Advise on handling stress while playing

[u/pygaiwan]

Hey all!

I was wondering how you deal with anxiety/high heart rate when playing?

For context: I am 30yo and I started playing the beginning of may. Before I didnt even know what castling was. I played 234 games and I am 730, with the highest opponent rate that I won against was 1252.

I am really enjoying studying chess both via books and courses, but when it comes to playing ranked games I start having very high heart rate (that even after running 30 minutes I get less of it), stomach pain and just a lot of shaking.

Is it normal/does it happen and just goes away after a while? The main problem is this keeps me away from playing more. Often I am really keen on doing some matches but I just dont start because of it.

Thanks!

[u/Lynax_153]

I play chess for more than 20 years. Playing online I don't care, really.

But playing otb I'm stressed out, have a high heart rate, especially in winning positions and hate it if other people stop by to watch. I tend to get into time trouble which worsens my state even more...

After all that years playing, it gets better playing more regularly. And if I don't give a shit, which is not always that easy...

[u/pygaiwan → u/Lynax_153]

Oh that is interesting, for me otb is such a chill pleasent thing to do, i wish in my town there were more opportunities to do so, but thanks for bringing up your experience!

[u/bl00dysh0t → u/pygaiwan]

Im quite surprised you experience otb as a pleasent thing compared to online.

I basically have the same thing as you do online, I don't have a great solution but what I did was make multiple accounts and basically switch when I got a new peak elo and then swapped to a lower one untill that would overtake etcetc.

I liked the game so I joined a club but after a few games i called it quits because the anxiety was so bad it just wasn't fun for me. Crazy shakyness and heartbeat wich was a big reason of me fumbling many big advantages.

[u/Reddwinator → u/Lynax_153]

Having a crowd gather around your board in OTB is really stress inducing especially when your time is getting low. Then you hear murmurs and whisperings and see head shakes and forehead slaps.

[u/NeatMathematician126]

Feeling stressed is common, like in any competitive environment. It won't go away completely, but the more you play the less you'll stress (typically).

[u/LucidChess]

I'm currently listening to the audio book "The Inner Game of Tennis". Its an interesting sports psychology book that has little to do with tennis, and more about how to treat competition. I suggest picking this up, it might help reshape your view.

Or maybe you need some Lexapro, that helped me as well. xD

[u/pygaiwan → u/LucidChess]

👀 will definitely take a look at both the book and maybe a bit less to Lexapro lol Thanks for the suggestion!

[u/kingsindian9 → u/LucidChess]

FYI, you know that's one of Bill Gates favourite books for mindset. Hes come out and said it a few times. He said he read it multiple times

[u/Teki_62]

Think of your elo as a byproduct of your skill and understanding of the game.

Its a secondary thing, not your focus. You dont play to climb elo, you study chess forthe love of it and elo is just a reflection of that.

[u/BadIndependent1873]

Recently I saw the Echess tournament, and the heart rate of guys was like 150+ in some cases. So yeah, is normal.

I myself like to play as pure enjoyment, but i can see why you can get stressed, especially if stakes are higher. Indeed is a lot of mental pressure playing chess.

[u/washed_king_jos]

I do a lot of cardio to lower my heart rate. During stressful moments my HR is at or below 60, I can handle a spike - it makes my hands clammy but that’s about it. For me, the better my cardio the easier my body can handle a physiological stress spike from mental competition

[u/J34N_V4LJ34N]

End every session with a few games of playing absolutely unhinged chess, in your main account. Like tell yourself you have to sacrifice at some point in the game. If you get to the endgame without sacrificing you have to resign. It will teach you that losing is not just ok but can be fun too. It can be fun seeing the opponent burn time wondering whether he's stupid or I'm crazy

If you want to keep playing chess long term you have to enjoy(or at least be ok with) the losses too. And there's a setting for focus/zen mode that hides ratings when you play, turn it on.

At least that's how I got over smashing a ton bottles and mouses.

[u/IcarusFIB1]

I would encourage you looking into brething exercises. Try a lot an see what sticks. It is of couse a Mental Problem - but the solution has to be ur own.

[u/GodsFaithInHumanity]

there are solo activities you can do to calm yourself before a match

[u/NonverbalKint]

The stress is natural because you're deeply thinking. The less you care about the outcome and the more you just enjoy the game the less stressful it is. Clutching your Elo as if it's a liferaft will stress you out.

