USCF.…. need advice

This has been my fifth decisive lose in a row (counting this tournament). I always make careless mistakes and lose these games I normally wouldn't. If anyone on here that competes in USCF tournaments could, please tell me how I can maintain focus going into the last round? All these decisive losses combined with the new USCF policy of limiting the amount one can jump in terms of rating is making me want to quit competitive chess altogether. I really just want to cover the expenses when my dad takes me out on these long rides. Chess is not a sponsored game for anyone below the 2600 mark making this a financially unstable hobby/ burden.

so basically what you are asking is, how to focus in live tournaments?

Well, i dont play in USCF but i play in 5 different live tournaments within the last 6 months period.

My trick is to take a deep breath before making any non-book move. Analyse the potential of the piece the enemy in front of you just played. then analyse what your piece can do and what it can bring into your game.

That way, you are less likely to make a blunder. But try not to overthink it. you're bound to lose once in while. I havent lost any white games since January, drawing twice and winning 12. but i lost as black twice and drawing once and winning once. That includes me playing the the nottingham county chess league.

My advice to you would be to not focus on being an ass to your opponents, so you could devote more energy to your games.

I get up from the board tons of times during my games. I just can't help but not focus sometimes. But I just think about how much I love the game and sometimes that helps me gain momentum and stay at the board, stuck in total concentration.

Its very silly for a B class player to expect to cover their expenses of tournament chess when even masters often fail to do so .  Chess is one of the cheapest hobbies there is , if you don't think so try golf or tennis for awhile .... 

Very true, it's simply ridiculous to expect to win every tournament like that. Better get used to paying money, and like Reb said, be grateful it's not stupidly expensive like other things.

Back in the late 70s and to the mid 80s playing in 84 tournaments I did cover my entry fees, Paid out around $1,000 and won that much in return. Cost me a little to travel however. Probably spent around $500. So over 8 yrs It cost me around $500 to play 361  rated games. Not bad at all. 

I wish all my hobbies were that cheap lol

chess2Knights wrote:

Back in the late 70s and to the mid 80s playing in 84 tournaments I did cover my entry fees, Paid out around $1,000 and won that much in return. Cost me a little to travel however. Probably spent around $500. So over 8 yrs It cost me around $500 to play 361  rated games. Not bad at all. 

How exactly is chess cheap? I agree that a chess set is cheap, but tournaments are not. A typical good tournament is 1-2 hours away+hotel+food+etc, with no guarantees of a price. I also believe USCF has implemented a decrease in rating jumps? I barely got any points after beating 2 class A players consecutively, whereas before I jumped from 1500-1700 in one tourney. Chess is not a sponsored game and all of the prize money comes from the players entry fees. 

I dont know how much golf tournaments cost, but I'm sure the prize money+the chance to get enrolled full rides to colleges in the nation because of golf is well worth it. Even if a 13 year old gets to 2200, they are not guaranteed a full ride to Harvard or Yale because of their chess skills.

Should chess remain a hobby or is it worth going forward and achieving a title before you die?  

Just because you lost the game we played doesn't give me the title of "ass". Please keep your inner rage to yourself (or consult a therapist)

um. well to your last question, it really depends if you like it or not. i play it simply because i love it, and i also want to get a title sometime, but i dont do it strictly for prizes, i do it because its an awesome game. thats up to you to decide how much you enjoy it, but really there is no downside to keep on playing.

I'm not mad at all.  Unimpressed with your comment after the game "learn endgames"?  You betcha.  I really hope for your sake you grow out of stuff like that.  Cause if not, you are in for a world of pain when you get to the real world.

Give it up or stop your moaning then. You're losing and what? Take it on the chin like a man and come back stronger the next time round.

More sleep the night before for that last round.

Yes, the OP has quite a reputation for such acts of immatureness-I remember him making a big fuss out of how he deserved to play magnus carlsen in the simul than someone else...obnoxious

Dude, please look at your wall before spreading your hate? Your a runner ,sore loser, and  you call people lucky when they beat you. I don't start arguments with random people unless they do first.

"Yes, the OP has quite a reputation for such acts of immatureness-I remember him making a big fuss out of how he deserved to play magnus carlsen in the simul than someone else...obnoxious"-

Actually, I am not. You don't know about the fuss in the magnus event, so please don't bring it up. I never said I deserve to play magnus, I simply got mad because his opponent resigned in a dead equal position on the last round. 

You should talk to an avid golfer or tennis player and see if they will tell you how much their hobby costs them to persue it ? I would think that they pay even more to compete in a tournament and they also have annual fees to pay for various national/state and local memberships .  I know that a good tennis racket costs more than a chess board, pieces and clock and the racket will likely not last as long as the chess stuff .... and golf seems even more expensive than tennis .  I was into archery competitively for several years before I got into chess and it was more expensive than chess , by far . I think a class player that complains about the expense of chess won't play much longer , I predict as soon as they have to pay the expenses themselves ( instead of their parents doing so ) they will quit ... 

True, what is expensive is to travel. Almost any other activity wich implies to travel is more expensive than chess.

I agree with NM Reb but maybe I am also older than NM Reb.  Way back when, chess was almost always very cheap and tournaments were held in church basements for a few dollars entry fee.  Then in the 1980's we started getting all these self-aggrandizing tournaments where the prize for winning the C-class section was $5000 and chess tournaments became expensive so that some C-player can have a big trophy and a check. That took lots of the fun out of chess for me for awhile and I quit playing for like 20 years because of it.

But there is no question that other leisure activities can be vastly more expensive.  I have spent gobs of money on bike racing where obviously I need to buy this fancy set of ceramic bearings and titanium widgets or I will be dropped by everyone...

I am 62 elroy , you ?   I was into cycling for a few years too but it was just a way to stay fit for me , I didnt ride competitively even though I had a Mercxx bike that was very expensive , it was a road bike that was a dream to ride . 

I really dislike what chess tournaments have become in the US , most of them now tend to be class tournaments even though they are advertised as " Opens " . The stronger players are punished for being stronger players while weaker players are rewarded for being weaker .  There are too many sections in tournies now which often are not supported by the # of players showing up , so based on entry prizes are never paid in full , often reduced to 60% of advertised prizes , in fact about 80% of the time is my experience .  However , my entry fee is never reduced to 60% .