Psychology in Chess

Welcome! Psychology plays a big part in chess. Winning a chess game doesn't only require you to be strong in terms of the game, but also psychologically strong.

Everything we do has an effect on us mentally. Whether we are happy or sad, our brain always is processing information coming in.  

Chess psychology is important. If you cannot think clearly in pressuring situations, any training you have done will be for nothing. As chess players, we rely more and more on computers as time goes by. But we are still humans who are prone to panic under pressure and blunder a winning position.

Having had played in an OTB tournament, I know what any tiny little element can do to you psychologically, and that is what I am here to discuss on today's edition of Hornet Reports

Psychology in Chess

The Building Pressure 

Pressure, that's all you feel before and during a tournament. As you slowly reach the tournament hall, the pressure builds.

In my experience, it is very unnerving to sit down at your first game. You're trying your best to not lose, and hopefully land on a podium finish. During a chess game, players are trying to trick each other, obtain an advantage and ultimately win the game. At any time, your opponent can intimidate you and make you even more nervous than you already are. 

At a younger player's level of playing, chess psychology plays an even bigger part than at a master’s level of playing.

A study once showed that if a stronger player blundered a piece, the weaker side would refuse to accept it because of the fear that there is a trap, that would lead to a loss. How many upsets to strong players such as Magnus Carlsen could there be, if weaker opponents could just extinguish the fear of losing?

The Fear to lose

Chess has an interesting aspect in that in a game, which can last many hours, players remain silent, with no breaks and great deal of concentration required. Each player has their own goals which can cause tension between the two. Sometimes this can cause players to miss even the simplest ideas, getting caught up in what the other is plotting, or what we perceive them to be plotting.

Your state of mind also plays a big factor online. Just because you aren't face to face with a certain opponent, it doesn't mean you don't feel the pressure. It might be an important tournament or just some good o'l time pressure. It doesn't matter if it's either or both, it affects us. 

The Dreaded Plateau by @Marziotta, highly recommend it. For some reason that is beyond me, losing a bunch of rating points or not gaining any rating points (called tilt and plateau) freaks people out. People get worked up over a number beside their username and start beating themselves up over blunders or missed wins. 

All these factors have a negative effect on your health.

Health Side Effects

 Pressure on you puts pressure on your body and your brain. Three of those effects are:

1. Your behavior and mood can change if you are put under lots of pressure and electrical signals within your brain that are associated with memory are weakened.

2. Large amounts of pressure halt your brain's production of new brain cells. You lose brain cells every day. But, "cortisol", a stress hormone stops production of BDNF, a protein. Less BDNF can cause neuro-related diseases such as: schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

3. Pressure can shrink your brain, literally. Cortisol stops new neurons from being made and stored in the "hippocampus" (don't ask me what that is please lol). The hippocampus processes new memories and is vital for learning new things. Cortisol also shrinks your "prefrontal cortex" which will affect your control over behavior, and decision making.

Advice

Here are three tips of advice for you:

1. Don't beat yourself up over blunders. We all make mistakes; no one ever has a perfect chess game. Feeling bad over one move leads to an obsession. Trying to perfect one mistake opens up more cracks.

I'm just a lowly 1400 trying to get back into chess after a small absence from playing. I feel the same way sometimes. But I keep studying and playing. I'm starting to see the board better and how my chess journey keeps improving. 

2. Show confidence. If you are even nervous, your opponent basks himself in his own confidence.

Everyone wants to win the game, but nobody wins all the time. So don’t let that be your main task. Make your task for the game to fix any playing weaknesses you may have, and make sure to significantly learn from your mistakes. Only then you will play better. Also maintain eye contact, don't be afraid to look your opponent in the eyes and look stern, and try to give a firm handshake at the start of the game (unless you're online).

3. Don't let time pressure get to you. Use your time to make moves that are useful to your position. Just like in a puzzle, you must ask yourself why you're placing a certain piece in a specific spot.

Identify threats, both for you and for your opponent. Come up with every sensible move you can play. Then search for possible responses for your opponent to each of your possible moves. Look for the best move every time for both players. Practice doing this on every move.

And now, some advice from a few avid chess players.

@anikolay said, "Personally, if I feel pressured before a game, I'll try to distract my mind off it. Maybe I'll eat a snack, or look at some recent sports games, and only once the round will about to start, I'll completely focus. This has worked for me for a while now."

(Good advice. FM Mike Klein said in one of his Chesskid video lessons that splashing cold water on his face helped him concentrate. I did this one time at a tournament and it was very overrated lol.

For me, I focus well when I am not hungry. A lucky thing that the tournament was held at a restaurant club . I tied for second place in that tournament)

@Lightning said, "Just play chess bro, at the end of the day that's all there is to it. Don't feel any outside pressure for any reason - if you feel pressure, what I do is push it aside, deep down, save it for before/after the games, just push it aside while playing. I feel pressure at just about every tournament I play in, what with the hefty goals and expectations I have for myself, and I'm often a bit of a mess between games as I process everything that's going on. I don't really let myself feel any of the pressure during the games though - that would take all the fun out of it. If I'm playing otb, I'm there to play chess and have fun. Once I'm at the board, my worries go away as I get to play my favorite game. Simply focus on the games and enjoy them. Just play chess."

(Wow, detailed. Wouldn't say that I always am completely focused on a game at any giving moment, but I have felt pressure, and it's natural. You should at least try to keep pressure away, but the main focus always has to be chess.) 

@SheldonOfOsaka said, "Try to be as objective as possible, the pressure is always going to be there; but you have to remember that good moves win chess games, not psychology."

(I would say psychology could win a chess game, if you push all the right pressure points. That's why it is good to study your opponent instead of showing up to a game without first knowing who you're facing right?)

Conclusion

Psychology in chess is very important, but I wouldn't focus on it a WHOLE lot. Keep your cool and play chess. Psychology is a very broad subject, and probably should be studied more, especially when it pertains to chess.

A player should not come to the game prepared to lose just because his opponent is or may be a stronger player, instead he should find his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and use this knowledge to his advantage. 

“The chess battle should be decided over the board, not in the head before the game” - Nikolai Krogius

Whether you liked this blog or not, I would still appreciate to hear what you thought and what I could improve on! 

Thanks again,

- @FA-18_SuperHornet2007