I just resigned in a rated game because I thought it was a casual game and didn't matter. Just goes to show how much attention I am paying when I play! I also am often playing a piece down without noticing, that's why I am playing a lot of casual games. I used to enjoy playing but less and less so these days. Is there any way I can get my chess mojo back?
Don't play for awhile - a few days, a few weeks, a few months - until you believe that your mojo is back.
The real question is why you play chess ?
When you got the answer, you will enjoy chess again !!!
P.S : my little tips, maybe not the key for you but worth a try -> i'm playing chess for three reason :
1) Have fun
2) Have fun
3) Have fun
Hope it gonna help you :D
When you got the answer, you will enjoy chess again !!!
P.S : my little tips, maybe not the key for you but worth a try -> i'm playing chess for three reason :
1) Have fun
2) Have fun
3) Have fun
Hope it gonna help you :D
I have made every mistake imaginable in the approximately 1,500 games I have played on this site. Once, I walked my king over to my opponent's rook on my back rank so that I could attack it and advance my pawn that was only one move from queening. So I got my opponent to move his rook over and thought I lost my wifi when I couldn't promote. It's important to remember which way your pawns are supposed to move! I thought I had one move to promote instead of seven moves. Many of you should feel better about your game after reading this!!!! It doesn't get any worse.
I had a USCF player rated about 2050 tell me that I should look for any checks or hanging pieces on every move. I try to kinda look for everything on every move anyway, and besides, it seems like a lot of work to run down a checklist of things to watch out for on every move.
Truth is, I'm no prodigy. I wish I was. I've gotten better at looking at the order in which I initiate an exchange though. I blunder less often. But I still miss things. When I first started playing on this site I would allow a stalemate to my opponent that was totally avoidable. And I have done this with many pawns on the board so I was surprised that I allowed a stalemate (none of my opponent's pawns could move, of course).
I had a USCF player rated about 2050 tell me that I should look for any checks or hanging pieces on every move. I try to kinda look for everything on every move anyway, and besides, it seems like a lot of work to run down a checklist of things to watch out for on every move.
Truth is, I'm no prodigy. I wish I was. I've gotten better at looking at the order in which I initiate an exchange though. I blunder less often. But I still miss things. When I first started playing on this site I would allow a stalemate to my opponent that was totally avoidable. And I have done this with many pawns on the board so I was surprised that I allowed a stalemate (none of my opponent's pawns could move, of course).
Hi,
I understand completely what you are saying. I refer to it as "Chess Burnout". Another way to describe it is I just feel "Blah" (those times where I'm frustrated or I just don't seem to have the desire to practice or play). For me, it seems to cycle at least once or twice a year and therefore it can become quite frustrating. In an effort to minimize the impact I've devised a way to help me get the desire / enjoyment back.
1.) Watching a tournament with my favorite players. It doesn't have to be a current tournament. I go to Livestream or Youtube and find a past tournament that I enjoyed & watch specific rounds. Examples of some of the tournaments I will watch:
livestream.com/ccscsl/YourNextMoveGCTOfficial/videos/126713945
livestream.com/ccscsl/NorwayChess2015
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4fdtcw_day-1-full-show-gct-official-us_videogames
livestream.com/chesscast/RapidBlitz2016
For me a lot also comes from who is doing the commentary. My favorite combo's are: Yasser/Ramirez/Ashley/Shahade/Sachdev, Miro/Rudolf, Williams/Houska or Steil-Antoni and Svidler/Gustafsson. A lot of people don't like Maurice Ashley because he uses an engine a lot but he's quick and he gets excited about chess.
I have to admit there's almost a 100% guarantee that watching a good tournament w/good commentary will help deliver the needed desire & enthusiasm for me.
2.) I spend time catching up on my favorite players/commentators twitter & facebook feeds, I'll check out some of my favorite chess sites / resources (ex: 2700chess.com). For whatever reason reading about what is going on in their lives helps me if I'm feeling blah.
3.) This may sound a little odd but one thing that seems to really help is listening to any of my favorite BBC audio plays, drama's or interviews on chess. For example, I love listening to Chess Wars (a BBC re-enactment of the Fischer/Spassky match), Across the Board (BBC series interviewing people while playing a game) or a Afternoon Play like Chess Girls (about the Polgar Sisters & how their parents raised them). I even have a spin off Doctor Who audio series called Counter Measures where there is an episode that takes place at a chess tournament.
I will also watch movies or documentaries that relate to chess. I can watch anything like Searching for Bobby Fischer or I'll watch the new Magnus movies or any one of the documentaries about Bobby Fischer or something like the NatGeo program called "My Brilliant Brain" (featuring Susan Polgar).
