Thoughts on using Psychology to win games?[Rant]

Chess on the internet is a nice convenience. We can play chess whenever we want, fast or slow, no travel time/expense...but it is also synthetic, sort of "plastic". I am not disparaging it, either. Without it, many of us would play little or no chess.

The only real chess, for me and undoubtedly many others, is OTB. Instead of being "clinically detached" (as is internet chess), we actually sit across from another human being. They breathe, they cough or sneeze (yes and even fart), they have facial expressions, body language, their pulse rate surges, their hands move. Sometimes they have a very annoying smirky facial expression where you would like to punch them in the nose. Sometimes, they wear a poker face. Sometimes, they take FOREVER! to make a damn move. Sometimes they reach their hand out to make a move but retract it, without touching the piece (as you would PREFER).

And sometimes (non tournament) they even smoke a cigar, drink coffee (or even Harvey Wallbangers!) and engage in CONVERSATION!!!. This last category is my favorite. 

My eyes bug out after concentrating on a screen too much. I dunno. I get giggle fits sometimes.

"Part of my preparation for the World Champion match against Kasparov was to be ready for his off-board tactics. I did not to react to them at all. Once you start thinking about these things during the game, even analysing them, you’re caught." -- Vladimir Krmnik

Know one local guy just loves to twitch at the board. Not sure if it's an attempt to distract you, or just a nervous tick. Either wahy, is quite annoying. Had to start bringing a hat, so I could pull the brim down and block him out.

The inability to construct your future moves leads to psychological doubts. The simplest remedy is to increase your focus on the game. Will yourself to look at all the 64 squares.

When I played correspondence chess [this was before chess engines and/or before chess engines had evolved] I used "if moves" for great psychological advantage.

Many of my opponents complained afterward that my "if moves" put them at a psychological disadvantage.

People hereabouts have been known to complain about premoves in speed chess. They get really, really upset.

I sometimes use conditional moves here online. Usually it is to speed up the game. Other times I do it in the hope that it will annoy the opponent. 

That Nakamura, though a top class player, seems unable to play a decent game against Carlsen.  This is probably a psychological problem.

I don't believe in psychology. I believe in good moves - RJF

He has lots of draws against him in classical chess (sounds like a decent game to me) and multiple wins in blitz against him.  For example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf1AJuzInI8

It's a gross exaggeration to say he is unable to play a decent game against him.

Yes it is. It wasn't meant seriously.  However the stats in classical chess for Nakamura against Carlsen are:

+0−11=16

I would suggest that Nakamura has a psychological problem playing Carlsen for his results to be one-sided.  That's all.  This seems to happen quite a lot in chess.

One of my favorite books happens to be 'Winning with Chess Psychology' by Pal Benko.

Yes, yes.  Everyone knows that record.  It's brought up at every possible opportunity as if it's earth-shattering news.  I think it's more likely that Carlsen is just really good at chess than anything psychological.

   I'll tell you one thing that is better than psychology...

   When I was in high school (back in the day), as a teenage prank, I purchased a small bottle of "stinko". I would place a drop or two on the teacher's chair or in the gym or on a bus seat. Hilarious. Smelled worse than rotten eggs or skunk.

   I wish that I had had the forethought of mind to put some on my chess opponent's chair. 

   Here, buy some and see for yourself:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RQIYF6/ref%3Dasc_df_B004RQIYF62439764/%3Ftag%3Daskcom05el-20%26creative%3D394997%26creativeASIN%3DB004RQIYF6%26linkCode%3Dasn

I get them types that start typing to me as I was about to checkmate them, the scum bags

The article the OP links to is not about the tricks I expected, like slamming a piece down, yelling, "Check!" and then slamming your hand on the clock.  As a Tournament Director of USCF-rated Scholastic Tournaments, I saw that trick used a lot when the slammer had a LOSING position and sometimes it worked: the player whose King was in check lost his objectivity and began to play tentatively.

In any case, you need to have your own psychological feelings in order.  When I fall behind in the initiative and spend a long time on defense, I know I have to find a way to gain the initiative or the likely outcome is I will lose the game: you can't play defensively forever - eventually that strategy will fail.  So even if a move to strike back seems risky it's necessary.  Still it has to be done in a rational way.

On the other hand, when I'm down in material I know the only way to win is point all my pieces at the enemy king and relentlessly attack, even if it means sacrificing pieces.

The first time i played a GM i used this opening to try and psyche him out:

 i was White...

I know this trick is somewhat cheap and I  used it when I was younger. I played a move which sacrificed a rook and won, but  after playing the move i started clutching my hair, putting my face in my hands etc and so my opponent did not think further and took, thnking u blundered. So I won