Exile, I agree somewhat, but it depends on what you mean by gloating. Certainly, Kasparov has noted that he is the best player in the world and that there's no sense in pretending he's not. But this is not really being a "gloating winner" (or, after his 2000 match with Kramnik, being a sore loser). It's a frank appraisal of the facts; he's the best. But I am quite sure that he has never said, "hehe, you're going to lose" to Karpov in the middle of a match. I hate those kinds of players (anyone who has played chess on Yahoo.com knows what I mean). I can't stand anyone who attempts to gain a psychological edge against an opponent with interim banter. Gloating is playground tactics.
I never lose games of chess due to my opponent's brilliance; I lose the game for myself. Either I succumb to pressure because my opponent is making good moves consistently, or my plan is not correct, or I make a very bad blunder; but at the end of the game my own shortcomings permit my opponent to win. I like Sun Tzu's saying, "To be unconquerable does not necessarily mean that the enemy can be conquered. To be conquerable lies with the enemy; to be unconquerable lies with you." If you take responsibility for your own playing, and retain your objectivity, you will learn from your own mistakes and your opponent's gloating will be insignificant. Smyslov's philosophy was, "When I play a game of chess, I will make 40 good moves. If my opponent makes 40 good moves, the game will end in a draw." That's a valuable way of thinking, and I try to imitate it.
while i don't like losing and am a very competitive person by nature being a good loser makes becoming a good winner easy. A person who gloats will tend to overlook weaknesses in their playing simply due to their own arrogance. If i can take just one thing from a lost game then i will become a better player. Good sportsmanship and disipline are just as essential as skill.
In the end its just a game, just take it on the chin and get on with trying to win your next game.
Originally posted by KAMachiavelliChess is a game of mental toughness and being mentally flexible. Letting silly banter get you off your game is the textbook definition of weak minded. Letting some pinhead affect the way you think?
Exile, I agree somewhat, but it depends on what you mean by gloating. Certainly, Kasparov has noted that he is the best player in the world and that there's no sense in pretending he's not. But this is not really being a "gloating winner" (or, after his 2000 match with Kramnik, being a sore loser). It's a frank appraisal of the facts; he's the ...[text shortened]... , the game will end in a draw." That's a valuable way of thinking, and I try to imitate it.