What Really Separates Champions from the Rest

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “If only I were younger, maybe I could’ve chased my dreams…”?

I never really bought into that idea — and I still don’t. Age doesn’t matter when it comes to passion and goals. Not in the way most people think.

Sure, if you’re aiming to be a world-class sprinter, your window might be tighter. But for chess? Your peak years are defined more by mindset and dedication than by youth.

So let’s dismantle one of the most persistent myths in chess: that the top players are born with something the rest of us lack.

This might be a semi-lazy article — not packed with stats or technical depth.But it gets the point across, and sometimes that’s all you need.

 The Myth of Natural Talent

We toss around the word “talent” far too casually. When someone performs brilliantly, we often say, “They’re just naturally gifted.” But what does that even mean?

Sometimes we mean they have an innate ability. Other times, we just mean they’re really good. But in either case, the word glosses over the real story behind excellence: work, obsession, focus, and love for the craft.

Let’s talk about three of the best examples in chess today: Magnus Carlsen, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (Pragg), and Dommaraju Gukesh.

Obsession Over Giftedness: Pragg and Gukesh

Do I think Pragg or Gukesh are naturally gifted?

No — not in the way most people think. What they are is obsessed. Chess isn’t a game to them — it’s a part of their identity. They think about it constantly, study it deeply, and return to it even after setbacks.

They started young, yes. But what really set them apart was how addicted they became to the process. That’s what we call “talent,” when really it’s just hard work that looks effortless because they love it.

Can most people match that intensity? Probably not. I study chess regularly, but I’m not consumed by it in the way they are. That’s the difference — not genetics.

If you told Gukesh he’d win his next tournament by studying 8 hours a day for 30 days straight, I believe he’d do it without hesitation.

 Effortless Genius: The Magnus Carlsen Story

Magnus Carlsen seems like an exception, right? He picks up ideas quickly, dominates in rapid formats, and makes it all look easy.

For a long time, I assumed he was simply naturally gifted. But over time, I realized that wasn’t the full story. In a podcast with Joe Rogan, Magnus casually mentioned that even while they were talking, part of his mind was still thinking about a game he had played earlier that day. He also said something similar during an interview in London — and that level of mental engagement stuck with me.

He’s not sitting at a board for 8 hours grinding out positions. He’s not the type to study like that. But his relationship with chess is constant. He reads chess books — even basic ones — and says he finds value in all of them. He watches games, plays bullet and blitz online, and consumes chess in every way imaginable.

He’s always thinking about chess. Not because he’s forcing himself to — but because he’s wired to engage with it. That obsession, not some mythical talent, is what built his understanding of the game.

 The Real Gift: Focus, Discipline, Resilience

Are Pragg, Gukesh, and Magnus gifted?

Yes — but not in some mystical, unachievable way.
They’re gifted in their discipline, their focus, and their resilience. At an age when most kids are distracted by everything around them, they locked in. When they lost games, they studied harder. When they hit walls, they kept going.

That’s not a talent. That’s a choice repeated thousands of times.

And that choice is available to all of us.

Final Thoughts: It’s Not Too Late. It Never Was.

You don’t need to be five years younger. You don’t need to be born with a chess gene.

What you need is the right kind of obsession — one driven by love for the game, not fear of failure. If you can build the discipline to study, reflect, and keep showing up, you can reach your goals.

Maybe not world #1 — but far beyond where you are now.

In upcoming articles, I’ll explore how anyone — whether you’re 18, 40, or even 60+ — can make meaningful progress in chess. I’ll break down the core tools for improvement, and how you can apply them at any age, without needing so-called natural talent.

Because in the end, talent isn’t the difference-maker. Obsession is. And obsession — the deep, consistent desire to get better — is something anyone can choose.

Relevant links

Joe Rogan podcast with Magnus Carlsen

London Eye Interview

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How to Handle Time Pressure in Chess Like a Pro

Did you know that 1 out of 4 players tend to get into time trouble during their games? I just made that number up — but hey, it could be true! Even the best among us sometimes end up in time trouble, and we don’t hesitate to complain: “I blundered in time trouble,” “I was low on time,” blah blah blah.

