Hi everyone! If you have been following my blog, you know that I have been focusing on writing a 6 article series on how to improve in each phase of the game in chess. This blog is a little different, however, and is about psychology in chess and how you can use that to your advantage. Enjoy!

Psychology in Chess - 

The 1972 World Chess Championship Match (Fischer-Spassky) - 

The 1972 World Championship Match between Fischer and Spassky was filled with psychological ploy. Here are some examples from that match.

• When Bobby Fischer finally arrived in Reykjavik, for the World Chess Championship match against Spassky, he arrived late for the first game
• Fischer, then forfeited the second game by not showing up and refused to continue playing the match unless the match between him and Spassky was moved from a public hall to a private room. Fischer began winning many games.
• Following suit with Fischer's psychological toying, Spassky in turn complained of a mysterious contraption hidden in the private room that was sapping his energy and thus making him play worse chess. The furniture and light fittings had to be disassembled and then reassembled to mollify Spassky. Nothing was found.
• Prior to the match, Fischer made a number of demands, including a percentage of television rights, a larger prize fund, many other conditions ranging from lighting to the chair cushions.

Do you think that are of these things were unintentional? Do you honestly believe that Spassky thought there was a hidden contraption in the room draining his energy? Of course not! Many of you may be asking, what is the point of making such a ludicrous statement, have people investigate by dismantling the furniture, only to be proven wrong? The answer is simple; psychology. By demanding the officials to dismantle the furniture and then reassemble just so that he is satisfied, Spassky is basically saying to Fischer, "Look here, I can make these people do anything to make me comfortable. I'M the one in power here, so what'cha gonna do about it?". Although it a rather obvious psychological ploy now, during the match, when there was a lot of tension and pressure between the two players (because of the Cold War), little things like this could easily mess with your opponent's mind and make them more distracted and prone to making mistakes.

Fischer once famously said, "I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves.". (which is extremely ironic, considering the WCC match we just looked at xD) While it is true that chess is a "game of the mind", in which we have to use our own thinking and analytical skills to find the best moves, chess is also the ultimate mind game. 

Psychology tension between two players

A chess game is a confrontation between two individuals. The battle is going on not only at the board, but between their identities. Each person is trying to outsmart the other and, ultimately, win the game. The pressure in one of these scenarios, especially for a tournament of higher-calibre, is extraordinarily high. Each player feels like they have something to prove to themselves - and their opponents. A win will boost their confidence in themselves, while a loss will do the opposite.

Cheap Psychological Tactics and How to Avoid Them From Getting To You

Many amateur opponents rely on these "cheap tactics" to try and mess with you. Here is a list of a few tactics people have tried on me in OTB chess

• "Arm-Wrester" Handshakes. These people literally grip your hand for the handshake so hard that it hurts. 
• "Creepy Glares". These people stared at me, without blinking, when it was my turn to make a move. This unnerved me and was particularly annoying at some times.
• "Fiddlers". No, I don't mean the violinists. I'm talking about the people who constantly feel the need to move about and squirm in their seats - every once in a while, they kick you under the table

Of course, this list goes on and on. But these three things are the most dominant types of psychological toying that occur at both amateur and international levels. The purpose of these "tactics" are blatantly obvious; your opponent is trying to mess with you and undermine your confidence. Here are some easy ways to deal with this  - 

1. When you shake hands, look at your opponent in the eyes. This conveys that you are confident in your moves and aren't likely to fall victim to their mind games
2. Be confident in your moves. If you aren't confident in what you play, why are you playing it?
3. Concentrate only on the game and what you have to do to win. Chess requires 100% concentration, and 100% energy. There is no point wasting your time and not focusing because someone is being distracting

Playing against your opponent - 

Chess is a battle between two minds and two different personalities, as we already mentioned. It isn't enough to play the best moves, you also have to play against your opponent. As Garry Kasparov says, you have to "play the moves that make your opponent feel the most discomfort". This will put them in an uncomfortable position on the board and make them feel pressured to win. This strategy worked well for Kasparov in his WCC match against Karpov. He tried to lead Karpov into positions that he [Karpov] did not feel comfortable in, but he [Kasparov] felt okay in.

Other types of psychological pressure.

This includes external factors such as the time you have on your clock or pressure that people put on us. (Eg. "What if I come last in the tournament? What will my coach think?") There is nothing much we can do about this, but just concentrate and play your best game.

Snapping under pressure - 

Under pressure we feel...well, pressured to win the game. But sometimes, we can't always win and we snap under pressure. Here is an example of this -