How to stop being a sore loser?

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kingdamian1

I love chess. I like every body, and I wish harm on NO ONE. But I have one admission to make, I am a sore loser. I am not your average sore loser. I can take losing, but sometimes it becomes too much, and it sometimes culminates in me being rude (to put it lightly). Several years ago, I used to get mad really easy and be really mean with my insults, then I tried to control it and tried to thank the opponent as hard as it seemed. The thing is, sometimes it is hard, I can handle losing a game, smiling and saying "gg" most of the time. But there comes a time when I am playing the opponent, dominating him, and suddenly I mouseslip a queen, I explain that I mouseslipped but they won't even accept a draw. At this point I feel physical pain inside me. Cursing helps me alleviate that feeling. I do have some limits in my rage. I never insult based on race, I do not get creepy, I do NOT wish them death or go way too far... But it just numbs my pain a little when I know my opponent read that "*(&# you!" I thought this was only an amateur problem, but I see that even top GMs suffer from it. Magnus Carlsen has behaved like a sore loser, memorably when losing game 8 of 2016 FIDE WCC to Karjakin. Hikaru Nakamura also has problems when losing on chess.com. He is known to rage quit and let the time run out and has even accused people of cheating baselessly. What are the best ways to deal with the pain that makes you want to break your mouse or take pain medication? Thank you!   

Farm_Hand

It's more a personal thing than a chess thing. And I don't even mean a personality flaw. I can easily imagine a great person having a bad day at work, a fight with friends or family, etc. then they get online to play some blitz to relax, and all that frustration is released in the chat. At the end of the day it's better to type in all caps "**** YOU" than it is to shout it at your boss or spouse or etc.

 

But if it's only a chess thing for you, then I'd say try to think about the bigger picture. When I blunder my queen due to a mouse slip, I expect to lose. I will probably resign right away. Even if it was a great game up to that point, I'm only mad at myself for ruining it. So when someone mouse slips their queen against me, too bad. You lose now. Nothing personal. So in my point of view it tends to all even out. You win some by luck or circumstance, you lose some by luck or circumstance... once my dog (40 lbs) wanted to be fed and he jumped up on my lap while I was playing bullet (he never does this) and knocked the mouse to the floor lol. Sometimes crazy stuff happens. Just let that game go and move on to the next is my advice.

 

But if it's a non-chess issue, like your job sucks, your marriage sucks, or something like this. That's totally different... and like I said it's better to type nasty things to an anonymous stranger than it is to shout it at people you see every day... so in that case maybe don't feel so guilty about it, and if you want to change it, then try to resolve these other issues.

Farm_Hand

Or another way to say that middle part... think about what you can control and what  you're responsible for.

You can't control other people... but luckily you're also not responsible for that other person's behavior, so there's no need. If in your head the rule is "a person should always accept a draw or takeback after a mouseslip" that can be called honorable, but, you're powerless to set this as a rule for everyone... also, luckily, you're not responsible to enforce this as a rule for everyone. So a sort of two part action, you acknowledge you're powerless to control others, and forgive yourself for being powerless.

cyboo
Well, I lose like 50% of the time so it’s no big deal for me. Sometimes I go on winning streaks. Sometimes I go on losing streaks (like yesterday). Sometimes I never type anything. But if I do, I always start with “hello”. “Good luck”, and “good move” which I type like for every move that I think my opponent did well. So if I lose, I think to myself, well, he did make a lot of good moves after all! If I lose due to a mouse slip (actually I play on the iPad but once I placed my Queen right in front of my opponents instead of capturing it) I will still play. Once that happened, but I won my opponents queen back by some neat tactics. Actually, I think he became over confident and expected me to resign!
cyboo
YOU MUST NOT SWEAR OR TYPE THE F WORD OR YOUR OPPONENT COULD REPORT YOU AND YOUR ACCOUNT COULD BE BANNED FOR ABUSE.
CelticG

If you have a problem with anger, practising mindfulness can help.  Or you could take up Tai Chi. That will help you to relax. Feeling angry doesn't help anyone!

