do you play differently depending on your opponents rating?

So recently I've started playing more daily games then is good for me. As many are club matches, say "under 1600" I'm having to play many players hundreds of rating points above my rating, including several 1300s, and 1500s.

I'm NOT asking for advice here as most of the games I mentioned are about half way through. So even if I wanted to ask for advice (which chess,com doesn't allow) it wouldn't help me in the opening or in my current position.

So what do you guys do when you play, in daily or otherwise, players far above your own rating? Do you play different openings, try over complicated tactics, or sit back and hold off every attack they make, or something else entirely? Or just play normally until they either slip up or beat you/force you to resign?

If I'm playing someone rated far above my own rating I play my main openings / defenses. In the likely event I lose it's a good lesson.

 

If you want to go all out for a win, you can try to make it as complicated as possible. That doesn't mean sacrifice or attack for no reason, but try to go for positions where this is possible (like castle opposite sides).

 

Playing defensive or otherwise for a draw is a good way to lose even worse than you normally would if they are "far above" your rating. If they're only 100 or 200 points above then this is fine.

Good ideas. I never thought about playing normally as a lesson much before but that seems like a great way to improve.

Once I played a WGM in a simul, I just played normally and tried to see flaws in my positions and how she exploited them. I resigned when 4 points down on move 35, but learned a lot from the experiecne.

when i play someone higher rated I usually play better for some reason (idk why) and usually hold a draw (weird right?) when I play a lower rated player for some reason I play worse and sometimes get upsetted

No, always the same, being them far above or far below. If I try to complicate things it is likely I complicate my life instead.

No

I play differently. Not consciously. What I mean is if I see a low score then I tend to mess about more, if I see a higher score I concentrate more. Plus if I see a massive score I get scared. This is silly as I used to look at say 1200 and be scared but would now play anyone around that Mark knowing that I will win. Then 1300 and so on. Right now if I see under 1500 I know I have an 80% chance of winning but show me a 1600 and I @&£? Myself.

I treat everyone equally, regardless of rating, and play badly for them all.

I am inclined to resign earlier against a player rated a lot higher than me. I once beat a 2000+ player, but I did see that from time to time he lost to players less rated than himself.  He made a bad move against me after I set what I thought was a cheapish trap, which he fell into through carelessness. He was far more careful the next game and had a very easy win,

Not really. Like Preggo, I usually play my pet openings against higher rated players. Outside of that.. play the board, not the opponent. A good habit is to not even look at your opponent's rating.

Digitalstrike agree play the board not the player. But I still feel against a higher rated player specially 200points in that range if his king is looking very weak take the risk make some sacrifice make it more weaker if you succeed OK if not you have to loose even by sitting back as well so no problem. now if a guy is less than 200 points to you probably you should make the king weaker by making good positional play not by sacrificing material

I always try to go off opening theory when I meet players that are stronger than me, plus trying to blitz out the moves, and usually it evens out the playing field a little bit. I have beaten quite a bit of higher ranking players using this tactic.