ways to frustrate/annoy OTB opponants...

I played against a promising junior who had a rating of about 1900 and asked me my name and rating. He was playing white and before the game started he put in the result 1-0.

I think I was rated about 1700 at the time but I remember concentrating on that game like no other and eventually beat the little git! So sometimes resorting to cheap tactics to put your opponent off merely galvanises them!

I don't do any of the things i wrote off...they're so funny though.. the only thing i do is the clock thing i mentioned. But if my opponent keeps forgetting to press the clock after i've reminded him 3 times then it his problem!!! I'm not going to feel guilty winning that game on time.

Playing good moves works.....

Stare at your oponent for 5-6 minutes and move your head up-down and left-right as you are studying him and then play your first move. It can be very annoying. But do it only to people that are psychologically weak, others might just find it funny.

Lasker lectured at length about the psychological dimension to chess and he held the world title longer than anyone -- it's part of the game.

I don't resort to cheap tricks but if I am playing an opponent I know who is a nervous type I will make sure the game is edgy. I think things like that are part and parcel of the game.

Another trick is to read the paper. I played a guy who used to read the broadsheet so I bought a Beano (comic for kids) and started reading it during the game err check and mate!

Trying to annoy your opponents over the board is extremely immature. It shows very little class...

What *really* annoys me in OTB play are players who always place their pieces way off-center of the squares with each move, sometime even on the line. I know I *could* constantly claim "adjust", but instead it just distracts me.

I mentioned that already 🙂 ya it waste u're time saying adjust and reaching over each time.... hehe tick tock the clock never stops for adjustments 🙂

don't wash or change your clothes for several weeks before the game

i like the idea of nodding ur head after each move, if i ever play otb ill do it! also if ur opponent is old u could tell him there is a time to be born and a time to die before the game, although this would be extremely disrespectful and has very little chance (in my opinion) of changing the result of the game.

Originally posted by BigDoggProblem
There is a local master who relies heavily on psychology.

I was paired against him, and he already had his board set up, but I had the black pieces. Under US rules, I chose to use my set and board. I have a glossy tan and red wooden set.

"I can object to the red pieces", griped the master. "Go ahead", I replied. Sure enough, the TD ruled in ...[text shortened]... use such tactics, but it nicely illustrates some of the eccentricities typical to chess players.