Managing Tension
Managing tension in a game is a very crucial discipline to master, both in correspondence and in OTB games. I have not played in official OTB matches, and so I wouldn't really know how it works in those situations. For cc, I guess it wouldn't be too much to say that playing games in one of several available cc sites would be quite comparable to the "official" tournaments being hosted by the ICCF. Most of these sites like the ones I play in also offer tournaments in various formats.
Tension in cc games can arise primarily in two ways: the game itself, and the time factor involved. As the game progresses and especially when it enters the middlegame, tension is usually present. Generally, the more pieces there are in the board as it enters this phase, the greater is the tension. There are fewer squares to place pieces in. It's harder to predict the response if one tries to exchange pieces and attempt to clear the board. And yet, one knows that unless the board is cleared, there will be fewer and fewer pieces that one can move. Moving pieces that do not contribute anything significant can also become unavoidable.
The other type of tension has to do with time, mostly the part about waiting. There is usually more tension in the waiting part when one has the advantage, either materially or positionally. Usually, when one is about to obtain the advantage or already have it, he becomes all fired up and would like to get some more moves get going in order to consolidate on the advantage. And despite realizing the more rational scenario that the guy on the other side of the board would probably take his time, we get all worked up, usually for days.
And then there are some players who, regardless of how their games are currently going, are just eager to get on to the next move, all taut and tense till the time they are able to do so.
These scenarios all present some potential for committing errors, both in judgment and clicks (for internet players). What is one to do with tension? Like most of the areas we had covered in previous articles, being conscious of these things is about halfway in managing and controlling them. Each one of us respond differently to tension. My tension-filled last week gave way to a different mindset after an unintentional weekend off chess, which I have made reference to in my previous post. In the back of my mind, I am aware I am being tense, but unless it has been articulated, I wouldn't have responded positively to it.
After realization of the tension, that's when our individual coping mechanisms comes in. For some, it may mean more games, for some less. Others may have to force themselves into a vacation, or at least a pacing of sorts. Or a change of activity of some sorts. And it may even vary at different times for the same individual. What worked for me this time is an increase in my number of games (from 20 to 40 concurrent cc games), filling my non-playing time with something related such as writing this article, and pursuing some other aspects of my online life, topping it all off with a return to active physical sports and simply filling my time interacting "offline" with friends and family. I guess it worked! By the way, I also managed to trim down my backlog at work :-) In short, being well-rounded got everything balanced and moving about in a more synced manner.
Managing tension in a game is a very crucial discipline to master, both in correspondence and in OTB games. I have not played in official OTB matches, and so I wouldn't really know how it works in those situations. For cc, I guess it wouldn't be too much to say that playing games in one of several available cc sites would be quite comparable to the "official" tournaments being hosted by the ICCF. Most of these sites like the ones I play in also offer tournaments in various formats.
Tension in cc games can arise primarily in two ways: the game itself, and the time factor involved. As the game progresses and especially when it enters the middlegame, tension is usually present. Generally, the more pieces there are in the board as it enters this phase, the greater is the tension. There are fewer squares to place pieces in. It's harder to predict the response if one tries to exchange pieces and attempt to clear the board. And yet, one knows that unless the board is cleared, there will be fewer and fewer pieces that one can move. Moving pieces that do not contribute anything significant can also become unavoidable.
The other type of tension has to do with time, mostly the part about waiting. There is usually more tension in the waiting part when one has the advantage, either materially or positionally. Usually, when one is about to obtain the advantage or already have it, he becomes all fired up and would like to get some more moves get going in order to consolidate on the advantage. And despite realizing the more rational scenario that the guy on the other side of the board would probably take his time, we get all worked up, usually for days.
And then there are some players who, regardless of how their games are currently going, are just eager to get on to the next move, all taut and tense till the time they are able to do so.
These scenarios all present some potential for committing errors, both in judgment and clicks (for internet players). What is one to do with tension? Like most of the areas we had covered in previous articles, being conscious of these things is about halfway in managing and controlling them. Each one of us respond differently to tension. My tension-filled last week gave way to a different mindset after an unintentional weekend off chess, which I have made reference to in my previous post. In the back of my mind, I am aware I am being tense, but unless it has been articulated, I wouldn't have responded positively to it.
After realization of the tension, that's when our individual coping mechanisms comes in. For some, it may mean more games, for some less. Others may have to force themselves into a vacation, or at least a pacing of sorts. Or a change of activity of some sorts. And it may even vary at different times for the same individual. What worked for me this time is an increase in my number of games (from 20 to 40 concurrent cc games), filling my non-playing time with something related such as writing this article, and pursuing some other aspects of my online life, topping it all off with a return to active physical sports and simply filling my time interacting "offline" with friends and family. I guess it worked! By the way, I also managed to trim down my backlog at work :-) In short, being well-rounded got everything balanced and moving about in a more synced manner.
Part 5 here
Part 3 here
Start of series here
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