I have been normally keeping a tactics trainer rating between 1400-1600, but the last few days it has dipped to 1275. It is a good bit below all of my other ratings. I am missing obvious moves that a monkey wouldn't miss. I am not sure what is wrong with me...

Does any one have any ideas or any insight as to why? Or how to get out of my rut?

BTW...I won't be accepting any game challenges...

Try not playing for a couple days. Just get your mind of chess. Maybe you're overthinking. Also, I am an amateur, so I won't be offended if you dismiss my advice entirely.

One ameteur to another, I'd be rather rude to tell you, you had no idea what you were talking about. I tend to agree, but I had a problem. I have several games that I have to keep after. I am somewhat concerned that if I should take 2 days off and save the 20 games to make all of the moves at once, I would do terrible. The good news is, that I seem to be doing far better in my games than on the trainer. I seem to have no memory of the trainer puzzles I have seen before and they have restructured it. It seems like it is intentionally attacking my weaknesses instead of just throwing randomized problems at me, almost like it is trying to see how low it can drive my rating instead of just giving me some puzzles to do. It is really weird.

I can never get mine over 13 something. Why no game challenges?

If you admitted the backbone of your game was down about 325 rating points, would you want any funny man challeging you...?

I wouldn't care, cause I suck anyway.

I don't think you suck, if you did, you would be rated about 500 and kids would laugh at you after you made moves,because no adults would play you. I find it interesting in some regard, how little the differences are in certain ways, between a 1400 player and a 2200 player, but yet in its own way, its still a world a way.

I should have a higher rating than I do. Come to think of it, one of my opponents in a tournament is six.

I have the exact opposite problem with u lol....my TT is going great (hit a new peak rating a couple days ago) but my actual gameplay is suffering. u would think that both aspects would be suffering,but that's not the case....chess is strange like that.

anywho....I guess it's just a slump thing...u'll get out of it

Sometimes I think if those of us who came here and took our lumps learning(thus locking our rating into its slow pattern of growth) were to start over fresh, knowing what we know now, our ratings would be a few hundred points higher most likely. We can still get them there, but it will just take a year or two with consistant play.

I think I'm just stuck forever.

This happening to me actually opening my eyes to the possibility of someone being really good at positional play and strategy, who is so good at them, that they can force the tactical opportunities to such a minimun that they never have to calculate more than about 8 ply and thus, really really hose themselves if they are suddenly forced out of their element.

I think you need a little bit of coaching from a friend.

yeah....some opponents just don't give u one iota of a tactical opportuninty and just suffocate u with their positional play.perhaps doing too many tactical exercises leads u to believe that there are tactics in every position...leading u to spend too much time at non-critical moments of the game.meh....maybe I'm doing too much TT

I am begining to believe I need to do some TT and play a few open games just to stay balanced. I mean I have missed free queens, and free minor pieces in 2 for 1's...its like I am always looking for what I shouldnt be...I think it would force me too look equally well for everything, if I was balanced...wow, I am very glad we had this conversation...

u haven't done a whole lot TT....maybe that will do the trick.or maybe chesstempo is a better tactical tool for slow game play (it has no timer).what u mean by open games?live games?

I haven't done any TT in a while. Closed games are with closed pawn chains. Open games, Kings Pawn, Queens Pawn, English, etc...