How to Right a Sinking Ship

You speak the truth here. However, that is not the only thing he has done. He has even gone to people's forums and bascially flat out said their forum is a waste of time. He did so in a nicer way but still did. I even have the quote to prove it. Which was left on my forum.

Even though he has done these things to me as well I am not upset with him. I do not believe the way MyUSCFis1729 responded is correct.

I believe that is simply another wrong. 2 wrongs do not make a right.

I believe in helping people when I can. I believe dpnorman is letting his emotions get to him. I believe Jerry Silman is correct in saying "turn off the emotion".

You must be objective as possible.

It is very easy to focus on your mistakes in a chess game or even in life.

However, it is extremely hard to focus on your advantages in a chess game or accomplishments in life.

You are searching for the negative and when you search for negative things you will find it them all the time very easy.

You are searching for negative things to say and you are focusing on them. However, When I read your post that is not what I see. I see all the positives.

So you are playing in the U2000 section surely this is a very honorable achievement some people have played chess for over 40 years and never was able to reach such a section. Congratulations.

So in round 1 and in round 3 you found yourself facing a IQP position and was unable to win becuase your not use to the IQP? Well why on earth are you being hard on yourself. You said right their in the text you don't know how to play the position very well.

You should not tar and feather yourself over something you are not familar with. No one is a chess genius that can feature lines out instantly if they not use to them. I see the postive of this.

It seems like to me if you was able to study some more IQP your fortune might turn around hugely. Instead of 0-4 you could  be 2-4 right now with just 1 fix.

Lastly, You said you lost your 2 round in time trouble. Well even GrandMasters lose in time trouble. Should you really be so upset and frustrated that you lost here. Over situations that can happen to anyone.

I believe their is alot of positive things here. Which can improve your chess and I believe if you can focus in on those positive things your game will do a 180.

1. Think positive.
2. Get a game plan of what you want to play tomorrow.
3. Remember every day is a new day, clean slate, fresh board.
4. Eat a good meal that makes you happy.
5. Play your game have fun.

Every champion has lost in their life time. What makes them a champion is not about how many games they lost it was their passion to keep trying.

There's 2 types of ppl in this world son..sailors..and idiots.

Okay, whatever. This was a stupid thing to post about in the forums and I should have foreseen that I would take a lot of crap for this.

I'd say at least half of the posters were really trying to help. For this site, I think that's pretty good.

Yeah, I tried to help.

My advice is have a short memory... just forget the other days, live in the present. Remind yourself why you like chess in the first place. I'd bet it wasn't for the rating, not in the beginning. You enjoy the competition, or learning, or testing yourself. Maybe you enjoy finding a good move or idea, or a beautiful combination. Regardless of past performance, you still have full opportunity for these things every day.

"Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't" - Mounds candybar commercial

(or, in other words, sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you. Or, in other words, tomorrow is another day.....)

I'm sure Hershey's made much more money than Horace ever did, so I guess Hershey's wins.

But, lets see who is remembered in another 2,000 years.

Nobody will remember anything.

(Let's see who's right)

The Earth won't last another 2000 years. Sadly, I can't get Carl Sagan's warnings out of my mind.

The Earth propbably will. Just without us.

DP, perhaps knowing we will all be gone within the next 2000 years will put your games in a better perspective. 

That's actually similar to one technique I'll use to calm myself down. whether I'm getting nervous from being completely winning or completely losing heh.

Imagine yourself watching the playing hall from the ceiling, now imagine looking at the building from 50 feet off the ground. Then the city, the country, etc. How little importance this game is.

Then you can do a time "zoom." Imagine your game's importance 1 year from now. 5 years from now. 50 years from now. Long after you're dead. Long after everyone that's alive today is dead.

That gives me a little zen like window to remind myself why I like playing, and to just enjoy the moment.

Try imagining your opponents naked.

May not be appropriate in some cases

I have to agree with leiph18. I've had some of my most enjoyable games when I convinced myself to not worry about tournament points, cash prizes, or ratings, and I told myself that I was just going to have fun playing the game. I know it sounds corny, but I'm convinced it can work.

I started enjoying chess overall when I realized I'd probably never be really great at it.

kleelof wrote:

I started enjoying chess overall when I realized I'd probably never be really great at it.

That's the spirit

...um, not if you get eaten by a bear!!

A serious suggestion:

Stop playing in tournaments until you are a mature, serious player.  Until then, just get experience and learn from your mistakes.

I'm speaking from experience -->>

In one year I went from 1450 to 1850 by losing most of my games (online chess).  Why don't you look at my profile and figure out how I did it.  I'm not yet a mature player, but I have learned to be serious.