Finding yourself, as a chess player, in a community is difficult. Media has created this ideology that chess and chess players are all nerdy and weird. As a chess player, we know that this isn’t the case. Though it is hard to find ourselves in a community, chess competitions can help us gain that sense of belonging.
At a chess competition, you’re going to be meeting and competing with people with the same passion and drive as you. You might even make a best friend when you attend. Once you enter the competition, the fear of not finding your place should be escaping you because everybody is very accepting. However, before you get to competing, let’s talk about what you need to expect before your first match.
Chess is supposed to be a fun and competitive sport. Despite that, you are going to be facing a few challenges. Since this is your first time competing, you may feel anxious or nervous, possibly even terrified. This might be the one obstacle that could be blocking you from performing your best on the board. These are some things you should try before going into the game hall.
You can listen to music or put on a soothing sound in the background. By doing this, you could essentially block noises and other variables that may be contributing to the anxiety or that anxious feeling. If you begin to feel anxious during your competition, you could try a breathing exercise to help you calm down. Taking slow, deep breaths has been proven to help people calm down. It is also a way to calm down so that people aren’t too aware that you are trying to calm down.
There is not just one answer that can be used by everybody because you may have different needs than that of your neighbor; keep that in mind.
These are just some examples of what you could do at a chess competition if you ever feel anxious. If there are some things you would rather do that help you calm down, keep on with it. This is just a reminder of some of the things you could, and probably should, continue to practice at chess tournaments, or anywhere really. Those plans of action aren’t just exclusively for use at chess tournaments.
These are just some examples of what you could choose to do at your chess competition. However, these life skills aren’t explicitly used when playing chess. You can bring those wherever you may be when you do start to feel anxiety or stress. These are life skills you should be bringing wherever you are, not just on the board.
Now that we know what to do whenever we feel anxious, let’s talk about what to do before your first game.
If your opponent is also an unrated player, chances are it’s their same first tournament. In that case, you should assume that they are just as nervous as you are. In that instance, you should take the benefit of the doubt and assume they are the weaker player; therefore, you will be glorious. However, don’t ever underestimate seemingly weak players because “chess isn’t about who makes the first blunder, it’s about who makes the last one.” Hikaru Nakamura
Chess is a game where, if you don’t know what to do in situations of stress, it will be harder for you to compete. By having steps or solutions, navigating your way through that stress could in turn help the capability of your playing. This can not only give you an advantage as a new chess competitor, but these are life skills you can keep on holding on to for the rest of your life. Not only can this help you, but it can connect you with more people knowing that you can help in those times of stress because you know what to do.
Photo Credits:
Gabriel (Gabe) Trejo- Lawrenceville- DMSF Class of 2028