So here’s my no-nonsense guide to dealing with time pressure.

Don’t Get Into Time Trouble in the First Place

Viktor Korchnoi famously said, “There are no superheroes in time trouble.” The statement speaks for itself. Before we try to fix it, we need to understand why we get into time trouble in the first place.

Why Do We Spend So Much Time on Each Move?

Here are three common reasons:

1. Aiming for perfection on every move
2. Lack of confidence
3. Lack of understanding of the position

Of these, the first is the only somewhat valid reason — if you’re going for perfection and the situation allows it. Some players strive for the perfect game, demanding their absolute best on every move… until they’re deep in time trouble.

A few well-known examples of perfectionists:

• Alexander Grischuk
• Boris Gelfand
• Peter Leko

Lack of Confidence

Spending too much time on a single move is often a sign of a lack of confidence. It usually means the player doesn’t trust their instincts, doubts their calculations, or is afraid of missing something. This hesitation not only drains the clock but also adds mental pressure, making the rest of the game harder. In most cases, it’s better to make a good move with conviction than a slightly better one after too much second-guessing. Confidence and time management go hand in hand — and learning to trust your process is key to avoiding time trouble.

Here are two major causes of this “disease”:

• Previous losses or painful mistakes
• Lack of preparation or training before tournaments

This is the most dangerous of the three reasons and needs immediate attention.

Lack of Understanding

Most players burn time when they don’t understand the position. I’ve been there — confused, clueless, and stuck. It’s only natural to take time trying to understand complex positions.

But this too can be dangerous. You need to analyze your games to see where you’re spending time. That’s the key to knowing what parts of your game need work.

Example: If you’re consistently using lots of time in closed positions, that’s a signal you’re uncomfortable in them. It’s okay to feel uncomfortable — as long as you’re still playing good moves.

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The Balance Between Technical and Mental Strength

Technical aspects of chess are just as important as mental strength. You could have a mindset like Virat Kohli — aggressive and fearless — but if your technical base is weak, you’ll struggle.

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Tools to Avoid Time Trouble

1. Be Better Prepared in the Opening

Being well-prepared helps with time management and adds psychological pressure on your opponent. I get a serious high when I come out of the opening with 1:33 or 1:34 left on the clock. My record? 1:39 before my opponent deviated — and honestly, I might forget some tournament wins, but I’ll never forget that moment.

Jokes aside, if you’re prone to time trouble, aim to play the first 10–15 moves quickly. It gives you a head start, both in time and confidence.

2. The “3 Minutes Per Move” Rule

When my rating dropped to 2097 after a rough patch, I was working with Hariharan, who was affiliated with Igor Smirnov’s Remote Chess Academy. One of the time management strategies I learned was simple: divide your total time (90 minutes + increments) across 40 moves. That’s around 3 minutes per move.

This doesn’t mean you have to use exactly 3 minutes each turn — it’s an average to aim for.

You’ll need training to maintain this rhythm, which brings us to…

3. Botvinnik’s Training Method

The 6th World Champion, Mikhail Botvinnik, had a powerful method for overcoming time trouble:

Play several training games where your only focus is time management — not move quality. Just play fast. Over time, your speed improves, and so does your accuracy.

It’s a simple idea, but hard to follow. It takes patience and serious discipline — traits Botvinnik was famous for. He played in the World Championship match at age 51. Maybe not as impressive as Korchnoi, but still remarkable.

4. Consistent Average Moves > Inconsistent Best Moves

Back in 2017–18, I was playing quite fast — something like Nepo-style — and I developed a strategy I used to tell myself before each game:

“If I make average moves every single turn, I probably won’t lose.”

Now, this might sound counterintuitive, even lazy — but in practice, it’s surprisingly effective. The key idea is: you don’t need to find the best move every time. That’s unrealistic, and often the pursuit of perfection leads straight into time trouble.

