After thousands of games spanning over a decade: I've achieved my lowest score ever

Granted, my last leg down was because I just withdrew from a tournament and resigned all my other games - but I'm shaking my head at how much my game has degraded over my time playing here.

In 2011 I touched a high score of 1389, it's been downhill ever since. After brief surge to 1165 in 2021 where I thought maybe I was finally learning, it's almost been a spiral downward. I was mid 900's before I resigned everything.

Granted - I haven't really studied. I have a few books and trying to learn the nomenclature and memorize the notation gives me brain damage, but I did study tactics a bit but I still make the same mistakes.

I suppose now its psychological - losing so badly, making these ridiculous mistakes, game after game after all these years isn't humbling, it's humiliating. To the point where I'm now dreading my games and continually losing. 

Part of me wonders if I'm going through some cognitive decline, my chess score reflecting my age and my brain power, although I seem to be functioning well most other aspects of my life.

I suppose I really need to decide if this is important enough for me to invest the time to do the work and study the game. When I think about committing to that, I can't rationalize it, I'm still building my businesses and other endeavours. 

But I thought that after approaching 4000 games, I'd least subconsciously pick up the tactics to at least pull a steady 1100 or 1200.

Not so, apparently.

May I ask how old you are?

Have you also considered playing rapid instead of daily?

I find daily is too much commitment.

I'm in my mid-50's.

Rapid doesn't work for me, I like to be able to make my moves asynchronously.

You and I aren’t young spring chickens no more and can relate with your experience. I would like to believe age isn’t a factor but it can be, although, there are strong players who have aged well like fine wine.

I play chess mainly for the cognitive benefits and friendships.

I would look into your training routine. If your doing it on your own, it’s even more difficult.

Then reassess your priorities.

Only in your 50's? Just wait a few years.

I'm nearly 70

and my brain is turning into porridge.

Your mid 50's, wow that's absolutely no need for worry at all. I'm 59, my rating hovers between 1700 - 1900 I still do indoor climbing, running, surfing, golf etc etc. My advice is a little mindset change, stop thinking that you're old...Today is the youngest that you're ever gonna be!! Enjoy it!

The number of games played isn't always an accurate measure of improvement. Focused study, analysis of your own games and deliberate practice are often more beneficial.

Hi! I have written a post on improving at chess, you might be interested in checking it out:

https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/chess-skills-development

Good luck!

Hey I think it may be a confidence thing for you as the last game you reviewed and resigned you were up 6 points according to the computer analysis and it's a daily game. are you aware that in a daily game you can do a version of analysis mid game and go through all the moves before choosing one? Just think through every move possible checks captures or attacks even one that might lose a piece one or two moves deep -ALWAYS END ON THE OPPONENTS TURN- and you'll have a slow but steady raise in rating age might be a factor at over 2000 ratings but that's way ahead of 98% of us

I just go into the analysis board and try a few moves in, guessing what I think my opponent might do. Is that what you mean?