Are any other newbies here absolutely petrified of playing against real people?

Chess newb here.  Been studying like crazy and practicing just as much.  I do probably 2 games a day against a bot that is about my level, one time as white, the next as black, but I'm hitting a mental block where I have serious anxiety about playing an actual person.  I know I need to just do it, get on with a game, and then another and another so I desensitize myself to the anxiety (taking each game and the post-game analysis extremely seriously, of course).  But I'm just wondering if anyone else experiences this.

me too. I only began playing against people yesterday. starting with my husband who I knew would beat me. After about 3 games with random people I began to feel more relaxed 😉.

I think after a couple of games the computer matches you to someone of your own level so it gets easier

Try starting with some Daily games. You won't have the time pressures so one less thing to think about.

If you are nervous about playing against human opponents, the website has plenty of cats and birds to play. Also a turtle, IIRC.

I’m new too. You just have to go for it. I also get anxiety and I’ve done some things that are “no-nos” a few times, but I’m learning slowly.

i would just jump in there

block the chat function

there are trolls who will fling insults and spam chat the whole game

more so in the lower brackets

but, if anything, chess will begin (whether you want it to or not) the importance of being in the proper mindset

i play my best games when i have a healthy respect for opponent (i dont even look at their avatar or rating anymore) and try to apply what i have been working on

i am sometimes hesitant if i am afraid to lose or i will play too much if i am “on tilt”- both of these are examples of unhealthy mindset and the games suffer

remember, you need to lose 1000 games before you “git gud” (or was it 10k?)- i forget- so might as well start now

The petrification eventually gave way to apprehension which morphed into acceptance and resolve.  My advice is to play chess in your underwear.

I have anxiety also but my worse problem is finding players who will finish out the game if there is a chance they could lose. If Im losing badly the other player will always stay in until the end. I just tell myself it doesnt matter whether Im playing a real person.....because......it doesnt. No one cares. Just play because you want to. There will always be someone who is better. There will always be someone who is worse. As far as Im concerned I play for fun. Oh yeah, I have chat turned off cause I cant think of anything Im interested in hearing from the other person.

I'm not a newbie and i get anxiety about my games. It's called being human.  

Just play and have fun! 

I must have lost at least 95 percent of my first 200 games of chess.  If you are new, just accept the fact you will lose a lot of games before getting better.

I also am new and going through the same thing as you @88alphasierra I’m studying and learning as much as possible, but that anxiety is still there

You have to understand that when you are playing someone in real life, they are just another person like you sitting across from a stranger at the board. They too can make miscalculate, make mistakes, get nervous, have other thoughts on their mind apart from the game, and generally doubt themselves (especially when under pressure). But all of that is what makes the experience more exciting - having the human element. Have confidence in yourself, play to the best of your abilities and let everything else fall into place. Also remember that preparation is key - you want to be the best version of yourself, do drills, tactics, practice, go over openings, endgames, and whatever else you feel will help you, and don't take losses personally as they are bound to happen to everyone - just treat them as a valuable learning experience.

Train with the bots,

Compete with people later.

It is absolutely fine in any game.

88AlphaSierra - I hear you.  I still feel more comfortable in the lessons than I do in the games!  I'm not scared of losing or of looking bad - it doesn't bother me at all that I'm the worst player here.  I figure most everyone here is looking to improve just like me!

I like your idea of a white game and a black game each day - that's good advice.

You should play against a real opponent at a similar level. You and your newbie opponents will make lots of mistakes, sometimes you win and sometimes lose, but eventually you will recognize how to think, spot traps, and still blunder your way to victory and defeat.  You can study all you want, but you'll need experience in real games. After all, it's only a game. It's should be entertaining and fun, and if you lose, it costs you nothing, and no one can see you pout or cheer! It's been a very long time since I played 1st board in high school, and with youtube and online explanations of openings, endgames, etc., the level of play, even for the beginners, are much higher than I remember. So, don't worry, play happy!

yeah it can be intimidating but I just try my best and see what happens against real people. figure its a good way to learn from my mistakes.

You can try playing against me, I'm, not a real person. I'm a pixelated chicken. 

Nice to see some likeminded people out there. I am trying to have a mindset that's competitive but also realistic enough to know the I'm going to lose *a lot.*

yup i get it, my hands still get sweaty. i know people in my rating will make blunders, so i just try an look for my candidate moves, any tactics. put my peices on the best squares. rooks on open files lined up with king, queen, f7 and good things will happen in the right position. i try an focus alot on tactics. xrays, discovery attacks an checks. put the pressure on them.