Instead, focus on consistently playing good or safe moves — not brilliant ones. If you play average but solid moves every turn, you maintain your structure, you avoid blunders, and most importantly, you stay practical. What usually causes a loss isn’t a string of average moves — it’s one panicked mistake under time pressure.

This mindset is freeing. It allows you to conserve time and mental energy, especially in long games. Over time, your “average” level rises anyway, and so does your consistency. Many fast players — whether they admit it or not — operate with some variation of this philosophy. They’re not looking for fireworks; they’re looking to keep the ship steady.

5. Gata Kamsky’s Approach

I had the opportunity to play Gata Kamsky in 2017, back when he was regularly playing and dominating open tournaments. It was early in the event — second or third round, if I recall correctly. Naturally, I was both nervous and excited. Kamsky was already a legend by then, and watching him play live was a lesson in itself.

What struck me during our game was the rhythm of his time management. At several points, he would stop and think deeply — I’m talking about a solid 10 to 15 minutes — on a single move. But immediately after, he would blitz out the next 4–5 moves almost instantly. And this pattern didn’t happen just once — it repeated two or three times throughout the game.

He didn’t end up with a time advantage per se — in fact, we were often close on the clock — but crucially, he never got into time trouble. That was the impressive part. He seemed to have a clear understanding of when to invest time and when to play from flow and trust. It was almost like he banked up intuition during those long things and then cashed it in for the next sequence of practical, quick decisions.

I realized later that this was a kind of rhythm-based time management. Find the key moment, go deep, and then ride that clarity for a few moves. It’s practical, it’s efficient, and it’s something most of us can learn from — especially if we tend to burn time on every move equally, without thinking about when it actually matters.

What to Do in Time Trouble

To be honest, I’m not someone who often gets into serious time trouble. It’s not been a recurring issue for me in my games. That said, I know it’s a very common challenge for a lot of players, and I’ve given this topic some thought over the years.

In this section, I’ll share a few practical suggestions that I believe can help during those crunch moments. Some of these are observations I’ve picked up, and a few of them are taken from GM David Howell’s course “Winning Grandmaster Methods: How I reached 2700” Howell has openly spoken about his own battles with time trouble, and his insights are very practical — not just theory, but things that have helped him compete at the highest level.

Stressful Calm

The key is to reach a state where you’re both stressed and calm at the same time. That might sound strange, but it’s exactly what you need in time trouble. Feeling stressed is completely natural — trying to eliminate it altogether isn’t practical, and honestly, I wouldn’t even want that. A little bit of stress keeps you sharp. What matters most is staying calm within that stress.

Take GM Harsha Bharathakoti, for example. I know him a bit, though we haven’t really talked about this directly. But if I had to guess why he spends so much time in the early stages of the game, I’d say it probably ties back to what we discussed earlier — the perfection problem. He ends up in time trouble in almost every game. But if you’ve ever watched him play under pressure, you’d notice something interesting. He might be shaking his legs here and there, but overall, he’s calm — almost like he’s completely used to being in that situation.

I remember someone once asked him, “How do you stay so calm when your clock’s down to one second?” His response was simple: “I’m used to it.”

Don’t Panic

Panic is one of the biggest killers in time trouble. It often leads to rushed decisions that mess up perfectly good positions. I’ve made this mistake myself — it’s like being down to 10 seconds or less in a bullet game. There’s this urge to oversimplify things to reduce the risk, even when it’s unnecessary.

Staying calm under pressure is incredibly difficult, but it’s not impossible to master. Gukesh is a great example of someone who does this flawlessly. When he’s playing with barely any time left, I don’t see him panic. He stays composed and focused, making smart moves without rushing. That’s the level of control we should all aim for.

Suggestions from David Howell

Repetitions

Repetitions can be a very practical tool when you’re low on time. It gives you a moment to breathe, add a few seconds on the clock (especially with increment), and reassess the position. But more importantly — it sends a subtle message to your opponent: “I’m still in control.”

