Novice Nook

Breaking a Slump
Quote of the Month: chess is a microcosm of life. Our
character flaws in life are exaggerated in the game. Apart from
native talent and some practice at the game, I think differences
in character are the most important reasons why some people
are better than others. Professor Trevor Harley

One of the common questions I am asked is, How do I break out of my

slump?

Novice Nook The first step is diagnosing what is wrong. So, lets define some slump
terms in order to get started:

A plateau is a time period where your rating stays constant.

Dan Heisman If you are struggling to improve and think you should be doing so, and
yet are still on a plateau, we can call that a rut. When in a rut, you are
performing at a normal level, but are having trouble improving.
If you are in a slump, you are not performing as well as normal for an
extended period of time.

Because the main purpose of this column is to advise improving players,

helping you out of a rut has been the subject of almost all previous Novice
Nooks! Among these The Ten Biggest Roadblocks to Improvement may be
especially useful.

If you are not sure whether you are in a rut or in a slump then check your
slow rating over the last 30-50 games. If youve dropped less than 50 points,
you are most likely only in a rut. However, you may need outside help to
diagnose exactly what the problem is.

Further confusion arises between a slump and a drop in your winning

percentage. For example, suppose you are accustomed to facing weaker
players, but suddenly you begin heeding my advice and start playing against
somewhat stronger players to enhance your knowledge. It is possible that you
are playing as well as ever, but suffer culture shock because of the scarcity
of wins against stronger opposition. You might misdiagnose this situation as a
slump, when it is just a normal drop in your winning percentage. Again, a look
at your rating can be an indicator since it should not drop significantly if you
are playing the same as ever. A lower winning percentage against stronger
opposition will maintain your rating in a similar range as before.

If you are actually in a slump then the first step to breaking out of a slump is
to realize that everyone has them, albeit for different reasons. Everyone has
ups and downs! Therefore, occasional slumps are not only normal, but
expected. How long it lasts, how deep it goes, and what you can do to break

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out of it are the major questions. Still, the answers depend on the causes, so
lets list the major causes of slumps, along with some suggested solutions:

1. Playing timidly against stronger opponents

Its possible your slump is because youre playing stronger competition. It is a
common mistake to overestimate stronger opponents, and playing timidly will
cause you to perform worse than expected or to give up draws in better
positions.

Solution: One way to overcome this is to realize that opponents rated 100
points higher will only win 64% of the points, those that are 200 points higher
will win 76%. Thats not an overwhelming advantage. So you should be able
to defeat somewhat higher rated players in a reasonable percentage of the
games. If you are improving, you may even win a higher percentage than
predicted by the rating difference. Therefore, play aggressively and with the
normal amount of fun against these players. Play all opponents, weak or
strong, with the same respect, confidence, and aggression, and your results
should return to normal.

2. Worrying about your rating instead of your playing strength

When people start playing chess seriously they think, What a fun game! I
dont like it when I lose, but if I can put up with it, its just fun, fun, fun!
Then they discover the rating system

Many players fall for the allure of the rating trap (see the Novice Nook
Encouraging Tournament Participation) or other false lures. Within a few
months, its no longer, Can I play a fun game? But instead harmful thoughts
creep in, such as How many rating points might I lose?

Focusing on the symptom (your rating) rather than the cause (your playing
strength) is often a sure way to lose focus and eventually fall into a slump.
After all, you are no longer playing for fun or to learn, you are playing to
maximize your rating. Youre thinking short-term instead of long-term.
Therefore, what you should be trying to accomplish is lost and, with the
wrong focus, a slump often occurs.

Solution: Forget your rating. Refocus on what you are trying to do: learn and
have fun. The only permanent way to gain rating points is to improve your
playing strength. (See the Novice Nook The Theory of Chess Improvement).
Therefore, dont get upset if youre not gaining rating points; just try to focus
on what is really important.

3. Playing just to play

You could be playing at the wrong time: forcing yourself to play when you
dont feel quite well enough, or are too tired, or dont really have the time, etc.

Solution: Unless you have a commitment to a team, play when you want to
and when you can play with enthusiasm and confidence. Dont force yourself
to play just because it is Wednesday night.

4. Playing too often (burned out)

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This problem is easy to diagnose. Usually, if you are honest with yourself, you
can feel it.

Solution: Take a break and let your chess energy get restored. When you come
back youll play with enthusiasm and a fresh eagerness.

