I mean hours on end where you basically lose every game. Sometimes I experience those supermeltdowns. Two questions: 1. Do you guys have those lows as well? 2. Why do they happen?
Basically, it’s just tiredness. Chess is often decided by small things and so a bit fatigue will cost you dearly. It affects the tactical prowess but not the strategical knowledge.
Measures: just stop. What else?
Alternative: you can play unrated^^
Measures: just stop. What else?
Alternative: you can play unrated^^
Sure, I've had it happen lots of times.
One thing to do is just stop playing and go do something else. Probably even better is to be disciplined from the start: Say "I'm going to play 5 (10, whatever) games this session, then stop." Regardless of the outcome. If you win all of them, great. If you lose all of them, fine. Playing for hours on end and just getting more tilted is not going to make you play better.
One thing to do is just stop playing and go do something else. Probably even better is to be disciplined from the start: Say "I'm going to play 5 (10, whatever) games this session, then stop." Regardless of the outcome. If you win all of them, great. If you lose all of them, fine. Playing for hours on end and just getting more tilted is not going to make you play better.
Interesting... you are saying “It affects the tactical prowess but not the strategical knowledge“. Has this been researched?
Is the OP talking about bullet or longer time control?
1. Yes, inexplicable spells of being off my game.
2. I know how tiredness affects my play, but I think that you have something else in mind.
What I would compare in my experience is feeling that my "chess mind" is disengaged,
or that the part of my brain that does the work is turned off. I believe that there's a psychological
issue here, and that it's not simply a matter of relative tiredness. I have no solution, but tend
to keep on playing thinking that I can play through it – never happens!
2. I know how tiredness affects my play, but I think that you have something else in mind.
What I would compare in my experience is feeling that my "chess mind" is disengaged,
or that the part of my brain that does the work is turned off. I believe that there's a psychological
issue here, and that it's not simply a matter of relative tiredness. I have no solution, but tend
to keep on playing thinking that I can play through it – never happens!
#4, sure. You know your theoretical strategical stuff. It is not that if White is tired he will attack the Queen‘s wing in the Dragon... it the small tactics details that will be missed.
Why prevent them ...enjoy your meltdown. The next day you’ll quickly return to whatever you strength is.
This past week I dropped over 150 points in tactics and over 50 points in my standard time control.
I gave my brain a reasonable amount of time to dummy up, it did not.
I've now sent Johnny Walker upstairs to have a discussion with my brain, and I think that it may be helping.
In my experience, threatening your brain with hard booze can help it rededicate itself.
"Look here, Brain, either we can both enjoy ourselves playing some reasonable chess, or I can enjoy myself making use of the fermentation process. This is not a threat, but you should choose wisely."
I gave my brain a reasonable amount of time to dummy up, it did not.
I've now sent Johnny Walker upstairs to have a discussion with my brain, and I think that it may be helping.
In my experience, threatening your brain with hard booze can help it rededicate itself.
"Look here, Brain, either we can both enjoy ourselves playing some reasonable chess, or I can enjoy myself making use of the fermentation process. This is not a threat, but you should choose wisely."
@Elmerson Part of the phenomenon is that playing another game becomes more compulsive and addictive. And the harder we try to reach that elusive state of 'form' that we think we should be in, the more that effort interferes with the natural rhythm that is necessary. [When I read that back over, it sounds stupid, but it seemed insightful when I wrote it.]
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