How to lose in chess...
Submitted by on Sun, 02/08/2009 at 12:00pm.
Everyone has their ups and downs in chess. Some people have more downs than ups. However, without losing you can't win.
I have been celebrating over the last couple of days some wins I have coming in some of my games. I felt as if I was walking on the clouds. Then today came. Two games that I felt like I could at least draw have taken a horrible turn for the worse.
I am now losing on two critical games that I couldn't afford to lose on. I have decided to temper my drastic and gross feeling of disappointment with the pleasure in knowing that I can always begin again.
Rating points are just numbers that show your current ranking. However, just like the population of the earth ebbs and flows, so do ratings if you continue to play.
If you could beat everyone, you would be a grandmaster and well known throughout the world. So take each win and loss gracefully. Don't be mean spirited towards your opponent and accuse him/her of cheating. Don't be afraid to offer your opponent a trophy when they win even if it was you who made the mistake.
Most importantly. Don't give up on chess. Sometimes you may need to take a break. Always come back.