What helps me is forcing myself to carry internal monologue. When, instead of vague thoughts, I speak to myself in precise, coherent terms, brain has to start working properly, it simply has no other choice. If you can't concentrate, force yourself to, for example, analyse the position, look at what squares are weak, which pieces are well placed and which could be improved, etc... Of course, that only works in assumption that you are playing a long game. In a short game, concentration probably happens naturally, as you only have a few seconds per each move. 
How to Get Into the Right Mindset?
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MayCaesar wrote:
What helps me is forcing myself to carry internal monologue. When, instead of vague thoughts, I speak to myself in precise, coherent terms, brain has to start working properly, it simply has no other choice. If you can't concentrate, force yourself to, for example, analyse the position, look at what squares are weak, which pieces are well placed and which could be improved, etc... Of course, that only works in assumption that you are playing a long game. In a short game, concentration probably happens naturally, as you only have a few seconds per each move.
So basically, don't give in to the fog, slow down and don't make a move until you know exactly what's going on? That sounds tedious, but I would rather do that than lose Knights.
Jul 2, 2017
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#4
It appears that when you are not in the present and start drifting into the rabbit hole, you can't do slightly complicated math problems, like dividing and multiplying. Eg. 12/5 - By forcing yourself to figure it out, you can wake yourself up. Work it out in your mind, get 2.4 and you are back in the present. Then go ahead and blunder a piece in the usual fashion.
Barguest wrote:
It appears that when you are not in the present and start drifting into the rabbit hole, you can't do slightly complicated math problems, like dividing and multiplying. Eg. 12/5 - By forcing yourself to figure it out, you can wake yourself up. Work it out in your mind, get 2.4 and you are back in the present. Then go ahead and blunder a piece in the usual fashion.
Of course, the usual fashion cannot be avoided. Thanks for the tip!
MayCaesar wrote:
What helps me is forcing myself to carry internal monologue. When, instead of vague thoughts, I speak to myself in precise, coherent terms, brain has to start working properly, it simply has no other choice. If you can't concentrate, force yourself to, for example, analyse the position, look at what squares are weak, which pieces are well placed and which could be improved, etc... Of course, that only works in assumption that you are playing a long game. In a short game, concentration probably happens naturally, as you only have a few seconds per each move.
I just read this post and this reply made a big impact on me, thank you sir.
Giday chess.com,
So you may have seen my article about making patzeresque performances half the time, and I think I've figured out that, in fact, my MAIN problem as a chess player is my concentration. It almost feels like my eyes cross every time I look at the 64 squares, my brain simply won't concentrate, and I stare, befuddled, as WHOOPS, there goes my Knight, oh dear, lost my Queen, aaaaand it's checkmate. Again.
It doesn't matter how slow the time control, I just can't focus. This has been happening a lot recently... Perhaps the fact that I have been flat out studying for the past few days has something to do with it? Anyway, what are things that I could look at to get out of this?
(To confirm, this is psychological, I HAVE played good games of chess, using a proper method. The issue is that I can't concentrate to save my life the other half of the time.)
Cheers!
William