Of course, you need to be aware of threefold repetition and not drift into it without realizing. But with a bit of awareness, it’s a great way to regain momentum in time pressure. It’s a mini time-out, and sometimes that’s all you need to regroup.

Don’t Go for Complications Unless You Get a Huge Incentive

Another important point Howell makes is to avoid unnecessary complications unless the reward is substantial — like winning material or achieving a decisive advantage. In time trouble, even objectively strong moves can backfire if they create sharp, chaotic positions that require precision.

Magnus Carlsen Anecdote:- I was watching one of the interviews with Magnus during a World Rapid Championship — I think it was after his game against Parham Maghsoodloo. He got a clearly better position, and things were going well. But as his time started to come down, he made a conscious decision to simplify the position instead of pushing for more.

Even though he was better, he didn’t want to take unnecessary risks in time trouble. That one moment stuck with me. It’s a classic example of practical decision-making. It’s not always about finding the absolute best move — sometimes it’s about what gives you control and minimizes risk when you’re low on time. That’s what separates Magnus from the rest.

Calculate Short Sequences

Howell emphasizes the importance of calculating short, manageable sequences in time pressure. He advises players to avoid long variations that demand deep precision, as those are more likely to lead to mistakes under stress. Instead, focusing on clean 2-3 move calculations can help maintain control without overloading the brain.

This principle allows players to stay practical — you’re still calculating, but in a controlled way that doesn’t drain the clock or lead to blunders due to oversight.

Keep Your Position Under Control

Lastly, Howell talks about maintaining overall control of the position during time trouble. According to him, one of the simplest but most effective strategies is to keep all pieces protected and avoid unforced weaknesses. This kind of tidiness reduces the number of tactical threats to account for and makes the position easier to play quickly.

Howell highlights that when your position is structurally sound — with good coordination and no loose ends — it buys you time and confidence to deal with low-clock situations. The more solid your setup, the less likely you are to get caught by surprises.

My Last Advice – Brace Yourself and Hope the Flight Doesn’t Crash

Sometimes, you just can’t control the position. The game won’t always go the way you want it to, and there will be times when you find yourself in a completely messy situation. In those moments, all you can do is buckle up and hope the flight doesn’t crash. There’s not much else you can do.

One game that comes to mind is my match against Abhijeet Gupta in the National Seniors in 2022. The position was wild, and we both had very little time left. At several points, he was winning, and my king was completely exposed. I had no idea what the evaluation was, and there were moments when I felt completely lost. But other times, it was unclear whether I was truly in trouble. It was a dramatic game, one I’m sure my opponent would rather forget. In the end, all I could do was brace myself and ride it out.

Useful Links

Winning Grandmaster Methods: How I reached 2700 by David Howell

3 Mins Rule by Igor Smirnov

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Understanding Tilt: How To Regain Control After A Loss (Part 1)

Tilt isn’t just something I’ve studied — it’s something I’ve lived.
After a tough classical game, I’ve felt the frustration, the self-doubt, the urge to fix everything right now by jumping into another game. I used to think I could train myself out of it completely, like building some kind of emotional armor. But over time, I’ve realized that tilt isn’t something you erase — it’s something you learn to navigate.

This article isn’t about becoming immune. It’s about being honest: we care, so we tilt. But we can also learn to recognize the signs early, respond with clarity, and stop those emotions from taking the wheel.

What follows is part reflection, part strategy — and I hope, a conversation.

I want to share some of my own experiences with tilt — especially after classical games.
I’m not immune. I’ve been caught in emotional spirals and found my way back, and I think that struggle will resonate with others who’ve faced the same battles. For now, I’m focusing on classical chess — not blitz or bullet — because the rhythm is different, and so is the tilt that follows. Classical games give you time to reflect. The real question is: how do you use that time?

How Do You Define Tilt?

Tilt is when emotions override your ability to make good decisions. It could be a reaction to a blunder, a lost game, or a frustrating tournament. You’re no longer playing the position — you’re playing your feelings. And when that happens, your judgment suffers.

Can Top Players Get Tilted?

Absolutely — even the very best.

