How to break the losing streak in a tournament!

Ever had a rough patch in a chess tournament where you lose one game, then another, and it just keeps going? I’ve been there too. And so have all the chess players at some point or the other.

But why does this happen? And more importantly, how do we break out of it?

A losing streak can happen for many reasons: low confidence, believing in the idea of "bad streaks," lack of motivation, underestimating opponents (especially if their rating is lower), or simply stressing too much about past mistakes. It happens to everyone, no matter at which level you're playing. You can be a 1500 or a 2700, you must have faced this at some point.

Some players get stuck in the losing streak until the tournament ends, even though the opponents get easier. Others quit mid-tournament, thinking it’ll save Elo points. But dropping out isn’t always the best idea. It can teach your brain that you can’t handle losses, which might make you even more scared of losing in the future. Or withdrawing from the tournaments might turn into a habit.

So, how do we turn things around? Here are few things that you can do in order to keep yourself in the tournament, (and more importantly sane).

1. Stop stressing about the result.

The more you focus on your wins or losses, the worse it gets. Forget about Elo points and just play your game. Remember why you started playing chess, it’s probably because you love the game, right? Winning is fun, but it’s not the only reason to play. You're going to get back the rating points in probably the next tournament or the tournament after. So don't stress about it during the tournament. I know players who end up checking what's the rating change after every round. And they don't stop there, they also calculate what'll happen if I win against my upcoming opponent, what'll be the rating change if I drew the next game, and so on. But is it really helping you or making you more stressful? If you're one to do these things, I recommend you to stop it and check after the tournament has been completed.

2. Don’t obsess over your opponent’s Elo rating.

Your opponent’s rating doesn’t matter when you’re sitting at the board. Focus on the position and your own skills. Don't play your opponent, play against the pieces.Even if your opponent is higher rated than you or more experienced or even if he/she is a titled player.Just remember his pieces will move the same way as yours. even he'll have one move at a time. So play the game in front of you, not the one in your head.

3. Be kind to yourself.

Losing doesn’t mean you’re bad at chess. It's natural to have self doubt when you're losing badly. No matter what you try you end up on the losing side, and it's okay. I myself have been in situations like these where everything I tried didn't work out. Sometimes I settled for a draw sometimes ended up on the losing side but that's okay too. Learn from your mistakes, but don’t beat yourself up. Stay positive and take responsibility for your games, you'll go from strength to strength!

4. Enjoy the game.

Chess is a tough game but its important that you enjoy it to the fullest. Get some extra sleep, watch something you really enjoy, go for a walk, and eat your favorite food. I'd like to share an incident here. During a tournament I was participating in, I wasn't performing very well. I wasn't on a losing streak, but I had to settle for draws against lower-rated players. In the next game, I was up against another lower-rated player, and I decided to just play chess without any preparation for the upcoming round. I knew I could play chess, so why not give it a try? It worked—I not only won the game but also felt more confident afterward.

5. Slow down and stick to your basics.

When you’re in a bad streak, it’s easy to overthink or get too creative. Stick to your opening prep and focus on playing solid, simple moves. Don’t try to do too much—just play good chess.

By following these steps, I turned things around at various events. Sure, I still lost some Elo, but finishing strong felt great and left me in a good mood. Remember, a losing streak is just a small chapter in your chess story. Don’t let it define you.

Hope this helps! 😊

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Vedant Pimpalkhare is a Chess player and Coach with a FIDE rating of 2287 and a chess.com rating of well over 2750. Vedant holds the esteemed title of FIDE Instructor. Vedant has been a professional player for more than 15 years and have been coaching for the last 6 years.