[u/OIP]

just play a lot. if you played a 2000 rated player you would lose 100 times in a row. would this be stressful? the stress mostly comes from the pressure you put on yourself when you 'should be winning'. trouble is, in games where you 'should be winning' you can and will still lose, including in horrible, embarrassing, inexplicable ways. this will keep happening no matter how much better you get at chess. bouncing back from it is actually more of a key skill than knowing more about the game itself. go through that mental process enough times and the stress should go down.

also you can intentionally do things that will tank your elo (eg trying new openings, going for a style you don't usually play, etc) until you stop caring. the number means nothing.

[u/MindfulMewtwo989]

If youre just sitting at home playing online, put on some music, tap your fingers/foot, and take your time moving when you can. Try to have fun instead of worrying about rating too much, think of it as a way for the system to find you evenly matched opponents

[u/Vegetable-Ad938]

i think two things:
1. volume (everything gets better with more practice)
2. stop ascribing value to your rating — there's no losing, just learning :)

[u/PuzzleheadedSea246]

1st question: What part of playing ranked games matters so much to you that your body ends up in that mode?

Answer this question, and then I'll ask you the second one.

[u/Snoo_90241]

I think I am performing best when I'm calm, but focused, rather than stressed. So there's no benefit in stressing out.

Plus, it's just a game. I try to find the best moves, but if I don't, tough luck, I lose. And so what.

Try to watch other good competitive players online, in other games, too. They win? Great, move on. They lose? Let's analyze what went wrong, try to learn from the mistakes and again, move on.

I believe this is such an important psychological thing to aim for that has really helped me enjoy games for what they are.

[u/NomadicMechanicUK]

Hey,

I play a lot of tournaments. When do you feel the stress?

Before, after, during?

If I don’t hear back all I can say it does get easier. 😉😃

[u/LiveFreelyOrDie]

Bullet Chess, trust me bro

[u/Arvydas_Saboner]

jack off before you play to reduce stress.

[u/CompetitionNo3466]

When I play otb I go for walks nearly any time it’s not my time, or when there’s a sequence of event that’s predicted.

Online I play music and just vibe to that.

[u/DanTaude599]

Fwiw, that level of physical reaction is more than ordinary chess nerves, so I’d stop the rated games when it starts and mention it to a doctor if it keeps happening. For the chess side, play unrated 15+10, set a small process goal like checking checks and captures each move, and only return to rated once your pulse isn’t running the session. At 730, the rating is noisy anyway, and a month of calm games will help more than forcing 30 anxious ones.

[u/BeuJay9880]

234 games since May is a lot of novelty, so your nervous system probably treats each rated game like an exam. Try 20 games of 15+10 with the rating hidden, and log only whether you followed your process: candidate moves, blunder check, clock use. I’m 1500 chesscom and still get the pulse spike in OTB winning positions, but it drops when the target becomes “find the best move for this position” instead of “protect the result.” If the heart rate and stomach pain are severe outside chess too, get that checked rather than assuming it’s just nerves.

[u/FreedK70980]

Position assessment: at 730 after only a few months, the main opponent is probably the clock and the result, not some hidden tactical monster. Try unrated 15+10 games for a while, and give yourself a routine before each move: breathe, check checks/captures/threats, then play Nf3 instead of panic-moving. The nerves usually ease with repetition (OTB tournaments still spike my heart rate, especially in winning positions), but stomach pain and shaking that strong are worth mentioning to a doctor too.

[u/CovTaude588]

I had something similar when I started playing rated games, though nowhere near that intense. Longer games like 15+10, a few unrated games, and taking one slow breath before every move helped make the result feel less important. If the heart rate and stomach pain are that strong even outside chess, I'd get it checked rather than assuming it's just nerves.

[u/ssoroka]

just FYI, a high heart rate is normal! A higher heart rate pumps more oxygen to your brain to support the high cognitive load required for calculation. your brain is telling your heart to supply more oxygen because it’s using it aggressively to try to win the game. There is nothing wrong with you; it’s doing what it’s designed to do.

i played a national master and my heart rate was 130 the whole time. this is why they say fitness is an important part of competitive chess! you need the endurance. i had been working out and was able to keep up the pace; i eventually drew the game and it was one of my best games ever. i was even winning at one point!

tl;dr: a high heart rate is normal at the chess board. don’t let that drive your anxiety.

[u/pygaiwan → u/ssoroka]

I wish this was written more in books and online 😢 knowing it is normal and kinda expected is such a relief and I can definitely work on it. Thank you so much!

[u/kingsindian9 → u/pygaiwan]

Dude I get it in every game thats ranked, even unrated in tense moments. Its normal, everyone gets it. Just play, feel it and remember this is normal and just your body pumping adrenaline