A recent chess tournament

[trenton]

For the past three days I was in Columbus competing in a chess tournament.  I noticed an interesting trend in my performance as the tournament progressed.  I wrote down my mission statement to fight for a win always and to be fully focused at my peak performance.

The first game I dominated easily and was fully focused.

The second game I was slightly less focused and frustrated to finally breakthrough and win.

The third game I started having a harder time focusing toward the end, but still pulled out a win leaving me with 3 points.

The fourth game I was full of anxiety and struggled to focus for the middle game.  I was unable to use my advantage and my opponent got a draw.

The fifth game was painful.  I had stomach aches, a high temperature, was sweating, and has a hard time calculating simple tactics.  It is amazing that I got a draw, but I was annoyed to have missed my winning chances in the last important games to secure clear first place.

The final results is that I tied for first or second, but I can't tell which right now.  During the tournament I had a hard time telling if I was hungry or not, and it was not until the tournament ended that I realized I did not eat dinner in two days.  I also needed to go to the bathroom constantly, and in future games I will need to control this level of stress in order to ensure consistent peak performance.

The most counter intuitive part is that focusing too much on winning a tournament decreases winning chances.  It is helpful to see the entire process as a full machine and if one part falls apart so does the rest of the machine even if one particular piece is perfect.  I managed to get a lot of good information about stress management for the next tournament.

[randomguy123]

Let your attachment to winning go. Being prepared to lose, gives you a better chance at winning. Also, you also can't control your anxiety or stress. You can just be aware of them, welcome them and when aware enough, the option is offered to let them go. This stuff can get really neurotic and ultimately put you in a ditch. Just be careful with what you're doing.

[Elisabeth]

Are those very slow chess games? Like three hours/game, two games a day?

[Forestluv]

1 hour ago, trenton said:

The most counter intuitive part is that focusing too much on winning a tournament decreases winning chances.  It is helpful to see the entire process as a full machine and if one part falls apart so does the rest of the machine even if one particular piece is perfect.  I managed to get a lot of good information about stress management for the next tournament.

This reminds me of flow states of consciousness and peak performance. For example, athletes and writers often speak about transcendent flow states in which there is pure Nowness. Ideas like "me", "time" and "winning vs losing" drift off into the background and there is the pure beingness of Now.

In terms of peak performance, I don't see why this couldn't apply to chess tournaments. A couple of commonalities in entering peak states include:

1) At least an upper-intermediate level of skill. For example, I could not enter a flow state of consciousness skateboarding. I don't know how to skateboard, and I would be pre-occupied with trying to maintain my balance and not falling. It would take me years of practice to reach a level of proficiency to enter a flow state. However, after years of downhill skiing I am at a lower-advanced level and can go into flow states of enhanced performance while skiing. To me, it sounds like you have reached this level of skill with chess.

2) An element of risk. Even though I'm at an advanced level of skiing - there is still an element of risk needed to enter flow states. If I ski the green bunny slopes, it's just too easy and boring. Yet, when I'm on a single black diamond there is enough risk that my attention needs to be elevated and a certain type of flow state can be attained. Yet, overshooting risk is a deterrent to flow state. For example, a triple black diamond slope is too much for me. I could get down it, yet I would now be too pre-occupied with maintaining balance. To me, a flow state on a single diamond is like the skiing is skiing itself. On a triple black, it's too serious and "I" need to re-enter and be extra careful about personal safety. Similarly, if I was in a ski competition with major stakes, it would be too much - I would be too pre-occupied with winning, what I *should* have done, regretting past mistakes, worrying about making future mistakes, my chances of losing - etc. All of this takes us out to flow states of Now. . . Imagine a basketball player "in the flow". For example, the is a video showing Klay Thompson of the NBA, scoring 37 points in under 10 minutes - an NBA record. He is in a pure flow state of consciousness. He made every single shot he took. His teammates kept passing him the ball. The other team double- or triple-teamed him. Regardless, Klay shot every time and never missed. He was so in the zone that he couldn't miss. The opposing team kept calling timeouts to break his flow state, yet they couldn't. . . I love watching the energetics of someone in a flow state and their relationship to others. When he entered the flow state, there were still elements of risk, winning, losing etc. The game was very close. Yet as he entered the flow state, all that stuff became the background. The forefront was pure presence. Notice how he is intense and "locked in", yet he is also loosey goosey. He is both intense within Now and relaxed. Klay is not worrying about winning/losing or missing shots. As well, his teammates enter a supportive role in the flow state. . . One new area of peak performance of athletics are flow states. It also applies to things like creative writing. Steven Kotler has done some nice work in this area.

