Psychology in Chess

Hey,
I recently participated in a blitz chess tournament in Switzerland and finished second, with one loss due to time.
I was in a winning position in every game, even against the eventual tournament winner.

(Don’t pay too much attention to my Swiss rating—it’s 300 ELO lower than my FIDE rating.)

After my game against Philipp, I congratulated him on a great match and mentioned that he should seriously consider competing for chess titles. He shared that he only plays around 10 over-the-board (OTB) games per year and rarely plays online.

He followed this up with a story about a game he lost to IM Daniel Fischer, a strong Swiss chess Master.
He admitted he didn’t even understand why or how he had lost that game.
Hearing this explanation from him was a revelation for me.

He didn’t know my rating, my title, or anything else about me.
For him, it was completely normal to assume I would lose the game.
This mindset allowed him to play with more freedom and confidence, eventually enabling him to fight for a win (though he didn’t claim one in that match—but that’s a story for another time).

So why did he lose to Daniel Fischer?
It was the pressure he placed on himself.
I would argue that he effectively lost the game the moment he saw he was paired against Daniel.
I say that, because he is not a weak player at all !

This mental barrier is something many players face, but it diminishes with time and practice.
Daniel Fischer is an exceptionally strong player, and it’s possible that even without this mental barrier, the result might not have changed.
However, overcoming it would at least have given Philipp a better chance to fight more effectively.

Apply this lesson to yourself: identify what’s holding you back and preventing you from reaching new rating heights.

Thank you,
Loris

By the way,
I am organizing a chess group class on Saturday, the 18th, at 19:00 (Paris Time).
The theme will be: Strategy and Identifying Strategic Patterns.
The class is designed for players rated 1000 to 1400.
Price: 15 euros
Contact: lorischesstrainer@gmail.com