How to Develop Nerves of Steel

Some of the greatest chess players in history have become better players through their heavy exploration of openings and endgames. However, a key factor of the game that many players often discredit is the state of the player in the game. The key that separates Magnus Carlsen from the other top players is not his superior pre-game preparation, but rather his superior in game presence. Mainly, his incredible nerves of steel.

At any level, developing nerves of steel will advance you to the next level. This is because nerves of steel will allow you to further detach yourself from the emotional aspect of the game. Often times, the last tactic, the strategic mistake, or simply the missed opportunity comes more from heightened nervousness rather than an insufficient ability to calculate. There is a series of steps that will enable you to develop better nerves of steel, and thus outplay opponents you normally struggle against.

1. You don’t have to win right now. Chess often rewards those who are patient in their endeavors. There may be times when squash-buckling attacks will decide the game. But often times it is the player who seeks to slowly expand on his strategic advantage who will claim the victory. In your game be patient, let your opponent throw himself at you by trying to force things, and then redirect his impatience and claim your own victory.

2. Being nervous won’t change anything. Often times, when players approach the end of the game, they begin to shake and allow their nervousness to cloud their decision-making skills. Don’t let your nervousness beat you. You will be surprised at the number of wins you can get if you toss those emotions aside, and let your opponent beat himself with his own emotions.

3. Study the Classics. This is more for your own reassurance. Chances are, if you follow a plan that has successfully worked in the past, you will be less likely to be nervous about it over the board, and will not make as many mistakes.

4. You can’t change the past. Later in the game, players often burden themselves with their previous mistakes and how their position is inherently lost. Guess what? If your position is lost, you can’t change that until your opponent makes a mistake. Just make the best possible moves you can, and see if you can turn your position around. People in the past have turned around lost position, why can’t you?

Having nerves of steel is often underrated. People believe studying openings and endgames is all that is important to elevate their game to the next level. Preparation is important, but when the game is being played, all that is important is how you play that game. And nerves of steel play a major role in how well you will play any game. So follow Carlsen’s lead, and develop nerves of steel.

Too long. Didn't read.

And it's "swashbuckling".

Have you ever considered that you acquire nerves of steel by what you do off the chessboard, as opposed to on it?

Thank you FilthyBishop for the insight. I will take that into account when writing future articles.

Nocturnal, all of our nerves of steel improve through experience and increased confidence in yourself. These are methods that bring about this increased self-confidence. Things you do off the chess board, such as physical exercise, give you a clearer state of mind when evaluating things. However, they do not directly influence your ability to put your emotions aside when playing actual games.

That being said, exercising, and living your life in a positive way are excellent ways to improve other areas of your chess mentality. I highly encourage you to continue to improve your life in such a manner!

Yeah, it's a cool thread. Psychology is a huge part of any competitive endeavor.

As for "what we do off the board": It helps me sometimes to think about the challenges I've overcome in real life. It puts the game of chess in perspective. I never have the "it's just a game" mentality but I do make sure I keep balance. I've been through some hellish days in my life that I'm proud to have even survived. No matter what's going down on the chessboard, I can live any loss down. I take losses hard, but I live and learn from them.

Great post, thanks :D

basically started to play chess this summer in order to really learn to lose, no joke. i've had enough of this omnipresent fear of losing and about the same time rediscovered chess.
my goal here is not to be a good player but to become a better loser :D
this helps me to think more clear when playing, and i have far more enjoyment in the game.

liked your post #1, thanks!

It would be great if lichess.com would have a blog like the "other" chess website. We all know that what can be written in a blog can be written in a forum post, too, like this one. The only difference is forum posts are a lot more difficult to find.

When I play OTB, I only glance on occasion the clock.
On my notation paper, I circle every 10 moves to remind me to check the clock. This helps me manage time.

Before every game, I take a quick nap. The eyes are closed, but I am not sleeping, more like relaxing to clear the head before the game.

During my games, I want to stay effective. So I try to stay zen. For me, the clock is not as important as playing a blunder. If you are aware what will be the blunder, the rest of the moves are adequate when we are in time pressure.
I focus and place emphasis on the immediate position of the chessboard. I search for active, inactive, mobile or choked pieces and the number of times a square is controlled. I basically play like I would be solving chess puzzles. I am not nervous when I solve chess puzzles. A solution within a reasonable amount of time is all that really matters. When in time pressure, a solution is better than no solution.