Chess Mind: Recent Episodes
Jack Blake
A chess player's biggest weapon is their mind. Every great move is the result of clear thinking. Every tactic is the result of great anticipation. Every crushing move in the endgame is the result of managing their emotions. But our minds are not easy to manage. For some players their rating isn't being held back because they lack knowledge ... it's because they haven't worked on their mental game.Each of us have a mental game. The only question is are we using it to enhance our game or are we choosing to let it be the weak link in our skillset?Join Mental Performance Coach and chess enthusiast Jack Blake as he discusses the mental game of chess. If you aren’t happy with your chess rating, then sharpening your mental game with Chess Mind Podcast is for you.
One final thought on developing our learner's mindset.
"Time spent practicing x intensity of focus = progress."
"If we don’t know why we should or shouldn’t be making certain moves then we aren’t learning. We feel like we are, but we aren’t. Be careful of fake learning."
One thing to remember whilst we are learning? Beware of falling into the trap of believing that getting the right answer means we are making decisions for the right reasons.
"There is no finish line in chess. The impatient mind falls into the trap of thinking that once we achieve our goal then everything is ok. But that's not the case. There is always something we want to learn or an aspect of our game we want to improve. And as long as that's the case then our impatient mind will never be satisfied. Instead, we have to appreciate and enjoy the learning journey. There is no other option really."
The third step to developing a learner's mindset? Fighting off impatience.
"It's uncomfortable to learn new things. There are plenty of challenges and obstacles. But would you expect to get strong and fit at the gym without ever feeling out of breath or having sore muscles? The fear of discomfort is the price we pay for the reward of improving."
The second step to developing a learner's mindset? To manage our feelings of fear.
"Because ultimately thoughts are just that … thoughts. As the saying goes “well done is better than well said”. Having positive thoughts is good, but taking positive action is better. The Growth Mindset encourages us to take good learning actions, to keep practicing, to keep researching, to keep trying and that is what is going to get us the results."
The first step to developing a learner's mindset? To understand how to deal with the demotivating, disheartening, and demoralizing fixed mindset.
One final thought on achieving our ambitions.
"When we use our self-talk well it can provide us with the confidence, determination, and patience we need to take our game to the next level. But if it's left unchecked then it can cause our rating and our results to plateau for months, or even years."
Every chess player is looking to improve, and whether we are trying to enhance our tactical, strategic or endgame skills, our ability to learn is fundamental to how successful we will be. But for many of us, we’ve never really been taught howto learn. What will help us learn faster? What will help us to learn better?
In this season of Chess Mind, we explore how to hone our learner's mindset so we can learn effectively and take our game to new heights.
"It's worth remembering that everyone experiences challenges, but not everyone pushes through. For most players, when the going gets tough they bail. This is to our advantage! Those who set out to persevere, to remain patient, and continue to invest time and effort are the ones who turn their ambitions into reality."
The second step to achieving our ambitions? Remaining patient and perseverant, even when the learning curve starts to become steep.
""Where focus goes, energy flows." That's why it's so important to set goals rather than half-heartedly and aimlessly try to improve. Our energy needs to be focused! With no clear goal, we have no drive to achieve."
The first step to achieving our ambitions? Set a good goal, create a sound action plan and then get to work.
Every chess player has ambitions. The problem is that sometimes they stay as just that ... ambitions. They don't become reality. This is a real shame because we deserve to see our full chess potential come to life!
In this season of Chess Mind, we explore how to turn our ambitions from a dream into a reality.
One final thought on decision-making.
"Own your decision. Own your moves. We can't perfectly predict how the rest of the game is going to unfold! Yes with the benefit of hindsight and chess engines we will look back and see bad decisions ... but no one is perfect, we are all learning and when we make mistakes it also gives us an opportunity to improve."
"We can't get rid of our emotional thoughts. Instead, we need a way to co-exist and get some space from them so we can make a good decision."
The second step to improving our decision-making? Get some breathing room from those emotional thoughts.
"It isn't the craziest or most groundbreaking suggestion in the world, but often the practical and simple solution that is used consistently is the one that makes the biggest impact."
The first step to improving our decision-making? Develop a mental checklist
Chess sounds a lot simpler when you think that all you need to do to likely have a winning position is to make 30-40 good decisions in a row. But as we all know that is much easier said than done. Good decision-making is fundamental to playing well and succeeding. Logical, slow, and focused thought is a necessity. Yet sometimes our decision-making process is more chaotic, emotional, and impulsive, leading to bad choices and bad results.
In this season of Chess Mind, we explore how to make the best decision every time we sit in front of the 64 squares.
One final thought on expectations.
"Take control over the targets that your mind is going to create. Don't just let it set crazy expectations. Take control, set a challenging but realistic goal and then get to work chasing after it."
"It's always helpful to remember that yes we want to play well, but if we struggle in a few games and don't meet our expectations, that doesn't mean we are bad chess players. It doesn't mean we are incapable of improving. It doesn't mean anything about our future successes. It's just one snapshot in time of a bad game."
The second step to getting a grip over our expectations? Stop judging ourselves so harshly.
"If we want to perform our best then we need to play one good move after another. That only happens when we are thinking clearly and this only happens when our mind is focused on the present moment. That's how we escape from the burden of expectations."
The first step to getting a grip over our expectations? Reconnecting to the present moment.
Does having high expectations help or hinder how well we play? Most players want to think their lofty goals push them to achieve ... but more often than not it just piles on the pressure leading to frustration. And what about having low expectations? Well, having low expectations about our chances isn't part of the recipe for success.
In this season of Chess Mind, we explore how to get a grip over our expectations.
Chess is one of the most mentally demanding sports. To play well we need to be constantly analyzing, remembering, and anticipating. At the same time, we need to be managing our emotions, remaining focused, and staying confident. To play well we must have a strong mental game. Yet, the psychology behind how we play our best is an area that isn't covered often in books and few chess players actively work on their mental game. We strengthen our openings, tactical knowledge, strategical awareness, and our endgame technique ... but not our mental game which is the foundation of every move we make.
The Chess Mind podcast explores all the aspects of the chess player's mental game and provides practical ways to strengthen your game.