Dealing with frustration?

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zboyer
Every move is Zugzwang.

Ok, that’s not true... but it feels like it. I play games, watch lessons and do puzzles everyday. Yet I’m always being pushed around on the board to the point where chess just isn’t fun.

I honestly feel stupid. I spend so much time on this app and I want to enjoy it, but instead it just makes me frustrated. I can’t seem to learn from previous games or recognize openings and know how to defend against them. As my rating gets lower and lower I seem to lose more and more.

I don’t expect to be great. I just don’t want to be so bad it’s not fun.

How do I go about enjoying chess?
KeSetoKaiba

Not always easy - I just lost about 100 rating points this week (1920s -ish to 1802s -ish) and it wasn't even by tilt. Ratings just fluctuate a ton sometimes; I missed some stuff but didn't even play super bad lately - just keep losing sad.png

It happens to everyone though. The ups and downs are tough to mentally handle, but that variance is part of the rating system and everyone goes through it; it isn't easy...but you'll probably enjoy chess the less you focus on rating points and more focus on learning/improving.

Perhaps you are putting "too much" time into chess? Or maybe not using your time most efficiently? Chess (like many other things) can feature mental burnout or times where refreshing might help more than just grinding non-stop. Take this fictional example:

Say a lumberjack has an axe and is chopping down a tree. While chopping the blade gets dull. Which scenario is going to cut down the tree faster? The lumberjack who keeps hacking away with an axe that doesn't cut or the lumberjack who invests 5 minutes into pausing and sharpening the blade before cutting again? Obviously, the second is probably going to be faster cutting down the tree - or at least easier on themselves. 

Chess is sometimes the same way! A needed break from tactics/puzzles or a refresher to re-examine how you are learning chess and your progress (or lack thereof) might be most efficient in long-term improvement! Despite it being counter-intuitive to take a short break if needed to "sharpen" our chess knowledge.

As far as feeling "stupid" with chess goes...don't worry, we are all in the same boat. EVERYONE has those moments where they feel bad for missing something so "obvious" after the fact. Even chess grandmasters sometimes feel this. 

The key is to keep learning and improving if you can. Once you lean and understand chess more, then the rating will catch up by itself. 

Feel free to ask me any chess questions or even just chat sometime if you want. We are all in this together happy.png

zboyer

Thanks for the reply! I appreciate the thoughtful response.

I guess I do find myself playing “obsessively” rather than taking the time to be more efficient with chess. I think it’s because I find it difficult to apply things in a real game scenario. It makes sense when I do a lesson or watch a video, but during a game it never shakes out the same way and then I’m lost.

Methuselahrookiecard

https://chessfox.com/14-habits-of-strong-chess-players/