I suggested, 'Just stop playing for a while', not forever.
I understand that. I still disagree. I believe EZoto should look at what's
driving him at the moment. If the motivation to continue playing and
putting in the effort to play well is not there *then* he should leave chess
for a while. Otherwise quitting because you you lose a few games in a row
(10, 20, 30, doesn't matter, most players play 1000's of games throughout
their lifetimes) does not teach you how to cope with your loses and push
through obstacles. IMHO, the player that doesn't know how to cope with
loses is going to have a hard time in chess.

My impression was that EZoto (this thread's creator) seemed too upset
with himself to 'focus on learning' from his continuing losses.
That's what it seemed like, yes. All I'm saying is that he should look past
his dissappointment and look at the reasons why he's losing over the board.
There's at least a lesson to be learned from every game. Is he hanging
pieces? Practice tactics, review your thinking process, etc. But he's
gotta push through.

I don't believe that there's only one 'right way' to respond to going
through a slump. What should be done may depend on the individual
player's
experiences and expectations.
I agree with you. All we're doing here is post our opinions on the subject.
It will ultimately depend on EZoto how he chooses to respond.

Best Regards,
MC

MC wrote:
There's at least a lesson to be learned from every game. Is he hanging
pieces?

Yes. He said he had, on at least one occasion, hung his queen `like an
early Christmas present'.


Dave.


--
David Richerby Broken Evil Monk (TM): it's like a man
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ of God but it's genuinely evil and it
doesn't work!

You can save yourself a lot of money by switching to cheap vodka after the
first few shots.


Think rum. You won't save any money, but you make up for it in taste especially
in dairy drinks.

"MC" wrote in message
...
Nick wrote to MC about EZoto:
I suggested, 'Just stop playing for a while', not forever.

I understand that. I still disagree. I believe EZoto should look at what's
driving him at the moment. If the motivation to continue playing and
putting in the effort to play well is not there *then* he should leave chess
for a while. Otherwise quitting because you you lose a few games in a row
(10, 20, 30, doesn't matter, most players play 1000's of games throughout
their lifetimes) does not teach you how to cope with your loses and push
through obstacles. IMHO, the player that doesn't know how to cope with
loses is going to have a hard time in chess.

I don't know what are EZoto's motivations and expectations in playing chess.
I don't know whether EZoto has been making a determined organised effort to
improve or whether he's just been playing casually for recreation.

If any person plays enough chess, then it's practically inevitable that he or
she will lose. And if losing too frequently becomes too painful, then why not
'stop playing for a while' and then come back to chess with a fresh mind?

My impression was that EZoto (this thread's creator) seemed too upset
with himself to 'focus on learning' from his continuing losses.

That's what it seemed like, yes. All I'm saying is that he should look past
his dissappointment and look at the reasons why he's losing over the board.
There's at least a lesson to be learned from every game. Is he hanging
pieces? Practice tactics, review your thinking process, etc. But he's
gotta push through.

EZoto wrote: "I'm hanging everything in site (sic)".

If EZoto was making similar flagrant blunders again and again (as he seemed to
be describing), then I don't understand what he was learning from continuing
to play game after game like that.

I don't believe that there's only one 'right way' to respond to going
through a slump. What should be done may depend on the individual
player's experiences and expectations.

I agree with you. All we're doing here is post our opinions on the subject.
It will ultimately depend on EZoto how he chooses to respond.

Yes, thanks for expressing your alternative suggestion.

--Nick

"DDEckerslyke" wrote in message
...
EZoto wrote:
I've been playing internet chess and all of a sudden I'm hanging
everything in site. How the heck do you get out of one of these
slumps? I played 3 games and in 2 of them I just hang my Queen like
an early Christmas present while the other I hang a piece in 7 moves.

If you can meet triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors as though they were really two sides
of the same coin in a way
Then you will be a man my son.

This might not be word perfect.

Dear Mr Eckerslyke,

'If' by Rudyard Kipling...

'Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet...'
--Rudyard Kipling (The Ballad of East and West)

Perhaps EZoto should consider playing shogi or xiangqi? :-)

--Nick

On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 17:28:00 GMT, EZoto wrote:

I've been playing internet chess and all of a sudden I'm hanging
everything in site. How the heck do you get out of one of these
slumps? I played 3 games and in 2 of them I just hang my Queen like
an early Christmas present while the other I hang a piece in 7 moves.

Don't know if this fits your situation or not, so take it for what
it's worth.

Back when I was working seriously on my chess, I noticed that my ratio
of tactical blunders went up immediately after I studied *strategic*
material. It seemed like trying to incorporate the broader themes in
my game caused me to lose sight of the immediate tactical situation on
the board.

It was discouraging, as if study made one weaker! But it was
transient, until the strategic themes incorporated themselves into my
general chess thought processes.

I'm gonna take your advice. Sometimes you just have to take a break.
Thanks.

EZoto