My haunting chess confession

Through my 80's and 90's OTB years, and now the correspondence era I've often told myself and others things like: "I just enjoy playing chess" or "It's the creative aspect of the game that keep me coming back" or "Chess is a wonderful respite from the real world" While all of this are true enough I'm forced to confess that I'm quite protective when it comes to my rating, and admit to doing little things to avoid losing rating points, such as never making moves while short of sleep, taking skulls at the earliest opportunity, keeping the game load well within manageable limits, doing preliminary research on my opponents games, looking for weaknesses in their play that I might exploit in our present game etc. All of these things sound like common sense steps to take to achieve better results of course, and while I do genuinely enjoy chess, but my rating is often in the back of my mind, when I'm deciding on my next move.

Do any of you think this way as well?

No. I don't care about an online rating. Mine goes up, it goes down. For me it's not a badge of self-validation. The only purpose of a rating is to find opponents of suitable or comparable playing strength. Average opponent rating is the one that really matters. I find about one in ten games to be of special interest. Many I just grind through. I don't look at opponents' games. The majority of games are won and lost through blunders to one degree or another.

Originally posted by @pzn2pawn
No. I don't care about an online rating. Mine goes up, it goes down. For me it's not a badge of self-validation. The only purpose of a rating is to find opponents of suitable or comparable playing strength. Average opponent rating is the one that really matters. I find about one in ten games to be of special interest. Many I just grind through. I don't lo ...[text shortened]... onents' games. The majority of games are won and lost through blunders to one degree or another.

I agree.The rating points gained or lost at game end depends entirely on your opponents current rating at that time which as you say is not representative of a players ability.I'm aware of my opponents and my own rating but I set little store by it.I just treat each game in the same way.

When I get bored during the day, I want it to be my move in several games.

That is my primary motivation.

@mchill

Don't confuse the menu for the meal.

Your goal in chess is to be defeated by stronger and stronger players. The rating system is merely a rough gauge by which to estimate which opponents you should be challenging next.

"I learned more from the games I lost than from those I won." -- Capablanca

Originally posted by @bigdoggproblem
When I get bored during the day, I want it to be my move in several games.

That is my primary motivation.

I shall endeavour to bore you into a torpid and compliant state whenever it happens to be my move.

Listen to my voice: you are getting drowsy, very drowsy, .... your body is floating, floating, so peaceful.

You will leave your queen en prise.

When I snap my fingers, you will awaken and remember nothing. Nothing.

Originally posted by @moonbus
@mchill

Don't confuse the menu for the meal.

Your goal in chess is to be defeated by stronger and stronger players. The rating system is merely a rough gauge by which to estimate which opponents you should be challenging next.

"I learned more from the games I lost than from those I won." -- Capablanca

Don't confuse the menu for the meal.


It cannot be helped. The dominant "number geek" gene imbedded on my programming tells me 1600 is better than 1500, which is better than 1400 etc.

Must eat menu! 😳

Must eat menu! 😳

Must eat menu! 😳

Rating is a good way to gauge progress, but I think it's a mistake to give it too much focus. It's important to experiment, trying new ideas, making mistakes and learning. These things will hurt your rating at first, but it's good for ya. If you are always playing the best you can, it can be hard to try new things.

I think it's quite natural to explore how high your rating can go. How will you ever know if you don't take all the steps you've outlined coupled with playing your best? Even then, when you think maybe you've acheived your highest rating, you will may be able to step up your game even more. Your rating can also be motivation. If you've convinced yourself that you're not going to get any better, then maybe relax and enjoy the game in a different way but the competition you describe can also be enjoyable in and of itself. Like they used to say on Wide World of Sports, "The human drama of athletic (!?) competition!"

I echo the words of others when I say rating is merely a number,
best used as a means to determine what opponents you should play.

But!

I have used ratings as targets, setting myself goals to break periodically.

The last 3 years running, my goal on this site has been to break 2,000.

I've still not achieved this, but it's good motivation...
...the carrot on the end of the stick.
Hee-haw!

You have only played 41 games in two years. That might be considered to be over cautious

Originally posted by @mchill
Through my 80's and 90's OTB years, and now the correspondence era I've often told myself and others things like: "I just enjoy playing chess" or "It's the creative aspect of the game that keep me coming back" or "Chess is a wonderful respite from the real world" While all of this are true enough I'm forced to confess that I'm quite protective when it comes ...[text shortened]... he back of my mind, when I'm deciding on my next move.

Do any of you think this way as well?

I think rating motivates some peopie. Personally, I don't care. I don't have the time to make the best moves on here, neither do I make them at the best times.

I'm not being sanctimonious. There's nothing wrong with valuing your rating - I would imagine it gives each game a thrill from a risk factor that I miss out on.

Edit: Sometimes I'll put in more of an effort in an interesting position (open or unbalanced) or against someone with a higher rating. Then I can make some good moves.

I setup webcams outside my opponents houses and only move when they've gone out

Originally posted by @ashiitaka
I think rating motivates some peopie. Personally, I don't care. I don't have the time to make the best moves on here, neither do I make them at the best times.

I'm not being sanctimonious. There's nothing wrong with valuing your rating - I would imagine it gives each game a thrill from a risk factor that I miss out on.

Edit: Sometimes I'll put in m ...[text shortened]... n (open or unbalanced) or against someone with a higher rating. Then I can make some good moves.

In the scheme of things, it's not that important. I was just wondering if others consider their ratings when deciding on their game load, or what to do in a critical point in a tournament.

Interesting discussion. I appreciate your desire to improve. For myself, I've gotten to the age where I don't expect any further improvement, but just enjoy playing. No matter what level you arrive at, there are always going to be much stronger players. Now regarding engine use: if some base fellow (i.e., engine cheat) decides to flaunt the rules of this site and use his computer to generate his moves, that's on them. At my level, I don't worry about it and believe most other players are not using computers. I still have a shred of faith in my fellow man. Only at the highest rating levels would this be an issue. If some weak player is using a computer to play me, then I'll probably have a more challenging game than I would were he playing honestly. So the risk is there that a certain low percentage of players may be doing this, but I play to have interesting games, not to suspiciously regard my opponents. .