4.) I will turn to my books and training materials. I'm fortunate that I've amassed a quite sizable chess book collection. During the times when I'm feeling blah I don't want to do tactics or read about endgames. I need to read more about Thought Process, Attitude, Psychology and Training. Some of the default books I turn to are Dvoretsky & Yusupov Secrets of Chess Training, Aagaards Excelling at Chess (There's a good chapter at the end about Attitude) and Grooten Chess Strategy for Club Players (Good simple chapter about thought process). I also find it helps when I watch instructional chess videos by my teacher or any of the other instructors I like. Another thing that helps is when I re-read certain Novice Nook articles my teacher has written (Dan Heisman). I will also do an exercise he created called "The Stoyko Exercise". I will focus more on playing through annotated master games also.
In the end, I benefit by immersing myself in the culture and mindset of players, instructors and commentators. It does something for me but I'm having difficulty putting it into words. I honestly don't know if any of this will help you. I agree with the other people who say "have fun". I do believe that stepping back and taking a break can help. I guess in my own way I do that but I'm not stepping away completely. lol - apologies if I'm making it more confusing. :)
Good Luck!
Kind Regards,
Scott
I understand completely what you are saying. I refer to it as "Chess Burnout". Another way to describe it is I just feel "Blah" (those times where I'm frustrated or I just don't seem to have the desire to practice or play). For me, it seems to cycle at least once or twice a year and therefore it can become quite frustrating. In an effort to minimize the impact I've devised a way to help me get the desire / enjoyment back.
1.) Watching a tournament with my favorite players. It doesn't have to be a current tournament. I go to Livestream or Youtube and find a past tournament that I enjoyed & watch specific rounds. Examples of some of the tournaments I will watch:
livestream.com/ccscsl/YourNextMoveGCTOfficial/videos/126713945
livestream.com/ccscsl/NorwayChess2015
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4fdtcw_day-1-full-show-gct-official-us_videogames
livestream.com/chesscast/RapidBlitz2016
For me a lot also comes from who is doing the commentary. My favorite combo's are: Yasser/Ramirez/Ashley/Shahade/Sachdev, Miro/Rudolf, Williams/Houska or Steil-Antoni and Svidler/Gustafsson. A lot of people don't like Maurice Ashley because he uses an engine a lot but he's quick and he gets excited about chess.
I have to admit there's almost a 100% guarantee that watching a good tournament w/good commentary will help deliver the needed desire & enthusiasm for me.
2.) I spend time catching up on my favorite players/commentators twitter & facebook feeds, I'll check out some of my favorite chess sites / resources (ex: 2700chess.com). For whatever reason reading about what is going on in their lives helps me if I'm feeling blah.
3.) This may sound a little odd but one thing that seems to really help is listening to any of my favorite BBC audio plays, drama's or interviews on chess. For example, I love listening to Chess Wars (a BBC re-enactment of the Fischer/Spassky match), Across the Board (BBC series interviewing people while playing a game) or a Afternoon Play like Chess Girls (about the Polgar Sisters & how their parents raised them). I even have a spin off Doctor Who audio series called Counter Measures where there is an episode that takes place at a chess tournament.
I will also watch movies or documentaries that relate to chess. I can watch anything like Searching for Bobby Fischer or I'll watch the new Magnus movies or any one of the documentaries about Bobby Fischer or something like the NatGeo program called "My Brilliant Brain" (featuring Susan Polgar).
4.) I will turn to my books and training materials. I'm fortunate that I've amassed a quite sizable chess book collection. During the times when I'm feeling blah I don't want to do tactics or read about endgames. I need to read more about Thought Process, Attitude, Psychology and Training. Some of the default books I turn to are Dvoretsky & Yusupov Secrets of Chess Training, Aagaards Excelling at Chess (There's a good chapter at the end about Attitude) and Grooten Chess Strategy for Club Players (Good simple chapter about thought process). I also find it helps when I watch instructional chess videos by my teacher or any of the other instructors I like. Another thing that helps is when I re-read certain Novice Nook articles my teacher has written (Dan Heisman). I will also do an exercise he created called "The Stoyko Exercise". I will focus more on playing through annotated master games also.
In the end, I benefit by immersing myself in the culture and mindset of players, instructors and commentators. It does something for me but I'm having difficulty putting it into words. I honestly don't know if any of this will help you. I agree with the other people who say "have fun". I do believe that stepping back and taking a break can help. I guess in my own way I do that but I'm not stepping away completely. lol - apologies if I'm making it more confusing. :)
Good Luck!
Kind Regards,
Scott
I would like to thank everyone for their comments all of which have been useful, not least in making me think about why I play chess. I just enjoy playing, I don't really know much about the history of chess or the state of the modern game. I am not immersed in the game as some are and although I have read a few chess books in the past I no longer own any. I don't mind being beaten by a better player, it's the games where I beat myself that are the problem. I just have to accept that is going to happen from time to time I guess.
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