One of the strongest players I’ve faced was Hikaru Nakamura, during the World Cup. In our first rapid tiebreak, he had a clear advantage (+− evaluation), but I defended well and drew the game. He was playing White and, naturally, frustrated with the result.

With only about 15 minutes between games, there wasn’t much time for either of us to recover. In the next game, Hikaru messed up the move order early and continued playing fast, almost like he didn’t care. I could feel the tilt.

But after I spent 5–6 minutes thinking on one move, something shifted. When he returned, he played much more calmly — not perfectly, but no longer tilted. That moment made me realize: even the top players get tilted. The difference is in how quickly they recover.

Common Triggers of Tilt

Tilt isn’t always caused by a single blunder. It can stem from:

• A careless mistake
• Throwing away a winning position
• Losing from an equal or drawn position
• Bad preparation leading to awkward openings
• A string of poor performances
• Unpleasant behavior from an opponent
• Even just general fatigue or stress

These moments build up — and unless we address them, they can derail our mindset for hours, days, or even longer.

Tilt After the Game vs. Tilt During the Game

There are two forms of tilt:

• Tilt after the game: When the emotional residue from a loss affects your preparation, confidence, or next game.
• Tilt during the game: When emotions creep in while you’re still playing — leading to impulsive or rushed decisions.

This article mainly focuses on the first — the kind that lingers and follows you from one game to the next.

1. Let Go of the Pressure to Bounce Back Immediately

As I’ve mentioned, I’m an ambitious person who sets high goals for myself. That’s great when it comes to my career because there’s a clear path to follow. However, when it comes to playing a game, I don’t think that kind of goal-setting is always helpful. In the middle of a game, focusing too much on materialistic goals can actually get in the way of playing your natural style. When you’re too result-oriented, your decision-making and moves get affected.

I’ve played in two World Rapid and Blitz Championships, and both times I started with huge expectations — I wanted to perform well. While I don’t consider myself as strong in rapid and blitz as I am in classical chess, my performance shouldn’t be as bad as it usually is. Both times, the first rounds went terribly, and I believe this was mainly due to those high expectations. After one loss, the pressure only grew. I wanted to come back and recover, but it was a struggle. The first year, in both rapid and blitz, I ended up playing on the last boards.

Interestingly, the real comeback came only when I let go of those expectations. Once I stopped trying to force a result, I was able to play with more freedom. A similar situation occurred in my second Rapid and Blitz Championship.

For me, I manage to stop the tilt when I let go of expectations. It’s strange, but it works.

2. Find Your Ground Before Pushing Forward

One of the most damaging side effects of tilt is the urge to recover instantly — to prove that you’re “back.” But that’s often when we take the biggest risks, usually without thinking them through.

After a loss, it’s natural to want to bounce back quickly — but sometimes we take unnecessary risks in the process. It’s okay to play any style after a loss, whether solid or dynamic. Many players gravitate toward dynamic positions because they feel they offer more chances to win. But with those chances comes risk.

The important thing is that the risk is calculated. If you’re going for a dynamic position, make sure it’s a decision based on sound judgment, not desperation. Taking calculated risks is fine, but playing recklessly only sets you up for more frustration.

An example from my own experience: in a rough tournament in Uzbekistan, I was about to face David Paravayan. I chose the Pirc — not my usual go-to in that situation. While I was somewhat prepared, the decision came more from frustration than from strategy. I wanted to shake things up and get back fast. In hindsight, I should have focused on finding my footing first — not pushing forward before I was grounded.

We all love comeback stories — like Anand’s bounce back in the 2010 World Championship against Topalov — but expecting that kind of immediate turnaround every time just isn’t realistic. Sometimes, the comeback isn’t flashy. Sometimes, it’s just a series of solid, quiet games that slowly put you back on track.

3. Damage Control Isn’t Passive — It’s Smart Play

There have been times I lost multiple games in a row online — even against players of similar or slightly higher strength. Why? Because I tried to “fix” each loss by going all-in to win the next one. I didn’t take the time to stabilize. I didn’t think about damage control until it was too late.

