It actually relaxes me a bit since I'm expected to lose. In my case, this turns out to be a good thing because I am not as nervous so I spend more time studying the board. When I'm playing someone my own rating I play far more impulsively and make stupider blunders.
Originally posted by Dance Master MCI keep losing to Korch (User 124624) and I want to keep trying to beat him. ðŸ˜
Do you feel when you play a game against someone 400 points higher than you intimidated at all? or does it push you to try harder against them?
Originally posted by Dance Master MCIts harder to play someone 400 points below you. You expect to win but think it will be easy so you play fast and loose. You make mistakes. Suddenly you are down so you need to focus and claw it all back. That is hard work.
Do you feel when you play a game against someone 400 points higher than you intimidated at all? or does it push you to try harder against them?
Originally posted by Dragon FireExactly. Except make that two hundred points. For some reason I have no respect for 1400s and it's cost me many a game.
Its harder to play someone 400 points [b]below you. You expect to win but think it will be easy so you play fast and loose. You make mistakes. Suddenly you are down so you need to focus and claw it all back. That is hard work.[/b]
I used to get intimidated by high rated players when I was in the 1500's, but not any more. they're just people like everyone else, they're not perfect. they make mistakes like the rest of us, theirs are just smaller and less frequent in a statistical sense. you just need to catch their mistakes and not commit any yourself, and there you go. it's that easy. 😛
now I know I can give them a run for their money, no matter how big the rating difference. I may not be able to keep up statistically against them over a longer period, but I can even outplay them on smaller scale, especially on tactics.
I definitely do play more focused against superior opponents.
Originally posted by Dragon FireIts only difficult if you take that approach (which i have to say is a bit arrogant) all you need to do is play solidly and wait for the misstake.
Its harder to play someone 400 points [b]below you. You expect to win but think it will be easy so you play fast and loose. You make mistakes. Suddenly you are down so you need to focus and claw it all back. That is hard work.[/b]
Originally posted by Dragon FireClan challenge 111842
Its harder to play someone 400 points [b]below you. You expect to win but think it will be easy so you play fast and loose. You make mistakes. Suddenly you are down so you need to focus and claw it all back. That is hard work.[/b]
Originally posted by Dance Master MCThey don't have to 400 points higher.
Do you feel when you play a game against someone 400 points higher than you intimidated at all? or does it push you to try harder against them?
I'm getting hammered in several of my games in progress & just lost to a player 200 points below me.
Game 3928863
Originally posted by Dance Master MCIntimidated? Nah. I picture a wimpy 30 year old mama's boy who is hiding in his basement playing chess 15 hours a day, and the rest of the day reading kiddie porn. makes me want to beat him. Of course when I'm eventually at that rating it' will be the 2100 people that I give that vision to. 🙂
Do you feel when you play a game against someone 400 points higher than you intimidated at all? or does it push you to try harder against them?
I see two people higher rated than me. There are those that are much better than me. In those games, I tend to play what I feel is my best. I avoid most tactical errors and even most of the big strategic ones. In fact, when going it over with them, they usually have a hard time pin-pointing the move or series of moves that lead to my loss. We both recognize that I was never "winning," but that im usually positionally down but made it very very interesting and difficult. They often go to say I (at 1350) am under rated.
Then there are those that are a couple hundred points (I was talking about those 1900-2100 guys) above me. These guys are like 1500-1700. These are the guys I know I need to beat in order to progress as a player. And these are the guys I blunder against. These are the guys I make strategic mistakes against. And as a result, I usually lose these.
So i think intimidation plays a factor: on the really good players, it challenges me. On those better than me that I think I need to beat, it puts pressure on me that makes me crack.
One thing that helps though, is that you need to have a belief in your mind that if you play your absolute best, solid, chess, that you have the devine ability to win.
I think that in order to beat better players you have to forget that they are better and just play the game. The minute you give them an ounce of respect across the board you are giving away the fight. I've gotten decent games which would have lead to a draw and a few wins against 2000+ players here at rhp blitz by just playing my style and not showing any signs of fear or nerves. It works both ways as the higher rated player expects to win. When facing someone rated lower you have to think that they are good and will play up to their potential.