Play only people you know, or people you know well from online discussion forums/IRC etc. I do this: losing is a less soul-destroying experience when you're amongst friends, and eventually your depleted morale and confidence will recover.
Originally posted by dottewell I am losing it. I am about to lose several games, many of which I've let slip through making ill-considered moves in about 10 seconds.
It's what I used to do when I played at work. Now it's because I'm getting a bit bored of chess.
How do I recover "the will to chess"?
I had sort of a "chess crisis" a while ago. It may have been a bit different than yours - I didn't make fast, ill-considered moves, I rather didn't want to move at all. But that may just be a different reaction to a similar situation. What I did to get over it (taking some advice from the forum) was to take some time off (not very long, but just taking one day totally off TFC can help), only play when I felt like it or to avoid time-outs (of course I could have let some games time out, too, but I think a further rating drop would have made me feel even more frustrated), and not take on any new games. That worked quite well for me. Of course I don't know if it would work for you.
Originally posted by Nordlys I had sort of a "chess crisis" a while ago. It may have been a bit different than yours - I didn't make fast, ill-considered moves, I rather didn't want to move at all. But that may just be a different reaction to a similar situation. What I did to get over it (taking some advice from the forum) was to take some time off (not very long, but just taking one d ...[text shortened]... new games. That worked quite well for me. Of course I don't know if it would work for you.
The problem is after I first subscribed I took on a load of tournament games. Plus I have quite a few clan games going.
If it wasn't for these, I would be sorely tempted to resign everything (or at least not start anything new) and come back in a few weeks.
As it is, I'm going for a more gradual reduction. I don't want to hate chess and I don't want to throw games away.
Originally posted by dottewell I am losing it. I am about to lose several games, many of which I've let slip through making ill-considered moves in about 10 seconds.
It's what I used to do when I played at work. Now it's because I'm getting a bit bored of chess.
How do I recover "the will to chess"?
Just play less chess. Play only once a day for a while. You will enjoy chess more and have more time for other things.
Originally posted by dottewell The problem is after I first subscribed I took on a load of tournament games. Plus I have quite a few clan games going.
If it wasn't for these, I would be sorely tempted to resign everything (or at least not start anything new) and come back in a few weeks.
As it is, I'm going for a more gradual reduction. I don't want to hate chess and I don't want to throw games away.
Well, I have been looking randomly at some of your games, and in all of them you had a 7 day timebank which was still unused. So you could easily take some days off without being timed out. And 30 games are not tooooo bad. There might also be some games which are almost certainly lost, so that you could reduce your game load by resigning those.
I chose the more gradual reduction, too, and actually started playing more again before I had reduced my game load very much.
Originally posted by Nordlys Well, I have been looking randomly at some of your games, and in all of them you had a 7 day timebank which was still unused. So you could easily take some days off without being timed out. And 30 games are not tooooo bad. There might also be some games which are almost certainly lost, so that you could reduce your game load by resigning those.
I chose th ...[text shortened]... ction, too, and actually started playing more again before I had reduced my game load very much.
If the games are there I will always play quite quickly. It's just that I'm not inclined to _think_ about the games at the moment. I think the solution is to try to get the games down to single figures (or even none) for a little while until the will comes back.
I guess I'm just spending too much time here and need to focus on other things for a bit.
Originally posted by dottewell If the games are there I will always play quite quickly. It's just that I'm not inclined to _think_ about the games at the moment. I think the solution is to try to get the games down to single figures (or even none) for a little while until the will comes back.
I guess I'm just spending too much time here and need to focus on other things for a bit.
If I talk about taking some days off, I don't just mean that you take more time with your moves, but that you don't look at the games at all and try not to think about them either. Of course that may sound easier than it is, after all it's an addiction (at least for me). Maybe you could cut (literally - of course that won't work if you have a wireless connection) your internet connection, smash your monitor or something like that. 😉
Originally posted by Nordlys If I talk about taking some days off, I don't just mean that you take more time with your moves, but that you don't look at the games at all and try not to think about them either. Of course that may sound easier than it is, after all it's an addiction (at least for me). Maybe you could cut (literally - of course that won't work if you have a wireless connection) your internet connection, smash your monitor or something like that. 😉
Originally posted by dottewell The problem is after I first subscribed I took on a load of tournament games. Plus I have quite a few clan games going.
If it wasn't for these, I would be sorely tempted to resign everything (or at least not start anything new) and come back in a few weeks.
As it is, I'm going for a more gradual reduction. I don't want to hate chess and I don't want to throw games away.
Just allow your games to gradually reduce. With too many games, I feel like making moves can be a bit of a chore. Once you get down to 10 (or whatever number you feel comfortable with) you'll be really into the games again.
It helps to resign games before a move has been made in tournament rounds that might pop up while reducing your games. Its fair on your opponents and quickens the reduction process.
Then, regain the spirit of chess, get impatient with having no moves to make and repeat process.
Take some weeks off of chess, after your done on here. Use up your timebank. Lots of masters recommend taking a month off now and then when your sick of it just to get away from it and start of fresh again with a fresh perpective. Especailly during rating slums.
Watch some movies or go outside or something and then come back to the game you love.
05 Feb '06 19:43
The Will to Chess
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