There’s no shame in losing — especially when your opponent outplays you. But when you’re tilted, you’re not being outplayed — you’re self-sabotaging. That’s when you need to pause and switch your mindset.

A powerful example of this kind of damage control? The 1984–85 World Championship match between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. Kasparov, young and full of energy, had stormed through the tournament to reach the title match, but Karpov — more experienced — took an early lead. By Game 9, Karpov was up 4-0. After Game 27, the score had extended to 5-0 in Karpov’s favor. The match format was brutal: first to six wins, no game limit. 

At that point, Kasparov had a choice. He could go all out in an emotional attempt to come back, or he could slow down, find stability, and wait for his moment. With guidance from Mikhail Botvinnik (either after Game 9 or Game 27), he chose the latter. He started making quick draws, buying time to recover mentally and wear Karpov down.

It worked. He won his first game in Round 32, then again in Rounds 47 and 48. The match was eventually halted, but the lesson stands: when you’re reeling from losses, you don’t have to punch your way back in. 

4. Take a Break — and Come Back Clearer

Don’t underestimate the power of walking away. A short break after a string of bad games can do wonders. Whether it’s a walk, a nap, or just time spent off the board, stepping away helps reset your emotional compass.

If you find yourself making the same kind of mistakes or feeling mentally exhausted, give yourself permission to pause. Chess will still be there when you return — and you’ll return with a clearer head.

Final Thoughts

In this article, I’ve shared some of the mistakes I’ve made while handling tilt and how I’ve overcome them at times. However, knowledge alone is not enough. What matters is how you apply these lessons to your own game. You’ll have to experiment with different approaches, find what works best for you, and continuously work on your mental game.

Remember: Tilt is natural, but learning how to handle it can make all the difference in your performance. By letting go of unrealistic expectations, focusing on stabilizing after losses, and recognizing when you need to play solidly, you can regain control and improve your overall mindset in chess.

In Part 2, we’ll take a look at how top players handle tilt.
From the strategies they use to stay calm, to how they bounce back after a tough loss, we’ll learn from the best on how to manage our emotions and keep playing with focus.

In case you have more time, here are my top articles:-

Rethinking Failure

The Mystery of Consistency

 

How to Train for Consistency — In Chess and Life

 

My results in chess have always been a mystery to me. I don’t think an analyst could look at my past performances and accurately predict how I will play in an upcoming tournament. I’ve always wanted to be consistent and have often wondered why a small minority of players achieve consistency while most struggle with it.

If we oversimplify the formula for consistent performance, it would be:

Consistent Performance = Playing Well + Avoiding Poor Play

Most players understand this concept. The real challenge arises when we are capable of playing well but fail to do so regularly.

I cannot, in good conscience, recommend specific tools or tricks for becoming consistent because I am not consistent myself. Instead, this article highlights the factors that influence performance, things to avoid, and concepts that may help you discover how to build consistency on your own.

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A x B = Results

A good performance is not solely determined by playing good moves. Unlike other sports, chess has a high drawing tendency, meaning even the best players cannot guarantee a win. Whether you are Magnus Carlsen or Stockfish, even at your best, there is always a possibility of not winning the game.

Apart from the chess aspect, several external factors influence results. Here are a few:

• Previous tournament results before a game
• Sleep quality before the game (it mattered less when I was younger but is now crucial)
• Opponent’s style
• Respect for (or underestimation of) the opponent
• Overconfidence
• Self-doubt
• Level of focus during the game
• Ability to handle distractions, noise, etc.

Often, we underestimate these factors. When analyzing our games, we typically focus on calculation errors or misjudged positions but ignore these external influences.

I recently came across a concept in The Winner’s Mindset by Shane Watson that resonated with me:

A x B = Results

• A = Things within our control
• B = Things outside our control

Examples of things outside our control:

• The opponent playing too fast
• Facing an unprepared opening
• Noise and distractions

Examples of things within our control:

• Staying focused
• Sleeping well and being well-rested
• Preparing for the opponent
• Sticking to the game plan
• Playing good moves

Both controlled and uncontrolled factors influence results. The key takeaway: do your best with what you can control and avoid stressing over what you can’t.

