I'm having a hard time concentrating on chess and studying it. It feels like I lost interest. End of Feb, I was doing great at chess. Won a big 8 round tournament had my highest Otb rating and I was doing pretty good on Rhp also. After that I'm not sure what happenend. Putting effort into chess seemed like a drag, not as fun as it used to be. Since then I haven't been studying chess to much and recently I've stopped everything except making my moves on Rhp. I used to study at least 2 hours each day.
I'm going to take some time off from chess and see if that helps. Several sites, Gm's and Master ones, gave this advice.
Anyone else have something similar happen to them?
I have highs and lows OTB. Had a very strong run over past few months but recently have lost quite a few games.
I think part of the problem was with my grade going up, and I started to dismiss weaker players (in my mind). No good expecting any opponent to roll over just because of your grade as you simply lose if you play lazy!
I also don't think playing quick games help (which I am very guilty of). However, I wouldn't just stop playing though. Maybe just try concentrating on a different area of the game?
RahimK dont worry about how your doing right now. people have highs and lows. every once in a while i get burnt out and just start to take a few games off. one thing that may seem low but when im on a low streak i play somebody about 200 pts below me and when you beat them it shows you how far you've come from wehre you were a long time ago. dont study as much chess is very challenging and at times can break you down.
I have had this happen. Twice. I started chess up, then 6 months later I got interested in other things. Then I restarted, 8 months later, again I stopped. Now I have an insane interest in it again. Why don't you try to study something different about the game? I know from your posts that you have been studying tactics a lot, why not stop that for a little while and start to study some openings? That may be more interesting and still benefit you as you are a class A player.
Hm... My problem isn't about winning or losing games and feeling the high and low. It's that I don't feel like playing chess or studying chess. I started reading Alekhine best games, doing 5 tactic puzzles a day,working on my opening and playing some Rhp games. I stop doing all of this for the last 2 weeks I think except for Rhp. Now I have no games in progress and I'm not doing anything chess related.
Maybe the best thing to do would be to do something else for a while and then come back to chess and see what happens.
I just don't have that drive anymore. Before it was fun studying and reading but now it seems more like a burden.
Re-read a bok that you enjoyed. I liked Silman reasses your chess so im reading it right now as I got a bit bored.
Also I decided to make me study more I would make a chess site (michael-boyd.net) I like chess more after I wrote an article today that made me realise alot of things about my play and weaknesses. (www.michael-boyd.net/assess check it out)
Make a site or reread a fun book you liked
for me, thus far, its happened once....
I think I lost interest because I didn't think a was making any progress what so ever, no matter how muched I studied...at FICS i just couldn't reach 1700, which just anoyed me.
So I stopped, and did other things - I learnt shogi, Xiang Qi, checkers and Go, and played a few chess varients (like crazyhouse and suicide)
It was the learning process I found fun, and after a while I returned to chess, with a clear mind....
basically, If your fed up of chess I suggest you try another tactical game, simply to keep the mental abilities (which these game require) sharp...
Originally posted by RahimKHmm... I wonder if there is no immediate goal to aim for here... Go and dig the garden, have a beer and take the pressure off yourself. When perspective regained, set yourself a new goal and begin the preparation...You may try to give up chess but will chess give up you?
I just don't have that drive anymore. Before it was fun studying and reading but now it seems more like a burden.
Originally posted by RahimKApart from the games you have going just stop. At some point in the future you might regain interest and you can start up again. No point playing if you don't enjoy it(unless you make a lot of money).
I'm having a hard time concentrating on chess and studying it. It feels like I lost interest. End of Feb, I was doing great at chess. Won a big 8 round tournament had my highest Otb rating and I was doing pretty good on Rhp also. After that I'm not sure what happenend. Putting effort into chess seemed like a drag, not as fun as it used to be. Since then I hav ...[text shortened]... s and Master ones, gave this advice.
Anyone else have something similar happen to them?
Don't start new games or only start ones with long time banks so if you want more time off then you can have it.
Originally posted by RahimKYeah. Look at my graph. But the serious decline may be the result of only getting to move after 9 hours of intense physical work every day.
I'm having a hard time concentrating on chess and studying it. It feels like I lost interest. End of Feb, I was doing great at chess. Won a big 8 round tournament had my highest Otb rating and I was doing pretty good on Rhp also. After that I'm not sure what happenend. Putting effort into chess seemed like a drag, not as fun as it used to be. Since then I hav ...[text shortened]... s and Master ones, gave this advice.
Anyone else have something similar happen to them?
Originally posted by RahimKIt happens to me every year around this time. I believe it's called spring fever, and means that I'm due to spend a lot of time on the water in piscatorial seduction.
I'm having a hard time concentrating on chess and studying it. It feels like I lost interest. End of Feb, I was doing great at chess. Won a big 8 round tournament had my highest Otb rating and I was doing pretty good on Rhp also. After that I'm not sure what happenend. Putting effort into chess seemed like a drag, not as fun as it used to be. Since then I hav s and Master ones, gave this advice.
Anyone else have something similar happen to them?
Has happen to me too. What I did was to take 2 or 3 weeks with no chess, no books or anything. After 3 weeks, I was bubbling to play again and starting dreaming about openings. I could advice you to try the same thing, and if 3 weeks doesn't feel enough, take more time. Wouldn't you like to play after that time, why should you play? I know that I'll always come back to chess, but I wouldn't put any requirement on myself to play or study more than I want. Of course it has happend that I push myself through some pages of boring end game studies, but I wouldn't take chess so serious that I do it because I feel I have to, rather than want to. I actually wouldn't do that with anything (except my job). So like someone already mentioned take a time-out, you're probably exhausted. Do something else for a while. When you come back you'll have lots of inspiration and will. (An important thing is to not start before the time-limit you set on yourself)