tactic that wins a rook. (I did this very thing in the 3rd OTB game that I ultimately lost. After winning the guys rook.)
Although you'd think not leaving lose pieces is easy, it isn't easy when you are extremely nervous and feel like you cannot win. I sit there literally unable to think. 10 mins might pass where I haven't calculated at all because I am in a state of extreme anxiety.
Anyway, don't give up. But we have to play a lot of games to get over this.
If you're not a titled player by the age of 15 (and a strong GM by 18) you should never look at chess as more than a hobby. You won't ever be world champion or even in the conversation.
So, you should ask yourself why you are putting so much pressure on yourself to win at a largely meaningless game that will likely be solved in the next 20-30 years.
Chess is a hobby and something I do to relax. If you don't look at that way then you should question why you are playing. Maybe there is something in your real life that you are avoiding dealing with and are using chess as a replacement or distraction. Have fun with chess. Play crazy moves and take each loss as a lesson to get better.
Thank you so much to tpr inmaniac doublebanzai for Ur replies and for Ur time. And savage47 bro tats so true and tats the truth. Now I am feeling good, and I have change my perspective towards chess. No fear to lose becoz it's just a game, no big deal.
I get very nervous as well. I can solve fairly high rated puzzles and even beat 1900 players (if they are friends). Playing people I don't know stresses me. The other day I won a great game and my opponent was calling me a computer cheat all the way through the game. There are some nasty people out there which never helps with the stress levels. I get way more enjoyment playing unrated games. You seem like a very good player, so take comfort in the fact that you can't possibly lose as many games as me!
I don't think losing a game, per se, is the problem. What is it about losing a game that creates the fear? Is it fear of being judged? Fear of failing to meet up to expectations you have of yourself? Just keep in mind that failing is part of the learning process. People who are good at something have messed up more than most. For example, a basketball player has missed more baskets than most people. A boxer has been hit more than most people. Take each loss in stride and see it as an opportunity to fix your mistakes and gain experience.
If you get nervous by looking at your opponent's higher-than-yours rating, then simply don't look at it. That's probably your best way not to get discouraged.
Although, don't expect this to help you win against players like grand masters if you're not at that level. Especially in longer time controls.