On a side note, I totally would recommend this book to anyone!

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Training for Consistency in Chess

We often hear about training specific skills in a sport, but the concept of training for consistency is rarely discussed. I discovered this idea while watching Serena Williams’ MasterClass. She shared a fascinating training method: during practice, she would aim to hit the ball over the net a set number of times without missing. She kept count and tried to break her record or maintain the same level repeatedly.

This concept can be applied to chess in various ways. For example:

• Puzzle Rush: If you consistently score above 40 in five consecutive sessions, you train your brain for steadiness.
• Calculation Training: Take a calculation book, set a timer for one hour, and solve as many positions as possible. Try to maintain or improve your accuracy across multiple sessions.

The goal is to build a habit of performing consistently, rather than having sporadic flashes of brilliance.

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Chess Reflects Life

Our playing style often mirrors our lifestyle. I used to dismiss this idea, but over time, I’ve come to believe it’s true.

For example, I am a naturally lazy person, and this habit translated into my chess. Before the pandemic, I relied heavily on intuition rather than calculation. Many times, I could have secured better results by calculating deeper, but my laziness led me to trust my gut instead. While this approach worked occasionally, it also cost me several crucial points.

Likewise, our general mindset in life influences our in-game decisions. I am an ambitious person, and this is reflected in my playing style—I often choose risky openings and play aggressively even when the position calls for restraint. My colleagues have described me as a fighter, but this sometimes translates into unnecessary risks in lost positions.

This leads to an important insight:

Consistency in Chess = Consistency in Lifestyle

If you struggle with consistency in life, you’re likely to struggle with it in chess as well.

Ask yourself:

• Have you worked on chess for 4+ hours every day for a week?
• Are you exercising regularly without skipping workouts?
• Do you have a structured plan for improvement?
• Are you meditating consistently?

Most of us are only consistent with activities like brushing our teeth, eating, and sleeping. But when it comes to activities that truly benefit us, we struggle to maintain discipline. If we lack consistency in training, we have no right to complain about inconsistent results.

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Don’t Miss Two Days in a Row

Suppose you decide to work through the book Imagination in Chess for one hour daily over the next week. However, on the third day, you skip due to an unavoidable obligation. What happens next?

Most people either quit entirely or lose momentum. This pattern applies to many habits, whether it’s training, exercise, or meditation. Personally, when I’ve attempted 30-day meditation challenges, missing one day often led to abandoning the practice.

A simple solution: Never miss two days in a row.

Missing one day is human. Missing two days creates a new habit—the habit of skipping. This idea comes from James Clear’s Atomic Habits and is a powerful method to maintain discipline.

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Wanting Consistency Too Much Can Backfire

Sometimes, the desire to be consistent can become a burden. Stressing about performing well in every game or tournament can lead to anxiety, which hinders performance.

It’s great to set ambitious goals, but when it’s time to play, forget about the pressure and just focus on the present. Constantly thinking, I have to win this tournament or I need to gain 30 rating points can do more harm than good.

The key is to trust the A x B = Results formula. Control what you can, let go of what you can’t, and avoid overthinking outcomes.

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Conclusion

This article explored several key concepts related to consistency in chess and life. While I am not yet consistent myself, I hope these ideas will help you tweak your approach:

Key Takeaways:

✅ A x B = Results – Control what you can, ignore what you can’t.
✅ Train for consistency – Make consistency a deliberate part of your chess training.
✅ Chess reflects life – Build good habits outside of chess to see improvements in your game.
✅ Don’t miss two days in a row – One missed session is acceptable; two is a problem.
✅ Overstressing consistency can hurt performance – Set goals, then let go and just play.

If you found these insights helpful, you can follow my Twitter for more short reflections on chess and mindset. Let’s strive for consistency together!

Links to Resources

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Winner’s mindset by Shane Watson

Serena Williams’s Masterclass