5. Playing too rarely (not sharp)

Not having enough time for chess is a fairly common malady among adults.
The real question becomes whether or not you can or want to do
something about it.

Solution: There may be no good solution if the restrictions are truly important.
But its possible that youre not making enough time for chess because of
hidden fears, such as losing or being afraid that your potential is not as great
as you thought it was. If you really want to work at a hobby, you will
eventually make time for it, unless its not as important as you thought it was.

6. Overexpectation
I sometimes see this affliction in my students. Since they are taking lessons,
they want to jump ahead, expecting some sort of instructional magic dust.
However, in chess, as in any other complex activity, real progress takes time
and practice. Therefore, even when taking lessons, any improvement usually
takes time to implement. A second cause of overexpectation is that players
dont realize that improvement doesnt happen in a straight line; expect to take
one step back for every two steps forward. Overexpectation, or trying to do
more than you can, usually leads to frustration, disappointment, and anxiety.
The result could be a slump.

Solution: If you are doing the right things: balancing theory and practice, and
adding positives and subtracting negatives (see the Novice Nook The Theory
of Chess Improvement), then you should be steadily improving. However, that
does not mean that you will soon be invincible. So buckle up and get ready for
the long ride. Having reasonable expectations will make your improvement
more noticeable and enjoyable.

7. Not adjusting to the next level

There is an adjustment period where you have to get used to the better
competition. In chess, this may mean playing Real Chess more consistently
or you may have to realize that youre opponents are no longer going to give
the game away to an easy tactic. At the next level everyones tactics are
noticeably better and so are their strategic decisions.

Solution: Adjusting to the next level usually takes some time. The more you
improve, the more resistance you should expect from your opposition. Playing
at higher levels also demands consistent concentration as any minor mistake is
quickly punished. If you love chess, as you learn more and the game becomes
less random, you will enjoy competing against better players.

8. Loss of confidence
Loss of confidence is an attribute often associated with a slump. This can
occur in combination with the other factors, or might just result as a snowball
effect from a short-term bad streak.

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Solution: Do you know more than you did before? Are you just as careful?
Not senile? If so, you are probably just as good as ever, but it is not reflected
in your play. Restore your enjoyment of the game. Take chances. Dont be
afraid of losing and make sure to learn from your losses. But, in any case,
always strive to play with fresh enthusiasm and confidence. Overconfidence is
another problem, but not the subject of this Novice Nook.

9. Acclimating to new methods

Chess improvement often requires one to revamp their thought processes and
eradicate bad habits from ones play. But before good thinking habits become
automatic and subconscious, players may find themselves thinking about
what they should be thinking. Usually an adjustment period is necessary, and
occasionally the result may be a slump.

Solution: Over time the consistent application of your new method should
yield positive results. If the change is truly beneficial, then a little
perseverance and tolerance may work wonders. If not, make sure the change is
consistent with your character, desires, and goals.

10. Trying too hard

This is a common problem. Many weaker players make chess harder than it
is with premature attacks and over-elaborate plans. They think that intense
desire is consistent with good play, but this is obviously not always the case.
In skittles games, happy-go-lucky players usually play quickly and with
confidence, while intense players are often slow and overcautious. Assuming
the ratings are similar, the happy-go-lucky player is likely to get lucky as
the other loses the forest for the trees.

Solution: You always want to try your best, but this is measured in
enthusiasm, care, and time management; not intensity and eagerness. No
matter what the goal or your means to achieve it, pushing too hard wont
necessarily make it more likely nor quicker. In the world of chess, the
persistent tortoise often beats the overeager hare.

11. Loss of enjoyment

This is probably the biggest single cause of slumps, and players often perceive
the lack of enjoyment as a result of the slump and not the cause. The
overwhelming majority of players are amateurs; for them chess should be
played for the enjoyment and challenge. In some cases the loss of enjoyment
can be so severe that it can cause a player, who might otherwise play
competitive chess forever, to give up the game instead!

Solution: If you play to improve, then have fun and dont worry about all the
other baggage that may accumulate. Ask yourself, What is important, the
challenge of playing the game, or gaining rating points? If you lose, is that
the end of the world? Keep it fun, win or lose.

