In my own progress with the game, I've found that each time I learn a new set of ideas and techniques... generally strategic ones, rather than tactical... my results tend to go down for a while as I struggle to assimilate the new knowledge and make it part of my style. After a few months, as I get better at putting the new knowledge into practice, my results go back up... to a higher point than before.
What is happening to me
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I get the same thing CHESSter. It seems like I am getting worse, not better. I think in Live Chess you really need to be alert and in the mood to think about every move carefully.
Sometimes I read something and think "great, I'l try that", but somehow it never works out.
If I'm tired, had a glass of wine, am distracted by phone, tv, door, whatever... I lose.
Of course, some people are just simply better players, so however hard I try, I will lose.
blueemu wrote:
In my own progress with the game, I've found that each time I learn a new set of ideas and techniques... generally strategic ones, rather than tactical... my results tend to go down for a while as I struggle to assimilate the new knowledge and make it part of my style. After a few months, as I get better at putting the new knowledge into practice, my results go back up... to a higher point than before.
Yes, I think thats right, though Im still waiting to go up to a higher point than before :0(
I went in the other direction, I played correspondance for over a year and have recently changed to only playing live chess. Correspondance is good to a point, but unless you completely block out the temptation to use the opening databases and use the analyse the board feature (ie physically move the pieces around as 'analysis'), then it can get you into some bad habits and make you lazy. It is also psychologically a lot different to live chess with a lot less pressure. Knowing you can sleep on a move if you're unsure what to do makes it a lot less intense than watching a clock run down in front of your face as you think.
For me it's a cycle. My interest in chess returns a few days/months after the last time. I play average at first but then I really like it. I feel clear and enthusiastic about the game. I even feel I have found new ways to think about the game and start to play real well. Infact I break all my ratingrecords. (online) I rarely blunder, I beat a few strong guys etc.
I start to think I must of FINALLY gotten good.
MISTAKE!
With that mindset creeped in I come back the next day.
I must of lost my mind. Moves come to me but it takes me much longer. What the hell, I just dropped my knight/rook/queen from a complete oversight.
I lose on time??
Whoa, this guy is playing really good. But look at his rating, he must be cheating!
Hmm this guy is probably cheating too.
This guy too?!
And so I've lost my (chess) mind.
It's a trick. The moment I think I know something about chess I probably get subconsciously lazy and punished for the arrogance.
No cure but to give it a bit of a rest and get a clear (chess) mind again. Playing a relaxing long time control game helps. (for me usually against an engine at home on a real board) Just solve puzzles for a few days, or go on vacation.
However the good thing is I come back stronger each time and the stronger I get the easier I deal with these slumps, the shorter they last and the less severe they are. I imagine it's another one of those things strong players have learned to overcome.
blueemu wrote:
In my own progress with the game, I've found that each time I learn a new set of ideas and techniques... generally strategic ones, rather than tactical... my results tend to go down for a while as I struggle to assimilate the new knowledge and make it part of my style. After a few months, as I get better at putting the new knowledge into practice, my results go back up... to a higher point than before.
That's the thing though, I don't think I learned any new technique or idea recently. I just felt as though I was getting better at spotting really good moves and identifying my opponents weaknesses, because of the vote chess game.
I think that might be what's happening to me, but I think the cycle is a lot less slower for me. I'll get to a high point, almost break 1400, then I'll drop and average around 1250 until I get to my next high point. I've decided to continue my usual routine, exept I'm taking a break from live chess. The only thing that worries me is that I usually have time trouble when I come back.
About a month ago I was participating in the vote chess 960 game. I really got into the game and the position trying to find the best move and show why other moves were not as good. All the calculating on the positions of the game improved my game in live chess. I went from around 1250 to the high 1300s.
When the game was over I figured that the long sessions of calculating were helpful, so I took on online or correspondence chess. It only took a few days for my rating to plummit. I had the same routine, I would go to another site to do tactic puzzles for free, then I would analyze the positions of my online chess games, then I would play a few games of live chess. Just like before with the vote chess game. Yet, my rating continued to drop.
My highest rating was 1383 in live chess. I just went on an 8- game losing streak today and now my rating is at an all-time low of 1196. I have no idea what happened and this is not the only time this has occured. There seems to be times where I start to get better, reach the 1300s, then I go on a huge losing streak and end up with a rating worse than before. I'm not in a stressful situation, so I doubt it has anything to do with my emotions. What is happening to me?