another of my games where i beat a 2200 rated correspondence player, everytime i beat someone over 2200 in a good game(not like he/she blundered) i will post it alongside my thought process...enjoy, the opening was an silcilian najdorf, english attack. i was black and this is the only time i have played e6 everyother time i have played e5.

Wow, that was an excellent game. I have used the technique before in our local chess club, and to be sure, it seems to work very well for almost all range of persons who you are playing. In my case, many of my oponents do not like to reign, or give up pieces easily, so they battle me to checkmate, which I don't mind really. Win-Win for me. I have seen that over a quarter of my games on this website have been won by resignation, sad, but I guess they would prefer to lose that way, but it doesn't hurt me at all. Now to say, I am not a 2200+ player, but I am still fairly good, espeacially for my age: 14

thanks for the compliment, and BTW I'm only 15. To beat strong players all you have to do is study, study, study!

Well that is exactly what I am doing. I just started playing last year, just turned 14 this day, started playing 3 months after my 13th birthday. My current rating (not online, haven't played enough games to equal my local chess club's rating) is 1547. By far the highest, besides the chess master, who is 1785. Today I actually had an interesting game using this technique with one of my felllow friends, who was 1438. Ended up a draw sense we where down to 5 seconds each, and we both agreed that it wasn't really much to do, where good people.

yeah my actual rating is only CFC 1574( which would be like 1674 USCF) the only reason my rating is so low is because I have horrible nerves in tournaments, at my house I can listen to calming music and think for as long as I want about the game at hand instead of hearing the ticking or the clock as I get closer and closer into time trouble.

That is true for me as well! I have already noticed that during online play, I ma much more calmer and prepared for the game. I am not quite so worried. I listen to classical as I play. Seems to help a lot. I am not soo freaked out about loosing either, sense I do not know these people, and thus don't have to be quite as worried, which takes my mind off the my rating, and on the game.

Get a digital clock..... no ticking !

Well, I just use the clocks that the master has out for us, and I don't think it would make much of a difference sense I tend to look at it constantly, maybe miss a move my opponent made and make a mistake, espeacially when I ma down to just a few minutes!

i need money to do that Reb and it's hard enough for me to get the money together to go to tournaments. BTW does anyone know if you can listen to music while playing OTB if it doesn't distract your opponent?

 I have never seen what you suggest and presume it's against the rules. If I were playing opposite someone with an earpiece I would start to wonder if they were receiving advice. We live in an electronic age and any modern appliance seems to perform many tasks. I advise against wearing an earpiece or bringing any electronic devices to the table.

interesting

 In my scholastic tournaments, I see it done all the time.  I hear almost every genre of music all at once.  It's fairly disconcerting.  I've also seen a fair amount of people use headphones at USCF events.  Don't know about the CFC though.

Article 12: The conduct of the players

12.3

Without the permission of the arbiter a player is forbidden to have a mobile phone or other electronic means of communication in the playing venue, unless they are completely switched off. If any such device produces a sound, the player shall lose the game. The opponent shall win. However, if the opponent cannot win the game by any series of legal moves, his score shall be a draw.

12.6

It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever. This includes unreasonable claims, unreasonable offers of a draw or the introduction of a source of noise into the playing area.

Taken from the Fide Laws of Chess.

I guess that you're on rocky ground, even with permission of the arbiter. One audible "beep" and you've lost.

i would show all the stuff on my Ipod to the T.D. so he knows there is nothing chess related on it, i think as long as i turn the music low enough not to distract my opponent or ruin the atmosphere I should be allowed to listen to it.

Also, be aware that some national tournaments do not allow earpieces of any kind. Feel free to bring your ipod. :/

Technology is funny though. Some TDs don't know how to operate a chronos yet. Still, an ipod is much easier to use anyway lol.

8. g4 does not deserve a ?!. It has been played by the likes of Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Leko, Svidler, Kramnik, Shirov, Gelfand, Ivanchuk....etc. I'm sure this is not an inaccuracy. 

You must learn to calm your mind. Music is a cheap crutch. Overcome your weakness, instead of covering it up. Show me a picture of a GM with headphones on during a chess game and I'll show you someone who used Photoshop.