12. Laziness
This involves not doing your work during the game (pacing yourself to take
almost all your time; looking for checks, captures, and threats in reply to each
candidate move when tactics are possible; when you see a good move look for

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a better one) as well as in-between games (doing tactical puzzles; playing over
annotated master games; looking up the opening for each game so you dont
make the same mistake twice; reviewing your games with strong players). It
also involves subtler matters. For instance, if, instead of seeking out stronger
opposition, you play against weaker opponents you risk rekindling bad
habits such as taking your opponent lightly and playing fast, not expecting the
best replies, or making bad moves and expecting your opponent to make
worse ones. Or perhaps you play against the computer too often and cant
handle the pressure when playing tough human competition.

Solution: Hey! Get with it! If you want to get better at chess then listening to
occasional tips from a good player or reading a good chess book is just not
sufficient. Players who consistently work at the game improve noticeably
more than those who dont. In chess, as in many complex activities, you only
get out what you put in. As I tell all my students when they start, Im just
your guide. You are the one who will be doing the work.

Final advice from Professor Harley: Key advice for avoiding slumps: try to
stick to a routine, whatever the cost.

Next time you think youre in a slump, try to identify one or more of the
above causes and see if the suggested solutions help you break out of it.

You Should Know This!

The following situation occurred in a students game and the lesson bears
repeating. Black has just played 1g4. What should White do?

White to Play

2.Bd6, by a mile! Block the rooks ability

to sacrifice for the potential queen. I am
amazed how many players miss this idea
both on offense, where they could make
the block but dont, and on defense, where
they allow it. Moreover, after 2.Bd6, both
b8 and c8 are guarded by white pieces so,
when Black starts checking, White can win
by zigzagging his king toward the rook on
those two files.

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Black to Play

This zigzag up the a- and b-files is not

necessary, but it is sufficient to win, e.g.
2Rc3+ 3.Kb5 Rb3+ 4.Kc4 and White
promotes. By the way, in the game White
played 2.Bb6? Which transforms a
winning position into a losing one Fritz
rates this move as a 9 pawn mistake.
Black, however, only drew after 2Rxd7?
there is no reason to capture the pawn
now since White no longer has the threat to
interfere with the bishop. Instead, Black should have played 2Kg6 with
better winning chances after 3.d8Q Rxd8, since that would put Black ahead a
tempo compared to the game. Both of these important promotion ideas,
blocking the rooks ability to sacrifice and the corresponding idea of
postponing the capture of a passed pawn, were discussed in the Novice Nook
Examples of Chess Logic).

Efficient Development = Sustainable Initiative

Consider the following sequence from a students game:

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nf3 00 6.e3 b6 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bxe7
Nxe7 9.Bd3 Bb7 10.00 Nd7 11.Qc2 Nf6 12.Rac1 a6 13.Rfd1

For the moment, lets ignore the pros and

cons of capturing with 13Bxf3. White
has achieved an efficient and ideal
development, following the most
important opening guideline: Move every
piece once before you move any piece
twice, unless there is a tactic. Black has
made a few subtle errors (8Nxe7 instead
of developing with 8Qxe7, and the
unnecessary 12a6) and now finds
himself behind in development. It is not
surprising that for the remainder of this
game White was able to achieve a sustainable initiative in other words, he
was continually able to make threats and push Black into passive responses.

But suppose, instead of consistently trying to match Whites development, you

try a premature attack with just a few pieces, before all your pieces are ready.
What is likely to happen?

A premature attack is doomed to failure.

Why?

Because even if you have a slight superiority in force, you will eventually
encounter resistance as you run into the undeveloped forces of the opposition.
Proper play by your opponent will leave your forces in retreat and disarray,
and the initiative will pass to him possibly permanently. Sure, occasionally

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you will encounter a blunder and your premature attack will be unfairly
justified, but that just leads to bad habits this happens all the time in games
between weaker players, where the side playing too aggressively is rewarded
and thus continues to play this way. However, it is often just as easy to get
ahead in development against a weak player, and then your aggression will be
justified (see the Novice Nook Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur).

Therefore the equation is:

Finish your development first = sustainable initiative (This also may be true if
you are far enough ahead in development without necessarily being
completely developed)

Premature attack = unsustainable initiative

Moral of the story: Dont start a fight until your army is ready. How long
would a coach in a sport last if he insisted on playing with less than the
number of players allowed on the field? You are the coach of your chess team.

Dan welcomes readers questions; he is a full-time instructor on the ICC as

Phillytutor.

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