I am trying to figure out why some days I play very well and others ( like today ) I can't win for the life of me ! I know all the same moves today as I did yesterday, I got lots of sleep, i feel good yet I just keep losing to players rated below me........why ?? Am I feeling anxious ? Is it a lack of confidence ? A bad vibe in the room ? Too much coffee ?

Its because there are two different worlds you live in. World one you are absorbed by abstract acidity achieved from a Acme acrobat. World two you are a bean with a bearlike beaver drinking beer with a beetle and things are beginning to get behind the belief that everything is getting below the belt on a bench going berserk, better bet on betraying yourself and let me win this game. 

Some days are just better than others. It's that simple.

You should look into alpha and beta waves.  Your mind has several different operating modes, and the difference between the people who can choose their operating mode and those who can't is the difference between the great and the good in athletics, business, art, music, and chess.

Same with me. I'm either really good or really bad.

You lost me after because.......LOL

I really think there must be m ore to it than that......I think I play better when I am relaxed, after a workout or when I am listening to some good music.....or maybe when I don't play for awhile ( 12 hrs or so is my max ) .....or if I stay off the live chess, I think Live CHess makes you move too fast & become careless ...

I was going to say, 'Because you are Canadian,' but that is only because I know you.

Teichmann, or someone, said 'Chess is 99% tactics.'  A better way to put it is that 99% of the time our games are decided by tactical considerations.  The lower our rating, the more this is true, e.g., the beginner simply blunders a piece by leaving it en prise.  The more solid and positional your game, the fewer ups and downs.  At least that's my theory.

Try reading Silman's REASSESS YOUR CHESS.  I'm too lazy to really work through it diligently, but the material is there for you to digest, if you are willing to chew carefully.

Let me give you a mini example or two.  ALWAYS make sure your pieces are protected.  That way when you forget something, the piece is at least protected from shallow combinations.  ALWAYS be aware of the combination that starts with a check.  I've found those are frequently overlooked.  Build an opening repetoire.

Oh... and... uh... NEVER follow suggestions absolutely, particularly those that tell you to 'always' or 'never' do something. 

Your friend,

  Jake

Freud would say it is probably because your mother sometimes held you on her lap but other times ignored you, thus your ego is very fragile, leading to high energy brilliant thinking at times then lapsing into feelings of rejection which propel you to lose your  concentration .  Glasser would say it is because you have not clearly defined your goal, developed a plan to achieve it, made a commitment to get to it, and followed your plan.  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi would say you must study, perfect, and use Transcendental Meditation every day, good or bad.  Garrett would say if you have more good days than bad you are well above average.  Just keep your good days coming more often than your bad ones and on your bad ones, try having 7 or 8 shots of GOOD scotch.  Things may not improve but at least you won't give a damn anyway.....

I think the important thing is not to overwork your brain. People who play lots of simuls play good in some bad in the other.

Me, I play only that much I can handle. If I get an headache or feel dull, I either skip that day or take coffee (or, gulp! smoke).

That is some pretty sound advice I must say !

ITS BECAUSE YOU MAKE TOO MANY TACTICAL BLUNDERS (TRY SOLVING ABOUT 6000 PROBLEMS OF TACTICS IN 4 MONTHS) THAT WOULD HELP YOU OUT

POSSIBLY Ct.art 3.0(IM NOT joking)

Your opponents are playing good chess and you are finding yourself in positions not knowing what to do and not knowing how to attack. So you make a move not knowing why you did it or how it helped or worsened your position and your opponent exploits your unknowingness. When you win is it usually because you won up material thanks to a tactic or blunder on his part. That usually indicates game was won due to errors.

Jake is absolutely right and specialy concerning the sentence:

Oh... and... uh... NEVER follow suggestions absolutely, particularly those that tell you to 'always' or 'never' do something. Have a very good day

Oh... and... uh... NEVER follow suggestions absolutely, particularly those that tell you to 'always' or 'never' do something. Have a very good day 

Isnt that contradicting himself. he saw never to follow suggestions that tell you to always or never do something. So we should follow suggestions? lol

LOL, it's true , if I follow his suggestion to NEVER follow suggestions , then I am in fact following a suggestion............I think he set that one up to see if we would catch on ! Jake is a smart guy.....:)

Another reason of too much ups and downs may be due to the fact that you are not analysing positions sufficiently and leaving too much to chance. If the opponent makes errors, your day goes fine. And if not, it goes bad.

The sentence which forever changed the way I play chess is: "Always look into every possible check and capture". To that I add, consider every possible move, including duffer's moves. Then consider every possible reply to those possible moves.

Yes, I know this process is more taxing to the brain, and most people will not be able to play hundreds of simuls in this fashion after a day's study or work (there are exceptions, of course). But this will greatly improve the quality of your games and you will face less ups and downs.

My game can go up and down on the same day. I got beat badly twice in a row, and the third game I played well.

I seem to concentrate better later in the evening for some reason.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head, I'm leaving too much to chance, my game seems to revolve around the opponent making a blunder. I tend to play on instinct sometimes rather than analysing and tactics. I've been playing chess for 37 years and probably aquired many bad habits that I need to undo.....I was very good at the age of 6,7 & 8 ....unfortunately my game hasn't improved since !! I'm going to start analyzing and taking control of my games, no more fly by the seat of my pants chess & maybe I'll stop going up & down !