How to Right a Sinking Ship

Hey guys. I am playing in the Philadelphia Open, U2000 section right now. I am three games in, and so far, to be frank, this has been the worst showing I think I have ever had at a tournament. In Round 1 I had an IQP and did not know how to play it, and eventually lost the pawn and the game due to a tactic, while in Round 3 my opponent had an IQP and I also didn't know how to play the position (!) and ended up giving him way too much activity and losing. In the middle, I was +1 in my Round 2 game but got into time trouble and almost trapped my own queen, losing a pawn and the game in the process.

So I am currently 0/3 and the worst part is that all of my opponents so far have been people playing up, so I haven't even played a person over 1800 yet, so I am currently set to lose loads of rating points. Tomorrow is the second day of the tournament and I have four games left. I am playing very badly right now and I would appreciate some advice on how to rebound in a tournament after struggling early. I am obviously playing, at this point, just for rating and for the sake of the game, as my losses have thrown any hopes of a prize well out the window.

Thanks to all who comment on this.

This is what comes to my mind:

"So the moral is to remind yourself why you like chess and why you are playing at all."

http://www.chess.com/article/view/responsibility-versus-apathy

Dont they use giant balloons!!

Don't get too caught up thinking about about rating and how poorly you are playing. Take everything one game, one move even, at a time. I have had many horrendous tournaments in the past and often get too frustrated in the middle to play good chess. Just sleep and stay calm tomorrow; the results will improve as the tournament goes on.

Don't worry too much about your result. These big $$ events bring out the sharks. Just play your solid best and stick to what you know. Even if you lose there's a lesson in the game.

A possibility is that you're playing sandbaggers who dropped their rating prior so they could enter a lower rating class and win. But probably just mindset.

Try to do your best. Forget about ratings : focus on the position on the board.

MyUSCFis1729 wrote:

you are overrated, it is quite obvious from your low blitz rating.

although if you are actually serious about improving instead of deluding yourself that you play like a "1800", learn why you lost your games and fix the mistakes.

What does his rating matter? This sites full of cheaters remember? Di##head

Welcome back, A_L_I_V_E.  Well maybe welcome is not the right word.

Good luck, OP.  I don't have any chess advice that would be useful for you, but based on my experiences in competion in general, I would suggest you just try to relax as much as possible.  Forget about chess for the night.  Get some good sleep, eat a good breakfast and walk in in the morning like you just don't care.

Forget about chess, just be the ball!!!

hm. this guy is kind of an asshole. Also, since when do meaningless blitz ratings online have anything to do with someone's actual strength? I am like 1600 on chess.com and have been 1800 USCF for a number of months.

I don't think you really know what you're talking about. You are just one of those idiots who plays mostly blitz online and thinks he's good because of a bloated rating. 

z99j wrote:

MyUSCFis1729 wrote:

you are overrated, it is quite obvious from your low blitz rating.

although if you are actually serious about improving instead of deluding yourself that you play like a "1800", learn why you lost your games and fix the mistakes.

hm. this guy is kind of an asshole. Also, since when do meaningless blitz ratings online have anything to do with someone's actual strength? I am like 1600 on chess.com and have been 1800 USCF for a number of months.

I don't think you really know what you're talking about. You are just one of those idiots who plays mostly blitz online and thinks he's good because of a bloated rating. 

He is. All his comments are insults and nonsense.

If you want to get better you need experience, which is another word for losses. Head up, go on! It's about fun and learning.

Sorry to hear of your losses. I have been there. Use the experience to improve. Go to the bookstore and buy a book with a chapter about isoated queen pawn.

Okay now I am 0/4 and I just lost to some like 8 year old kid rated 1740. Does anyone else want a shot at me? I am an elo-donating machine right now.

It may be time for me to quit chess or something. I spend so much of my time on this game, and lately that has been causing me to have very little social life and my grades have been going downhill. And the worst part is I am also god-awful at the game in spite of all the time I put into it. Maybe it's already too late for me to be a master.

Sorry about the mini-tirade, but I am not sure if I remember the last time I was this frustrated.

Its not just that guy that's pissed off at you.

You kept claiming on forums that blitz ratings means nothing, that you're 1800 USCF with 1600 live blitz ratings, so live blitz ratings must be deflated.

Then you proceed to claim you're 1800 USCF strength when you're clearly not.

Probably one of the most arrogant people on forums here.

"Many shall be restored that now are fallen and many

Shall fall that now are in honor."  --  Horace (Ars Poetica)

(Or, in other words, ratings fluctuate.)

Yes, it's too late for you ol' timer,

His golden locks Time hath to silver turned.
O Time too swift! Oh swiftness never ceasing!
His youth 'gainst Time and Age hath ever spurned,
But spurned in vain; youth waneth by increasing.
Beauty, strength, youth are flowers but fading seen;
Duty, faith, love are roots and ever green.

@KirbyCake Maybe I'm not. Still, I know 1900 players who are 1500 blitz on here, so you can't use blitz ratings to determine player strength.