Mindset: How Important Is It?

Hint: It's Very Important - At Least For Me

Good day dear reader. It has been a short stint since I was in front of you last. Welcome back or even welcome new readers to the blog. Always nice to see new and familiar faces. I have been away from chess writing and serious study for a while. Last month I wrote about the Inevitable Drop where I talked about what typically happens for adult players after a new peak rating. A wonderful read if I do say so myself and I believe it resonates with most chess players who have been on the improvement grind for any length of time. I also wrote about Imposter Syndrome quite prematurely I might add, where I discuss how it felt to be in territory I perhaps did not belong. Was that a self-fulfilling prophecy? Perhaps.

Where have I been many of you might ask? Well if some of you are in my Discord you will have already heard about my trials and tribulations about my chess along with content creation of said fantastic game we play. For those who do not frequent such social circles or communities I will regale you with the details. From my peak rating of 1849 back in July of 2024 until now I have slide backwards as it relates to rating. Not necessarily with my chess strength itself however. Motivation and drive dwindled and scurried away to hide in the deep dark forest. I read Rowson - both his esteemed books mainly dealing with Chess Psychology, 7 Deadly Chess Sins and Chess For Zebras which sent me down a path perhaps I was not ready for. Admittedly to my detriment as a recommendation from

Evan Seghers

perhaps quite prematurely he’s claimed. Damage (probably not) already being done the text opened my mind to a realm of chess I was not really ready mentally for. The vastness of the game was thrown upon me like a tidal wave or tsunami impending on a doomed coast line. I consumed these books quite quickly over the course of August and September of 2024. They opened my mind to what chess really is. The vast expanse of the game sort of scared me. How much I really do not know? What avenues I can travel? Where could this game take me? - were all questions floating in my brain at this point. It was paralyzing. Like asking for a glass of water but someone presenting you a fire host at full blast. Now what do I do was my new default?

Lost in the deep ocean of potential ways to improve it took months before I found a path through the weeds and find myself unburdened at least to move in some direction. Or at least I believe I have found the first steps to travel even if I did not see the path to conclusion which we rarely ever are gifted in life. I stumbled and wandered for months - the new year came and passed. I put on this facade I was ok and oh here is my new 2025 plan. All is perfect in the world. Right?! RIGHT!? Far from it. Jumping from this or that. What does my chess need? What is my path? How do I improve after such a devastating slide and turn of events? Where do I go? How do I continue? Should I continue? That was the only question I had an answer to which was emphatically yes I should.

Shortly after my post about a 2025 study plan I ceased pretty much all chess improvement or study. That is rich hey? Here’s my plan I am following then only to do a full 180 and stop all chess improvement. The only item that has remained has been my weekly classical club game. I showed up. Went through the motions win or loss. Onto the next week. Rinse and repeat until about two months ago where I expect I stepped on a new path that was worth traveling. Or at the very least one I felt was the correct one to follow. I had been in communication almost daily with

Evan Seghers

about all various things relating to chess. Most of it was his results and sharing games. Occasionally my chess study would come up but, I kept it mainly to encouraging him in his path to Chess Master where he’s close to getting back to his peak rating only mere points away from his waiting achievement. Currently he is at the doorstep yet again which is exciting and motivating. Motivating? Yeah! It’s been something I was certainly lacking for quite some time. Almost a year now. In those conversations he mentioned changing or rather adding of coaches to help him on his path to chess mastery. Working with different people who somehow are all related in some way to each other. Not in the familial sense but, in the chess world in some fashion. He shared with me a new thought process which I desperately needed and wanted as to which I never formally solidified. I have been following his recommendations for a majority of my chess study since we met at one of our local clubs. He hasn’t steered me wrong yet so why think this would be any different.

I jumped onto this new though process and thinking model and have not really looked back. It’s been helpful. I had not been playing online but, that has started back up slowly recently. A break, at least that is what I am calling it, a new way to stoke and build the fire and passion up again, was good thing for me. Online games have trickled back in. I started reading more general chess books on various topics mainly more related to psychology and mindset. A reset of my chess mindset if you will. It has been an ongoing thing since my funk as I call it. A mental lapse where I was just simply for lack of a better word - LOST. I have been reading - A Road to Chess Improvement by Alex Yermolinsky, Chess Opening Strategy by Johan Hellsten and Chess Improvement: its all in the mindset by Barry Hymer and Peter Wells. So the recipe for me to get back on track and build the fire again has been reading chess books and coupled with no chess playing other than my weekly club game. I haven’t even been analyzing my games in depth at all. Quick once over was all I did with the occasional notes from Evan my training partner and sudo coach if you will. More of a chess mentor than an outright coach but, I think you get the point. I am not formally taking lessons from him however I deeply value the path he sends me along. Many thanks if you are reading this Evan.

What I found in my chess material travel is Mindset has been extremely important for me as a more emotional player. After reading Rowson and having chess open up wide for me, I needed to get roped back in somehow. Back into reality where I need to find a way forward. It appears Mindset has been the key for me all along. At this point to date I slid from 1849 peak down to 1708. A loss of points each tournament since my peak back in July last year. This past tournament (though June) will be the first one I have started to claw my way back again. Stop the bleeding if you will. What is rather interesting and telling about this new outlook on Mindset being so important is, I am no longer phased by the rating gain or loss. My questions I ask myself now are - Did I keep my emotions in check at the board during the game - Was I surprised by any moves from my opponent - Did I follow the thought process properly - for me I believe these are more accurate questions to ask and answer all while working hard to keep my emotions in check on and off the board as it relates to my chess and its improvement. If I did then the rest will fall into place. This last tournament I went lossless for the first time since the breakthrough tournament that brought forth my peak. So for me now it’s about the questions. Keeping cool during the game. Keeping the board and moves emotion free.

Went back to the Pump Up Your Rating reference and went through all my losses and draws from the beginning of 2025 until today. I found something interesting. Yes tactics and calculation were still issues for me to contend with but on a much less perverse of an issue each time. I seemed to have solved my pawn breaks issues. Thanks Chess Structures by Rios. Also most of the emotional and mindset items were gone from my games. My focus issue has improve greatly. I progressively have been getting better and better with each game as my mindset was improving since January. It has been a slow uphill battle. I can state it is not at all like Sisyphus any longer.

A small improvement over time but; nonetheless, it will increase as the weeks come to pass. I am confident whatever chess study plan comes to the forefront that Mindset for me will be a rather important factor I need to keep in check. If I go back further and check back on my losses from 2024 I found a similar pattern - with mental mindset decline came emotional losses and game play degradation. When my mind is right my chess is right.

I look forward to the future of my chess. The gains will come with keeping my mindset on track and asking the proper questions at the board. What does that move do? And finding answers to that question each move until each game concludes. Win or lose, if I can keep curious and questioning at the board, my chess will improve. I am confident of that. And as this process repeats from the days, weeks and months to come, I deeply look forward to what happens with my chess over time. Expert (2000) here I come.