3) Physical state. Some flow state psychologists study how we can enter flow states. Everyone would love to enter a flow state, yet how do we do it? It seems like prior activities can help enter flow. People often try to get "in the zone". For example, before a competition an athlete may listen to music and do a performance ritual. Steven Kotler does creative writing. He describes trying to change his environment to enter creative writing flow states. He rented a cabin in the woods for a week. He found drinking a moderate amount of caffeine, moderate hiking in nature and smoking a low amount of cannabis - increased his chances of entering creative writing zones. He also had the elements of above. He is a skilled writer, so he didn't have to worry about proper English grammar. As well, there was an element of stakes. He had struggled entering creative zones for a book he was writing and a deadline was approaching. Yet the stakes were not super high. It wasn't like he would lose his job, wife and house if he didn't create a masterpiece. . . Steven describes entering extended creative flow zones in which "the writing wrote itself". He entered such a high level that he was at a higher level than any editor - for a week straight. . . When he submitted the writing to reviewers and editors - there was not a single correction. He was perfect. This is the equivalent of Klay Thompson's performance. Each of them hit every single shot and never missed. 

Below is a two minute video of Klay Thompson's flow state. It was 10min. of game time, about 20min. of real time. He took every shot in that time span and made every single shot. Three-pointers, one-handed alley-oop dunks, driving layups, two-point jumpers and free throws. I love how the energetics change as he enters flow - both "internally" and "externally". In the beginning, the score is tied and Klay is just another basketball player that has made a few shots in a row. Yet then the energetics change. At the halfway 5 minute point there is a shift. The announcers realize he is "feeling it" and so does the crowd. Everytime Klay gets the ball, the crowd now rises to their feet in anticipation. With each shot Klay makes, the crowd gets louder and louder. With two mintues left, the crowd is continually on their feet fully dialed into the moment. Even though the score is a blowout, the crowd roars louder and louder with each basket. His teammates subconsciously know to get him the ball. There is flow at the individual level with Klay and there is flow at the collective level - flow between Klay, his teammates and the crowd. It's beautiful.

 

[Commodent]

Ahh, chess. Yes, I can relate to this one a lot. I have noticed when there's lots of pride and ego involved I will automatically play much worse due to anxiety, nervousness etc. So in order to play the best way possible I really have to detach from outcome and just focus all my attention on the moment, as @Serotoninluv talked about. It works very well, but the hard part is really maintaining that attitude when you're in a winning position against someone much stronger than you. At that point it's very easy to crumble. So I think it might be wise to shift one's priorities from simply winning to that of playing a beautiful game for the sake of beauty itself. Meaning, you have only really failed if the moves were ugly or otherwise played with poor intent.

[trenton]

@Elisabeth that is correct.  The tournament went on for three days.

[trenton]

@Serotoninluv I think you described the flow state very well.  This happened to me in several other chess games.  My idea is that if I enter the flow state you described consistently, then I could get good results, but when I am thinking about these things it does not help.

[trenton]

@Commodent That is exactly what happened when I played against an opponent who was significantly stronger than me.  I built up a good advantage against him, and then I started rushing an attack instead of building up slowly.

[integral]

@trenton hey! Im a chess master, can relate with all of your experiences. Sleep and Nutrition management is part of the game, get it organized.

Check out Josh Waitzkin "the art of learning" and his teachings on the psychology of competition. 

There is also a series in a old game by Waitzkin, its a hidden gem.

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by integral