So apparently I suck at chess

So I'm a filthy flagging online player who has been 2300 bullet and blitz on this site. I thought hmm surely this means I should be about 2000 otb but nope

When I do OTB I draw against 1500s and get smacked around by 1800s 💀

Why did I even bother with the online grind if it doesn't even help you improve bruh

It happens….quite a bit

Why didn't anyone tell me thisss. They gassed me up too much I thought I was actually good D:

I think you probably just need some time to adjust to over the board.

Idgaf

Ok I might have overreacted and did better the next day 💀

OTB requires deep calculation and stamina that aren't quite as incentivized in online play. Hitting the turbo button in your typical 90-30 or 2hr time control won't work. And you are often in the most comfortable situation you could be in while playing chess at home in your room. Tournaments and other OTB settings are more difficult to navigate psychologically if you're not accustomed to playing in public on uncomfortable chairs in unfamiliar environments.

Don't sweat it if this is your first experience. Your stamina and resilience to unfamiliar settings will improve with time and so will you.

Thanks, it's not my first tournament but I'm still new to it and was tilted because I was doing badly

I don't really think the calculation part is too hard, I think it's just every game was so positional compared to online and I have to think about long term consequences so much which I don't really do that normally

Much of OTB chess is calculating not just the best lines, but the terminal positions you might be most comfortable in even if they aren't the sharpest, most advantageous outcomes. And the psychological struggle you may encounter from unfamiliarity compounds that difficulty. It took almost 20 tournaments for me to adapt to the demands of OTB chess and perform at my self-perceived level of skill.

If you have strong friends or a coach, it may benefit you to play for extended periods of time outside at parks or in other common chess settings without optimal climate control. Very often, you control nearly every aspect of your environment in online play. Relinquishing that control and adapting is possibly the most crucial skill you'll develop for OTB.