How To Stop The Chess Elo Tilt

Tilting in chess is a real problem, it affects your performance, mood, and enjoyment of the game. Whether it be mouse slips, disoriented blunders late at night, or just bad luck, the "tilt" is something that you will experience at some point in your chess career. So with that being said, here is a way to stop the tilt.

Table of Contents

1. Why do we tilt?

2. The real cause

3. Stop it. 

4. Get some help.

Why do we tilt?

Tilting is something that is quite easy to understand. Let us use the simple example of 10+0 Rapid chess, as most players use this format on chess.com. The typical rapid game will last about 15-20 minutes, which excludes opening traps or freak resignation. The standard or average rapid game wont reach a time scramble (mostly), and will not also conclude in the first five minutes of the game (again, mostly). So most rapid games take about 15 minutes, this is also assuming that we dont take breaks and grind, and not even review our games. Tilting is essentially going after your losses. When you lose a chess game, you try to win the elo back by trying to get a quick win. Even if your mind says something else, you are subconsciously trying to win elo back by trying to play fast and quick and even conjure up some kind of opening trap. By doing this, you are losing your concentration during a rapid game, and when you lose again, you get even more frustrated and you play another game. And the cycle repeats itself. You will also try to keep a goal (if i get to 1500, I will stop for the day or night), which almost never happens, because we are trying to get the quick win. You spend less time thinking about moves, and taking more risks than rewards. This causes you to lose elo dramatically. 

The main reasons for tilting.

I think there are a couple of main reasons for why a player might tilt in chess.

1- Emotional State

When you are stressed or anxious, angry or frustrated about anything going on in your life, and this might spill into your chess games, this might be stress from some aspects of your life, or even from losing too many games. If you are really angry or stressed about something, I recommend playing unrated games just to save your elo.

2- Physical State

Your physical state really influences your chess performance, so please play heed. If you are playing at 3am and fatigued that will not help you playing and will distract you. If you are having some illness, I would not also approve of playing chess, because your decision making will be gravely affected. 

3- Replays will always pay

If you play the same opponents and same openings (is that me?) this can lead to boredom and frustration, making you "simply bored" of chess and will take the enjoyment out of it. If you can, grit on, but change openings if you are a newbie.

4- external firecrackers

Just like firecracker darts or firecrackers, external distractions even for a couple of seconds might take your mind off chess games, for example, the sound of hail during rain can also distract your for your game (albeit momentarily). Thus it is important to play when you have ample free time and when you can concentrate.

5- Goals

Sometimes when we set some high goals and we fall short of them and we start to go for quick wins again. It happens in any playing session. For example we lost 4 on the trot, the entire session revolves around trying to get them 4 wins and be back to square one. This results in us losing even more elo. This makes us even more frustrated.

Stop it.

Tilting can be a serious problem, but there are quite a lot of ways to fix it.

1- Control

Now, I know its hard to not get addicted to chess, but I recommend limiting your games and sessions. Try to play as little, but as much quality and determination as possible. This will give you inner satisfaction and content even if you lost.

Rapid: If you are playing 10+0, play no more than 5 games a day, and for 15 minutes and above, play no more than 3 games a day.

Blitz: If you play 5+0 blitz, play about 10 games per day. This is simply because the games are half the length in rapid. If you play 3+0 Blitz, play no more than 15-20 games a day. 

Bullet: Don't play bullet. If you do, the tilt can be actually a good thing, since it makes you come back stronger. All the same, be aware of the tilt in bullet. It will happen anyways.

Get some help.

To wrap this all up, here are a couple of more ways you can survive the tilt aside from this

1- Take a break!

Sometimes you don't even know how much games you have actually lost, and taking a break for a couple of hours or a day can actually make your mind fresh and even more stronger.

2- Review your mistakes

If you don't outline your mistakes, those mistakes will keep gnawing at your game. Try to learn unconventional openings, since they can also take a toll at your game.

3- Shift your mindset

If you think you are playing for elo and trying to get a set number of wins, its time to change your mindset. Try to play for your own enjoyment and satisfaction, and also try to be productive while playing, and all the same your elo will rise.

Thank you for tuning in today, tune in next time for another blog! Hope you stop the tilt!