Don't expect to win vs. a stronger opponent... Got it!

You are completely right. I thought it was silly also.... and I was the writer!

I think there is nothing wrong if one loses a game either to a player stronger than him, as strong as him or less strong than him...We can always learn where we made the mistakes so that we dont make same ones in future games..Also as previously said "Play to win" ..only then one will be able to tap all his energy in the game..I believe that "A battle is half won in the mind ..rest in the battlefield"...

i dont know how i feel about that. on the one hand, you probably cant expect to play competetively against a player rated a lot higher than you (100 points maybe? where do you think the line is drawn... on chess.com ratings and FIDE?), but if you dont go into games looking for the win, what is the point? having a winning attitude helps you see things you may otherwise overlook, while having a defeatist attitude will not help you play better in any case.

 you said: "You are weakening yourself by trying to make yourself stronger in the first place."

       I think that is silly. if playing stronger players to make my own game stronger only makes me weaker, then what should i do? play my kid brother who routinely hangs his queen? that will never make me a stronger player. (although he is getting better by playing me). i dont think that is exactly what you meant... but thats how it reads.

 I agree that under normal circumstances you cant expect to win against a significantly higher rated opponent, but you can go in expecting to play your best possible game, and i feel like people can expect to improve by picking opponents who are stronger than them.

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