How to play when tired?

Let's face it. We are all here because we love this game. But we also know that it's generally not a good idea to play when you are feeling tired, stressed, or all of the above.

As GM Naroditsky once wrote on his excellent post about the "Art of Time Management":

... if you are feeling particularly edgy or anxious, it is usually best to skip a blitz session on that day. When negative emotions run high, it is significantly more difficult to play quality chess and resist the urge to tilt if you've lost a few in a row.

As a parent of a young child, the days when I am sleep deprived are often more than when I have had a good night's sleep. Which means on most days, I am donating rating points to my opponents and feeling more frustrated than satisfied after a game of chess.

If I can't find my keys, why would I expect to find my opponent's bishop staring at my position on the long diagonal.

So what options do we have on the days when we aren't feeling great and don't think that we are going to play our best chess? Here are some of my suggestions

Study

While it won't come with the same rush as actually playing a game, studying is a good way to get a little bit of chess into your system while not having really high stakes. This can be a book, YouTube lessons, or the various Lichess Studies and resources that are available for you.

Do Puzzles

We all need to brush up our tactical abilities and there are tons of puzzle resources available. If you are not feeling like doing the harder puzzles, I highly recommend doing one of the Puzzle Rush style tactics available to you. My favorite is the [Puzzle Streak](https://lichess.org/streak) because I don't have want the additional stress of time pressure when doing studies.

Watch Streams/Speed Runs

A fairly low stakes activity, which actually helps one relax and gives one new ideas. My preference is to watch Speed Run style videos (like what Daniel Naroditsky or John Bartholomew put out) rather than a game analysis of GMs (like GothamChess). There is nothing wrong with the latter, but I have found it's more entertainment, less learning.

Play Unrated Games

If you really have to play, then play unrated games. They are sometimes harder to get a match. But you will get over losses much easily if you aren't losing rating points. There is also a lower chance to tilt.

Play Bots

If you can't get an unrated game against human, then play a bot. There is a variety of rating ranges and styles to choose from and it can be really fun.

If you must play rated games

Let's say none of the above things work for you or you are always tired when you come to play chess, then here are some techniques that you can use to help yourself in your games.

Give yourself more time

Chances are that if you are tired, you aren't going to calculate deeply or accurately. Playing a longer time control, if possible will help you avoid some mistakes by having more time and not rushing your moves.

Avoid Complications

This is likely a boring and controversial recommendations, but really helps a tired mind. Give your mind a rest and Avoid Complications. If you are ahead, simplify down. Even if you aren't ahead, it may not be a bad idea to break the tension and get some even trades down to a boring position. You may tell yourself, that this isn't your style. But I would recommend at least trying this out and seeing how it goes.

Have a Stop-Loss

Give yourself a set number of games that you are going to play. Or a set number of losses (or rating points loss) that you are willing to accept. Once you cross that, stop playing! Playing on tilt helps no one.

Conclusion

I hope my suggestions help all the tired people out there who still love playing chess. I would be glad to hear other suggestions that folks have. Remember to have fun!