Confidence is a real factor…

Yesterday I had an eye-opening experience; I was playing a whole rash of games against one person and winning most of the time. After winning one particular game, I thought I had goofed and not accepted the next game with him; So I thought I was playing someone else. I proceeded to make several blunders one after another real quick and lost. Only then did I realize I had been playing him again. I proceeded to play a couple more games against him and won them all very easily. That’s when it occurred to me how real the whole confidence factor is. When I thought I was playing someone else, I suddenly became insecure and that caused me to lose my focus on the basic principles and checklists I typically observe when I play.

Yeah, I've had it happen the other way too.

I'll play an opponent who isn't very good, but they don't know what my rating is, so they play confidently and it can make the game hard for me.

After they lose a few times they start playing worse, and it's a lost easier to beat them.

Another funny psychology trick is if you're a little better than someone, and both of you know it, but they happen to be playing well and get a few games off of you...

Tell them "hey, you're playing well"
or
"You're tough today, are you trying something different?"

The first one can make some people play HORRIBLY the next game. I think it's because it breaks the tension. Complimenting them is like giving them the goal, and after reaching a goal it's hard to stay motivated.

The second one can also cause someone's play to fall apart. Sometimes people are in the zone, but when you ask them this question it makes them start thinking about their play. Once you boot them out of the zone they spend more time and make more mistakes

🤣 I like the way you think! – – Now don’t let that worsen your games. :-)

Wow, you have awesome ratings.

Thanks

Best to always focus on the board and not think about anything else. As soon as your mind becomes distracted with other thoughts your play suffers and this can be the simplest things. For example, I queue a game and a much higher rated player abandons it due to rating difference I get a little frustrated and that thought persists into my next game.. I blunder and lose.. the most basic stuff can mess with concentration

hey guys 

I have never deliberately bluffed; however, I have goofed up in the beginning of a couple of games and my opponent proceeded to relax and then lose. I guess you could say that I inadvertently bluffed.