Stopping Tilt

Sometimes we go up, sometimes we go down. It's inevitable. But we don't want tilt to last forever. If you've lost around 100 rating points, I've got you covered. Here's a few tips for stopping tilt.

1. Play Games on a Schedule

One thing that stops or at least slows down rating drops is playing on a schedule. Set a number of games that you're going to play each day. I do 1 if it's classical, 2 if it's rapid, 7 if it's blitz, and if I cared about my bullet rating then I'd do around 15. Try to play that many games each day, though you can skip a day if you're busy. But don't go over the amount. If you lost your last game or you're on a winning streak you may be tempted to play just one more, but don't. You'll end up doing something like this.

2. Try to Fix your Weakness

Did I also use this tip in a recent blog? Maybe. But this is also really important in trying to stop tilt. You should strengthen the weak spots that are making you lose games and tilt! For example, if you're missing tactics, then do a lot of puzzles. If you're making blunders, play slower time controls. If you're not sure what your weakness is (because you're "good at everything" ) then just look back at your lost games and find how you're losing.

Got this from @EnergeticHay's blog

3. Analyze Each and Every Game

Similar to the one above, you don't want to make the same mistakes again and again. So, make sure to analyze each game you play. It's always good to see where you went wrong or what you missed. I recommend clicking on "Key Moments" to be taken on an in-depth tour of your game, where it'll ask you to find a better move for each mistake you made.

This will be quite the adventure...

4. Prepare for Each Game

When you're tilting, every game matters. So, before each game, try to do puzzle rush/puzzles to help you be more accurate in your game. If you're doing rapid, then maybe try 5 min or survival, but if you're doing something like blitz or bullet, play 3 min. Here's a quick one:

5. Take a Break

Sometimes tilt hits us hard and we start making blunders. Or you're a grinder who's currently speed running to rating 100. Whatever the case, it's always good to take a break. Small tilts are easily solved by just not playing chess for a few days. Also, for those who take the game really seriously, not taking breaks could have an effect on your brain. However, usually you don't want to take a lot of breaks, because each break causes a small decline in chess experience, so you'll lose a lot of the game in between.

GM Anthony Miles playing chess even with back pain.

That ends the blog. Tilt happens to the best of us, and we can't let it destroy our rating completely. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed.

Revised by the admins of Scholar's Mates https://www.chess.com/club/scholars-mates