I’ve been in a chess slump for the past month.
My rating climbed and climbed over 2021. But now I feel I’m stuck around 1650. It feels like I’ve reached a plateau.
This has made me jaded while playing online. I even felt resentful at my last tournament.
The lesson? I’ve learned that my main satisfaction in the game has been my growth in it. It’s time to change that.
But now I’m approaching an advanced skill level. To continue improving, I’m going to have to really start studying and treating it less as a small side hobby.
The other day, one of my favorite chess streamers Eric Rosen said something which hit me hard.
“A lot of players obsess over their win rate or their rating. I think too many players forget about the goal of having fun with the game.”
It’s so cliche. So simple. I was one of these players.
This could easily be applied to any other area in our lives: career, relationships, health. We focus so heavily on improving or pursuing a thing. It can be wildly helpful to pause from time to time and ask ourselves the question.
How can I make this more fun?