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Why did I suddenly get bad at chess?

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Rozenmarine

So over a month ago I managed to peak at 2000, succesfully putting myself above the plebs of u2000
Unfortunately, since then my rating fell about 200 points. Too often I make moves that are just plain tactical blunders and my positional understanding isn't great either. Either feeling confident or not. Never experienced something like that, just plateaus and enlightenment.
Chess is a great hobby of mine and I spend time daily on trying to "learn" how to play better. Pretty heartbreaking.

Divine punishment? Subliminal mind engine overheat? Any methods or ideas that can help get out of that hole? Or is it hope and pray?

llama44

I've experienced similar. In general you can fix it by:

Get enough sleep a few days in a row and
Eat well a few days in a row and
Choose a time when you can play without distractions and
Choose a time when your mood and energy are high and you're excited to play

---

If you just play every day, then inevitably there will be times when one or all of those aren't met, and when you do that your rating will tend to fluctuate about 200 points... which is fine, that's pretty normal, just don't beat yourself up for it (or only play when you're at 100%).

x-9140319185
If you haven’t, read “How to Reassess Your Chess” (4th Edition) by Jeremy Silman. It is meant for players about your rating, especially when a player feels stuck like you feel. Great for helping your positional chess, especially with its imbalance-oriented ideas. Also, as @llama44 said, it may just be a fluke, but since you mentioned wanting better positional chess, I thought of this book.
Rozenmarine
TerminatorC800 wrote:
If you haven’t, read “How to Reassess Your Chess” (4th Edition) by Jeremy Silman. It is meant for players about your rating, especially when a player feels stuck like you feel. Great for helping your positional chess, especially with its imbalance-oriented ideas. Also, as @llama44 said, it may just be a fluke, but since you mentioned wanting better positional chess, I thought of this book.

I don't have issues with positional play. I consider myself a player with good positional understanding. It's just general play strength rn.

 

Rozenmarine
llama44 wrote:

I've experienced similar. In general you can fix it by:

Get enough sleep a few days in a row and
Eat well a few days in a row and
Choose a time when you can play without distractions and
Choose a time when your mood and energy are high and you're excited to play

---

If you just play every day, then inevitably there will be times when one or all of those aren't met, and when you do that your rating will tend to fluctuate about 200 points... which is fine, that's pretty normal, just don't beat yourself up for it (or only play when you're at 100%).

It's extended in time, nothing very situational.

 

drmrboss

Accept that you are a 1900+ player and work hard for another 100+ rating.

Your current 1800+ will go back to 1900+ naturally.

 

It is all about statical flukes within +/- 100 elo of 1900.

llama44

Yeah, seems you were confusing your peak with your new normal. You're a bit underrated at the moment, but like drmrboss says you should be back to 1900+ pretty soon without much trouble.

Capabotvikhine
TerminatorC800 wrote:
If you haven’t, read “How to Reassess Your Chess” (4th Edition) by Jeremy Silman. It is meant for players about your rating, especially when a player feels stuck like you feel. Great for helping your positional chess, especially with its imbalance-oriented ideas. Also, as @llama44 said, it may just be a fluke, but since you mentioned wanting better positional chess, I thought of this book.

I like the third edition better.

blueemu

Personally... and among my former chess students as well... I've found that when you learn some new strategic concepts your actual game results (and your rating) will often drop sharply as you struggle to integrate the new ideas into your play. You'll make both positional misjudgments and simple tactical oversights until you manage to dovetail the new ideas in with the old.

Only after a month or two, when you succeed in assimilating and integrating the new concepts into your style, will your practical results go back up, to a new high.

drmrboss
drmrboss wrote:

Accept that you are a 1900+ player and work hard for another 100+ rating.

Your current 1800+ will go back to 1900+ naturally.

 

It is all about statical flukes within +/- 100 elo of 1900.

One month later, OP is back to 1900+, happy.png

Bgabor91

Hello,

There are ups and downs in everyone's career, so it is completely normal.  When you are down, you have to change something, you have to do something new. I can help you if you are stucked.  I am a full-time chess coach, you can check my profile.  Let me introduce myself.

My name is Gabor Balazs. I am a Hungarian FM, fighting for the IM title. My top ELO is 2435. I have been playing chess for 21 years. I won the Hungarian Rapid Championship twice (U16 and U18).

I love teaching chess and it is very important for me that both of us enjoy the lessons beside the hard work. I have pupils almost all the levels from beginners to advanced players (1100-2200 ELO).

Why should you choose me?

- I have a widespread opening repertoire (a lot of openings are analysed by strong Grand Masters).

- I have a lot of chess books in PDF and Chessbase format, so I can teach you the main middlegame plans, the art of calculations, famous chess games and the endgame theory.

- I have elaborated, personalized training plans, which help you to improve your skills effectively.

- I help you analyse your games deeply, so you can realise your mistakes and learn from them.

- I am really flexible and hard-working person, the quality of my work is really important for me.

Please, contact me ([email protected]), if you are interested in working with me, I am looking forward to your message. happy.png

Thee_Ghostess_Lola

change gears. let ur opp come to u or dont try too hard or play outta ur comfort zone or s/t like that. but gaw4bid dont study or analyze too much.

tho i do hava question. where are u losing ? u said tactic blunders ? dat not good. eyes wide open. s/w else ? position chess is feeling - they say. hard2improve. so feel exonerated. bye happy.png . 

Phylo-Beddo
Rozenmarine wrote:

So over a month ago I managed to peak at 2000, succesfully putting myself above the plebs of u2000
Unfortunately, since then my rating fell about 200 points. Too often I make moves that are just plain tactical blunders and my positional understanding isn't great either. Either feeling confident or not. Never experienced something like that, just plateaus and enlightenment.
Chess is a great hobby of mine and I spend time daily on trying to "learn" how to play better. Pretty heartbreaking.

Divine punishment? Subliminal mind engine overheat? Any methods or ideas that can help get out of that hole? Or is it hope and pray?

 

it’s your biorhythms.

x-9140319185
Morphys-Revenge wrote:
TerminatorC800 wrote:
If you haven’t, read “How to Reassess Your Chess” (4th Edition) by Jeremy Silman. It is meant for players about your rating, especially when a player feels stuck like you feel. Great for helping your positional chess, especially with its imbalance-oriented ideas. Also, as @llama44 said, it may just be a fluke, but since you mentioned wanting better positional chess, I thought of this book.

I like the third edition better.

Silman recommends the fourth edition, as it is updated with some computer analysis, and the book is completely rebuilt. I’ve personally learned quite a bit from the book.

VirusS3

i think you might been getting bored with chess now.. I mean yoy achieved your goal of passing 2000 elo so now i believe you dont feel that motivated to win

KovenFan

I've literaly forgotten what it feels like to win a game of chess.

WSama

Ever watched Men In Black 3. There's a scene in the film when J and K can't seem to figure things out, they're out of time and they don't even have the ideas to run out of.

Anyway, K suggests an old remedy his gramps (I think it was his gramps) used to recommend sure-heartedly. He suggests they go and grab a slice of pie.

Phylo-Beddo

i think i got it.

your chess went downhill the moment you forgot to eat your fish and chips.

KilladiTommy

I am in this same situation. My rating was 1275. All of a sudden I started losing more and more matches. Now my rating is 1150. I don't know what to do. 

blueemu
KilladiTommy wrote:

I don't know what to do. 

Ignore your rating. Problem solved.