Are players afraid to rematch?

Why do most players ignore or decline a rematch offer?

This is especially true of players who have just won. I find very little of these players want to play again. The highest chance of rematch happens when someone wins by a total landslide, the inference being they assume another easy win.

It's not that I don't understand all cases of declined rematches. I can understand the motives to decline a rematch if you lost, especially in avoiding an opponent who just crushed you. But I find an annoying amount of players decline the rematch to a game they just won.

Maybe this is only true of players in my ELO range. But I find it true in all time controls (or at least the ones I play).

It's bad game. Almost always I find this person playing again anyway. And I'm not picking rematches based on who I think I can beat--I offer rematches to every player who beats me.

My only conclusion is that the players who avoid a rematch after winning do so because they are a bit cowardly. They don't want to give up the feeling of having bested someone, and having successfully robbed that person a chance at redemption, they go on to the much easier task of losing to a random opponent.

These are my conclusions, but what are yours?

I can only speak for myself. But I am not worried about losing twice in a row. And in fact if we have approximately the same rating there is no reason to think you have an advantage in a second game.

However, when I lose a game, I want to know why. And so I do a game analysis to find out what my mistakes were. If there was an option to say, "Hey, I would love to play a rematch, just give me 5 minutes to look over my game" I would take it, but alas that isn't an option.

After a win, I will typically accept a rematch, because I don't have the same need to immediately see what I did wrong. Also I know that the opponent want revenge and I figure it is impolite not to give them that chance.

But why rematch?

Besting, redemption, cowardice.. no. People do not want to play a competition, it is too stressful, and they don't want to make friends, it is too engaging. And that is not to say 'always' or 'never' but it's what might drive the low rematch stats. Everything is easier when you play chess in streets, park or club. I play series or I don't online, but I always play series OTB. I mean, we just met. It would also be a stretch to switch and switch seats and tables every game. Unless in a blitz tournament, of course :)

Fine by me...I'm also didn't want to play after losing the game...y play 5 game just to know my weakness than just once by chess analysis... wasting energy and data

its often someone else that plays the rematch ,a much better player

Why do you ponder on why someone you do not know does? No on agreed to play more than one game with you so no reason to assume that they would play twice with you. I never propose rematch and never accept. whole rematch feature is just an annoyance which i simply ignore. You do not need reason NOT to do something. You need reason to do and in case of rematch there just ain't one

Considering that you can find a new match almost instantly, rematches offer no value other than to satisfy a bruised ego or to attempt to game the rating system by repeatedly playing against players you consider overrated (or you simply match well against).

I severely dislike both motivations, so I don't offer or accept rematches. May we meet again in the randomly determined future.

In blitz and bullet games rematches indeed don't make a lot of sense,it's always possible to play with new opponent instantly,I don't bother with that and go on to new game regardless of result most of the time. It could be different in rapid and classical though,you and your opponent might have started an interesting conversation during game, beautiful tactical combination arose on the board etc..reasons and then it's pretty normal to just have another game with this person. But speaking of playing with lichess friends, rematch is a good option to have to play agreed series of games without having to request a re-challenge all the time.

There are definitely some more advantages and drawbacks of rematch feature, but these were my main key points I noticed while being a Lichess player for 7 years.

One of the reasons I accept rematches less and less that too often when I accept a rematch, in the new game, my opponent just doesn't make a first move.