NIKE - JUST DO IT
Intimidated by a much higher rated players
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You have a key advantage when playing a higher rated player. they'll put less time into the game than they do normally. use that to your advantage. double / treble / quadruple the amount of time you put in yourself. They're more likely to make miatakes or make tactical errors against weaker players. often they will just scan the board quickly, move and then go to their next game. It's not a rule, but it's common. I know I do it and it's caught me with my pants down more than once. You should always aim to play higher rated players anyway.
@MrFahren, thank you. I noticed that they play fast (high rated players)on the first dozen moves or so like 2 - 3 minutes time and sometimes it rattles me. I know I should mind my own time.
It is a feeling that might simply subside with more practice and experience in that situation. For me it stopped after I was playing for a couple of years.
However, it may also comfort you to know that the higher rated player is just a human being as well, and they may have their own psychological hangups about the game. Maybe they feel pressure to win and feel like they're in a no-win situation because if they win, well, that was just expected. But if they lose, it could be embarrassing!
Also, from a statistical point of view, a player 200 points lower is supposed to win 1 out of 4. No reason why the next game won't be that one 
Dec 21, 2016
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#6
higher rated players lose rating points in a draw. that means they're forced to play a certain way against you to retain decent winning chances. i.e they have to be careful about things like opposite color bishop endings. you can exploit that. also as soon as you see the rating take a moment to get excited and say to yourself, "sweet, I can't wait to nail this bozo."
Dec 21, 2016
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#7
isabela14 wrote:
When I'm playing a much higher rated player, say 150 over mine, I get intimidated and my game goes down the drain. Any suggestions on how to overcome and be at least competitive? By the way, I don't play blitz or rapids. I only play 30 minutes or more.
Play the board, not the man.
... of course, that's easy to say.
When I'm playing a much higher rated player, say 150 over mine, I get intimidated and my game goes down the drain. Any suggestions on how to overcome and be at least competitive? By the way, I don't play blitz or rapids. I only play 30 minutes or more.