Online Chess Addiction

Beware:  Addiction to online chess may well damage your grades …. !! 

This is nothing new, but many of us improving chess players want to see a massive growth in our online chess grades (either Blitz, Bullet or Rapid-play formats) in as little time as possible.  Sure … if chess is the only thing you do all day, then you may well see the sort of gains most of us can only dream of, but the reality for most of us, is that we have a day job.  

It’s great to look forward to a game or two in the evenings, as long as we promise to focus on the game itself, and not just the outcome!  (After all, we learn more from our losses than our wins).  

Over the last two decades, I found that being continually distracted by my online grade and whether it was going up or not, did my chess no good at all!  In fact, this kind of attitude can lead to addiction issues … such that we “chase our grade” even when we are tired and unlikely to beat players hundreds of ELO points below us … 

On top of this, I am sure that addiction may well lead to disillusionment.  How many players have simply quit chess after a bad losing streak??  

The Reality … 

Being a chess addict myself in the past … I had to completely re-evaluate my approach when I realised:  

a) The number of games played has no correlation to a grade increase 

b) I could not maintain the required concentration levels over sustained periods and needed to take more breaks … (meaning I normally won my first 5 games and lost my second five).  

c) My grade went down instead of up!! 

Correcting the problem 

So, to deal with the issue, you to adopt a pragmatic approach and become very disciplined:  

Step 1) Play fewer games:  Up to 5 in one sitting.  

Step 2) Be sure to analyse lost games (a necessary evil) 

Step 3) Try and enjoy chess for what it is … a tactical and strategic battle … NOT a grade levelling up game … like console games 

Step 4) Study more games played by the masters / today’s professionals to see what they do differently … 

Step 5) Consider getting a chess tutor and spend as much time learning as playing!  

Here is an interesting article on Chess Addiction for those who might be interested … 

Finally… remember, ‘chess improvement’ is more likely to be a marathon and not a sprint!!  Addiction, in order to improve rapidly is normally more harmful than good!