Chess Tournaments...

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zay1337

So, to start this out I have been playing chess for around 7 years, ever since I was around 6 or 7. When i first started playing tournaments, I found the experience fun and challenging as I did well in the few amateur ones I played and my rating went up to around 1000. However, as I reached the beginning of elementary school, my rating became deadlocked at around 1200. For a year or more, my rating stayed at 1200, much to the chagrin of my parents. You see, at the beginning of my chess career, they ignored my chess failures and encouraged me to keep playing, but at this time, they began to get aggravated with my lack of improvement, and it got to the point where after a bad tournament they would scream at me and tell me I was awful, etc. Well, naturally, I began to hate chess tournaments and the game itself.

 Through middle school, I clawed my way up to around 1700 with my parents pressuring me each step, severely chastising me when I underperformed at a tournament. Now, finally, I have reached high school, and once again my rating is at a standstill. I have dropped 100 points in the past year and my parents are, needless to say, not amused. What they don't understand, however, is that in high school, with a ridiculously tough schedule, I no longer have time for chess, yet they still expect leaps and bounds in my chess rating. Every chess tournament I play is full of extreme nervousness and tension over what will happen should I underperform, which inevitably leads to me screwing up in some manner and ironically, underperforming. Due to my parents' involvement in my chess situation, I now despise chess tournaments with all my being, though I am still quite fond of the game itself. 

tl;dr Question: If I have overbearing parents who scream at me every time I fail a tournament  which, in turn causes me to screw up more tournaments due to overwhelming nervousness, how should I deal with these problems to overall play a better game of chess at later tournaments? Help soon would be appreciated as I have a tournament Saturday =/

 

                        Thanks!

GIex

It depends on whether you are planning to play chess professionally.

If you do, you should try to improve your chess, but not because of your parents' desire but because chess will be an important part of your future. You should treat chess as a professional treats his job, in addition to playing chess for fun.

If you are going not to be a professional chess player, but you are going to have different education and have a different work, chess will inevitably somewhen become less important to you, it will become a hobby to spend some time on. In such case, you should play chess as far as it is pleasant, even if you don't perform well, because a win at a tournament will not benefit you much if it is connected with tension, tiredness, and other unpleasant emotions.

GhostNight

  I think your problem is more your parents, they should be reading this post you made and try to see if they can change they're attitude. Just wondering if they were avid chess players at one point in there lives and demand or want you to surpass them?  I cannot get a clear picture why they would be upset with your relationship with chess and how you are doing?  If I were a parent I would be more concerned with you scholastic progress, and not how many wins and loses you have in chess chess tournaments, and be encouraging if you lose! . Something you are leaving out, like are they paying for you to have chess lessons etc? HTH  Have fun with chess and do not worry if you are not getting your rating up fast enough!Wink

hynderDurk

Everyone can take a place if the are not full ?

New tournees :

800 - 1000 Tour. 0 48 hours 10(2)->3 800-1000
http://www.chess.com/tournament/800---1000-tour
Starts on August 15, 2014 at 9:00 AM

960Chess 800 - 1200 17 24 hours 10(2)->3 800-1200
http://www.chess.com/tournament/960chess-800---1200
Starts on August 4, 2014 at 9:00 AM

900 - 1100 tournee. 0 48 hours 10(2)->3 900-1100
http://www.chess.com/tournament/900---1100-tournee
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

1100 - 1300 tournee. 0 48 hours 10(2)->3 1100-1300
http://www.chess.com/tournament/1100---1300-tournee2
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

1300 - 1500 tournee. 4 48 hours 10(2)->3 1300-1500
http://www.chess.com/tournament/1300---1500-tournee
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

1500 - 1700 tournee. 1 48 hours 10(2)->3 1500-1700
http://www.chess.com/tournament/1500---1700-tournee2
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

1700 - 1900 tournee. 1 24 hours 10(2)->3 1700-1900
http://www.chess.com/tournament/1700---1900-tournee
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

1900 - 2100 0 24 hours 10(2)->3 1900-2100
http://www.chess.com/tournament/1900---21002
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

960Chess 2000+ 3 3 days 10(2)->3 2000-2500
http://www.chess.com/tournament/960chess-2000
Starts on August 16, 2014 at 9:00 AM

960Chess 1600 - 2000 5 3 days 10(2)->3 1600-2000
http://www.chess.com/tournament/960chess-1600---2000
Starts on August 7, 2014 at 9:00 AM

960Chess 1200 - 1600 3 48 hours 10(2)->3 1200-1600
http://www.chess.com/tournament/960chess-1200---1600
Starts on August 9, 2014 at 9:00 AM

JustADude80

Sounds like you have a problem with parents, not chess. I don't think you will get the solution here. Have you told your parents about the problem?