I think I'm playing what some people call 'hope chess'. As in "this'll be cool as long as he plays X and lets me do Y" -- instead of "sadly, it can be refuted with Z, so I'd better find an alternative move..."

Spice it up in clubgames; save your A-game for the league games and tourneys?

I may be talking nonsense, but on the other hand I too would like to know/find out- if a daring move would work out, the <unable to resist> factor seems very human -- depends on your mood, too.

But if you find 'Z' easily I'd decline the risk, as I am too competitive a sob to let slip a win.

Dear me what a serious and dry post I just typed...

This quote from a Hans Ree column might amuse you:

-- One of his characters was called the Loathsome. Someone who utters statements just because they suit him and makes no effort to find out if they are really true.

"He disdains to test his theories and scratching his head he considers thinking. When he talks he chatters; when he writes he babbles. His concepts are so slimy that everything connects with everything. This sodden mass he considers the sediment of his experience; and he has only to stir it to get a consistent theory."

-- excerpt, copied from the PDF file from <J. T. Barendregt> (Branko alerted me to it, the column in full you can find through a link at the Barendregt-page)

Bizarrely, I'm doing quite well in club matches: 50% so far against opposition rated over 2000. But any gains made are offset by my last (disastrous) tournament - also 50%, but opponents rated about 500 pts lower. And a club championship where I didn't win a game until round 4 (!).

The old erratic thing -- can beat anyone on a good day, or lose to anyone on a bad day -- seems to have returned, with a vengeance.

In rating terms, I'll have to struggle to stay over 1800. A year ago, I felt the same way about 1900, and my 'plan' was to get back up to 2000. So it goes.

[Event "IRL-ch"]
[Site "Dublin"]
[Date "2007.06.30"]
[Round "3"]
[White "McCarthy,G"]
[Black "Khonji,A Hameed"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Eco "E07"]
1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 Nbd7 4.d4 e6 5.0-0 c5 6.c4 Be7 7.cxd5 exd5 8.Nc3 0-0 9.dxc5 Nxc5 10.Nd4 Be6 11.Bg5 Qd7 12.Rc1 h6 13.Bxf6 Bxf6 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Nxd5 Be7 16.Rxc5 1-0

In my case I developed a preparation routine, that allowed me to clearly distinguish the difference in lead up, ie. preparation, both mental and physical, in order to assure myself of enough rest, long warming up etc etc. -- Also ignoring ratings (win/lose percentages) of my opponents, simply because I knew I could beat the best except for a few in the highest league...

Following a few mental excercises, along with breathing and relaxation, it was really mine to win- and mine to lose... After a while I needed to add a few things, drop a few others, and in doing so acquiring more insight in what constitutes a "bad day", and a good day...

What I kept noticing, though, was that I could play like a maniac, when I was put with my back against the wall, when pure survival instincts could take over...

But the highest level I reached when I managed to "go in" with a clean sheet, clear head, focus on my own game, and selfconfidence was abundant as a result.

These last few sentences are of course the challenge at any level of competition, and still sports-psychologists are using all kinds of angles, because it is a mysterious process to control, although the top guys show their class during pressure moments, even with- or without conscious preparation.

Jess and I just scratched the surface by focusing a bit on how to deal with emotions following a win or a loss...

how come you never refer to two esteemed Froggies namely Messr Uhlmann and Fuchs ?

also the new Chief Tadpole in waiting

This sounds very ratings-driven, but even without a rating system it wouldn't be hard to divide opponents into 'weaker' and 'stronger' categories. Probably.

Now that I've been playing on a team, I'm starting to get comments from my team-mates on how my games look. They often say things like 'complex' and 'difficult' ... while their games sometimes look dull to me.

I don't play 19th-century style tactical attacks, but maybe I ratchet up the tension too much, leading to positions where anything can happen, and a slip on either side is disastrous. If one is simply playing percentages, this is a dangerous tactic against opponents that one 'should' beat: simplicity pays off more often.

I wanted to follow up my post with a paraphrase of your <wary of one-size-fits-all> remark...

But I built it in already in my post, reading it back now, but less transparant, than it could have been.

I should purify towards a short advisory type thing, where I'd single out the good day/bad day awareness and subsequently dealing with it as simple as possible-- something like that...

<Insufficient fear> What is fear? From a few of your posts I sense that you indeed have very solid defense mechanisms, as a person in general, so you may well be a tad careless against the lower rated guys, knowing you can move up a gear etc.. But during a chessgame that is hard to do... You're stuck for the rest of the game with your last "careless" move...

You pointed at that precisely with the edgy positions that are relatively unforgiving, in your post.

Still processing data, Fearless Leader. Sputtering some back in some weird way...

I miss Jess too. In the sense that I hope she's managing.

I hadn't heard the Icelandic Doctor's quote being mentioned earlier at chessgames or elsewhere.

Just zoomed in on Morelia. Anand looks to have "ratcheted up" quite some tension against Carlsen, who took a loooong time to "think" how to dissolve the tension... Fascinating play.

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/chess/s... (Febr. 10th 2008)

The main thing is you are kicking ass lately OTB.

Remember the formula for the "fear factor" I posted for you awhile ago?

Tape it up on your wall, then keep your eyes open with toothpicks and take a whole pile of methamphetamine and look at it for 48 hours.

Then read <A Clockwork Orange>.

After, take some "Ludes", get some sleep, and have a nice cuppa!!

Well it's just advice. I'm not a trained chessotherapist, though I imagine I play one on TV sometimes.

It's taken me a FULL WEEK to recover from two tough, tough beats. I just played my first Yahoo game since then and I won easily against a Petrov-- I felt loose and energetic at the same time, I saw things quicker than usual.

He made only one mistake-- I knew the opening better-- so he lost his e-pawn with no compensation and I played him down to an endgame where my extra pawn was a sure winner.

Heh

AWROAOAODJAKDJ

I cant help it I just love winning.

And whining!!

It's no accident the words are almost spelled the same.

<Niels>: Our discussion of chess psychology has been ongoing, both in public and in EMU form-- it's helping mea lot and I beleive these discussions are actually making some kind of progress to a point-- though I agree there is no "one size fits all" point about any kind of psychological state.

Morphette of the calmed down today.

Time for a leg waxing!!

The <Korean Service Sector> kicks ass.

They make such a fuss over you. My Stylist treats me like the Queen of Sheba and they give you coffee and biscuits and everything.

<he lost his D pawn with no compensation>.

you'd think I'd know the algebraic notation by now!!

I just published one of my latest abortions in my house.

Would you give it your <considered judgement> if/when you get a chance?

It's quite an embarrassing display...

Kind of like hanging your dirty knickers in public.

Did I miss something? Have I offended the canons of decency, sod 'em?

Of course I'll look at your game. In many cultures, hanging one's dirty knickers in public is seen as a good thing -- it's proof you're not still wearing them.

Meanwhile, here are two pieces of writing on chess that are very much on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of quality and composure. First, a terrible review of a terrible book that is sure to make everyone here very angry numerous times: http://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk...

But to make up for it, a charming and thoughtful piece by James Rachels, one-time American champion, that gives us plenty to think about: http://www.bradpriddy.com/rachels/C...