First, A Happy and Prosperous New Year to all of you! I hope you are having a blast of the New Year. The year is still very young, so not too late to wish.
Second, excuse me for not being a regular on my blog. With too much work on my plate, I could not even think about chess. The work won't cease anytime; neither will be the burden. I simply have to adjust to this routine and not lose my passion for chess. This is one of my resolutions for New Year!
Are you a rhythm player? Everyone of us bring out our best when we do something repetitively and at regular intervals, that is for sure. Some of us are okayish even if we are not regulars. We still are not our best self, but at least not awful. Some of us are completely out of place when we lose the rhythm.
The latter category are what I call Rhythm players. These rhythm players are hard to come back into their best sometimes after a break. This often leads to lost interest in the game and attrition of inner talent.
With not much time on my hands, I have thinking to reduce to coaching only one or two players. I am not even able to devote time for one student. The main problem with all this is I wish to do things when I am 100% into them. When I am not 100% into anything, I dislike to touch them even with a long pole.
Enough and coming to the main topic, one of my players is a Rhythm player. He is good when he finds the rhythm. When he doesn't, then he plays about 300 - 500 points lower than what his strength is. I have ignored all players completely for the last one year. This player is trying to find his rhythm all this while without my indulgence. But, he is unable. Now, he seeks help. He has been playing chess.com games, working on polgar puzzles, using chesstempo, etc. He has been staying away from tournaments though. The reason he states is he is unable to play anywhere near his best. He did play in one tournament but was beaten black and blue by rookies. He requested me to help him regain his best form.
Now, the question to you: What methods are to be followed to gain former form?
Sounds like a psychological problem. Someone dont play.. because of what? A fear to be out of rythm? Or is it the fear to play bad? Or is it the fear to lose? Or is it the fear to "lose the face"?
ReplyDeleteIs any of these fears based on real dangers?
For me it seems to be of bigger importance to overcome such fears instead to find the right rythm or to get back to former performance. After all.. Chess is a game, something to play, not something to have fears from.
So my suggestion would be: play..as good as you can.. and lose ..or draw .. or win.. and have fun and see what you can learn.
AoxomoxoA,
DeleteThe problem is not fear. He has no fear to play, he has no fear that he will lose. But, he keeps making one or the other mistake that he would not do if plays to his strength.
And thanks for your comment.
I would ask your student if he could focus ONLY one factor - what would it be. And after that - allow him to do so! No matter how bad he is currently playing - he can solve puzzles, analyze the positions or simple watch other people playing :)
ReplyDeleteTomasz, Greetings!
DeleteExactly right. He can solve puzzles, he can analyse positions and do everything that he does except play well in games and tournament. And that is the problem. If he is not able to do puzzles well, then may be we can ask him to switch to lower rated puzzles for the time being and go up in rated puzzles. But, he does everything else well except performance in practice and real.