Chess: State of Mind
Submitted by
Am3692 on Fri, 10/17/2008 at 5:29pm.
No chess game overviews this time, rather a chess discussion. What is your state of mind when you sit down on a chess board? Fearful? Calm? Excited? Do you seem to play better at a certain emotion? Do you play differently, style wise?
For me, in OTB tournament games, I usually am afraid and nervous as hell. I shiver a lot, and feel quite tense, yet it doesn't seem to affect my play that much. I play fast, but I seem to think a lot faster than a non-rated/casual game. In casual games, I can "feel" the difference in playing level, I frankly hate it. I feel a lot worse, and my play matches it when I play casually. The fear of the opponent and board strangely clears my mind and makes me focus and see moves that I would never see normally.
Fearing the chess board is an old thought. Do you fear the pieces, the board, or the player the most? Fear of miscalculation and the unforseen are known phobias, and are a bit rational.