DON"T do this!!!

Several years ago I went through some financial
difficulties that caused a lot of worry and stress.
My RHP rating was over 1550 at the time. I con-
tinued to play during this time. My rating fell nearly
400 points because I was using chess as an escape
from my problems. I quit chess for 10 months,
found another job, and built up my savings. Upon
returning to chess, the results have been far better.
Better concentration, fewer errors, better results.
It will be awhile before I see 1550 again, but I'm
making good progress. Most of us enjoy chess, but
DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing
needs...it does not work!
😀

Originally posted by bill718
Several years ago I went through some financial
difficulties that caused a lot of worry and stress.
My RHP rating was over 1550 at the time. I con-
tinued to play during this time. My rating fell nearly
400 points because I was using chess as an escape
from my problems. I quit chess for 10 months,
found another job, and built up my savings. Upon
retu s, but
DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing
needs...it does not work!
😀

bbbbbut its so addddddictive.😀

Originally posted by bill718
Several years ago I went through some financial
difficulties that caused a lot of worry and stress.
My RHP rating was over 1550 at the time. I con-
tinued to play during this time. My rating fell nearly
400 points because I was using chess as an escape
from my problems. I quit chess for 10 months,
found another job, and built up my savings. Upon
retu ...[text shortened]... s, but
DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing
needs...it does not work!
😀

I think if playing chess helped relieve some of the stress of your financial difficulties, then what does it really matter if your rating went down?

The problem is in the escape aspect. Instead of dealing with the problems, you just pretend they don't exist and the problems get worse. Deal with the problems then come back to chess when you have the time.

Originally posted by Fat Lady
I think if playing chess helped relieve some of the stress of your financial difficulties, then what does it really matter if your rating went down?

Maybe the point is that if you're distracted you will play badly, further increasing your stress level as you lose games you should really have won.

Originally posted by bill718
Several years ago I went through some financial
difficulties that caused a lot of worry and stress.
My RHP rating was over 1550 at the time. I con-
tinued to play during this time. My rating fell nearly
400 points because I was using chess as an escape
from my problems. I quit chess for 10 months,
found another job, and built up my savings. Upon
retu ...[text shortened]... s, but
DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing
needs...it does not work!
😀

I'm all about escaping life's pressing problems. If not chess, then what do you recommend? Booze? Drugs? Teen-age hookers?

Quote from Bill718:

"DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing needs...it does not work!

Thanks for the advice Bill718.

But what does one do if CHESS is your life.

Seems to me you have it all upside down and back to front.

You have let trivial things get on top of you.
Financial worries - huh!
I bet you loads of guys on this site have financial worries.

I once owed £31,000 to Her Majesty Government - did that bother me.
Not a bit. I played the best chess of my life.

You have looked on the bleak side. Look for the funny side.
I cheered myself up by thinking.

"I bet there is someone, somewhere, who owes more than me."

Any problems come my way I simply sit down with a good chess
book in a quiet room and the rest of the world can kiss my sweet arse.

Reinfeld's 'Great Brilliancy Prize Games of the Chess Masters.' works
for me all the time. 50 wonderful games of Chess to choose from.

Chess is a great bolt hole to escape into. I've been on this planet
for 57 orbits of the sun. I've yet to meet the problem that makes me worry.
(OK endings and some variations of the Caro Khan, but that's it).

I'm glad you got over your pressing financial worries.

But I won't be heeding your advice.

There are only three things you HAVE to do in this life.

Breathe in, breathe out, and smile.

If you cannot do any of those three - THEN you really are in trouble.

So chin up mate and learn how to shrug your shoulders - it works wonders.

To each there own. I say the only absolute here would be that you are behaving incorrectly if Chess (or anything else "extra-curricular"😉 is taking away time that you should be spending on your "problems."

Other than that, maybe it just adds to your frustration playing chess if you can not concentrate properly due to your "problems," then, if you are unable to adjust your attitude a la Greenpawn's advice, then perhaps you are better off not playing.

Personally, chess is a great release for me when I am feeling stressed.

I can cut back anytime I want....mmm kay.....

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Quote from Bill718:

"DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing needs...it does not work!

Thanks for the advice Bill718.

But what does one do if CHESS is your life.

Seems to me you have it all upside down and back to front.

You have let trivial things get on top of you.
Financial worries - huh!
I bet you loads of guys on this sit ...[text shortened]... ouble.

So chin up mate and learn how to shrug your shoulders - it works wonders.

That's some good advice. Also, I disagree with another poster who said that using chess to escape from your problems means you won't deal with them. If you have a problem, a financial one let's say, you can either worry about it all the time, or play some blitz games and for a short time forget about it and unburden yourself, if only temporarily.

Originally posted by bill718
Several years ago I went through some financial
difficulties that caused a lot of worry and stress.
My RHP rating was over 1550 at the time. I con-
tinued to play during this time. My rating fell nearly
400 points because I was using chess as an escape
from my problems. I quit chess for 10 months,
found another job, and built up my savings. Upon
retu ...[text shortened]... s, but
DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing
needs...it does not work!
😀

i have and i can play it better

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Quote from Bill718:

"DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing needs...it does not work!

Thanks for the advice Bill718.

But what does one do if CHESS is your life.

Seems to me you have it all upside down and back to front.

You have let trivial things get on top of you.
Financial worries - huh!
I bet you loads of guys on this sit ...[text shortened]... ouble.

So chin up mate and learn how to shrug your shoulders - it works wonders.

I agree. Chess IS a means towards an end. It's like this in any sport: when you're losing, you tend to get upset and start stressing small things. But when you make a goal, basket, hole-in-one, or whatever, you start to become encouraged. As I said before, this happens in any sport, also to anyone. The real trick is to limit those times in which you are depressed or worried about whatever.

Just sit down, take a deep breath, and relax with a game of chess.

Chess is my main source of stress relief. If I'm overwhelmed at work, sick, depressed, what have you, I find that sitting down for ten minutes with a cigarette and a chess game to look at has a tendency to relax me. Even if I stare at a tough game the entire time without making a move, it's the act of sitting and thinking rationally about a clearly defined problem that I find calming.

Granted, I'm only a mid-1200 hobbyist, so if I blow a game due to some crushing blunder I don't worry too much about it. Your mileage, as always, may vary.

so the moral of the story is don't let real life problems conflict with your chess!! Your chess rating will go down for some stupid real life reason/problem 😀

You should never let real life interfere with chess.

Originally posted by bill718
Several years ago I went through some financial
difficulties that caused a lot of worry and stress.
My RHP rating was over 1550 at the time. I con-
tinued to play during this time. My rating fell nearly
400 points because I was using chess as an escape
from my problems. I quit chess for 10 months,
found another job, and built up my savings. Upon
retu ...[text shortened]... s, but
DON"T use chess as an escape from life's pressing
needs...it does not work!
😀

Quite obviously, it did work in your case. keep it up!