52yrral

Imagine you are playing a Sumo wrestler live who could force feed you the board!

Alltheusernamestaken

Welcome to the club mate

gumby103

I've been known to rage like crazy but the only difference between you and I is that I rage by myself in the courtesy of my own home, not towards my opponent. I rarely if ever say anything bad to my opponent when I lose. The most I've said after frustration is, "you're a time player" or "you're a runner" type stuff. That stuff is nonsense as well b/c you can't blame others if they beat you on time. 

 

That being said, be truly honest with yourself. Usually rage has to do with other aspects is your life. Find out what those areas in life you can improve on and surprisingly, the more positive you are, your chess might even improve! 

Yosharu

Well I used to be a sore loser too. I still hate losing, but I always try to think that I'm learning from my mistakes when I lose. I make myself study my mistakes. 

So who really wins? 

It sounds cheesy, but it works for me. 

kingdamian1

I think it's a bit of both. I am frustrated by things outside of chess and inside too!

gumby103
kingdamian1 wrote:

I think it's a bit of both. I am frustrated by things outside of chess and inside too!

yeah that's what I figured. I raged the most when things were stressful whether it was work related or other things. I play much better when I'm well rested and in a good state. 

 

maybe try some meditation etc. 

Farm_Hand
IMBacon wrote:
kingdamian1 wrote:

I love chess. I like every body, and I wish harm on NO ONE. But I have one admission to make, I am a sore loser. I am not your average sore loser. I can take losing, but sometimes it becomes too much, and it sometimes culminates in me being rude (to put it lightly). Several years ago, I used to get mad really easy and be really mean with my insults, then I tried to control it and tried to thank the opponent as hard as it seemed. The thing is, sometimes it is hard, I can handle losing a game, smiling and saying "gg" most of the time. But there comes a time when I am playing the opponent, dominating him, and suddenly I mouseslip a queen, I explain that I mouseslipped but they won't even accept a draw. At this point I feel physical pain inside me. Cursing helps me alleviate that feeling. I do have some limits in my rage. I never insult based on race, I do not get creepy, I do NOT wish them death or go way too far... But it just numbs my pain a little when I know my opponent read that "*^#% you!" I thought this was only an amateur problem, but I see that even top GMs suffer from it. Magnus Carlsen has behaved like a sore loser, memorably when losing game 8 of 2016 FIDE WCC to Karjakin. Hikaru Nakamura also has problems when losing on chess.com. He is known to rage quit and let the time run out and has even accused people of cheating baselessly. What are the best ways to deal with the pain that makes you want to break your mouse or take pain medication? Thank you!   

 

When i first started playing OTB tournament chess, i was such a poor loser, and poor sport, I actually thought i had no business losing to anyone rated lower than me.  And when that did happen, I would pick up my stuff and leave.  I wouldn't withdraw, I would tell the TD, I would just pack up my stuff, and take me and my hissy fit home.  I mean...after all "I'm better than you, and my rating proves it..."

Even when playing candy land with my daughters.  If i started to lose, i would resort to cheating.  Yes...a grown man was such a poor sport, he would cheat at a board game against his own daughters. 

Anyone want to take a guess as to the kind of person i was to be around?

Sounds like you got better though.

SmyslovFan

Magnus Carlsen addressed the issue of claims he's a sore loser by saying he needs to practice... not losing so often!

Farm_Hand

When you're literally a world champion I think it's different.

He should think losing is unnatural and wrong. He should be upset.

Of course that doesn't excuse any action that may come from that, but if he does something like give an interview where he's not hiding the fact that he's pissed I don't see a problem with that.

SmyslovFan

Bobby Bowden, the famous college football coach, said that everybody loves to win, but champions really hate to lose and will do whatever it takes to stop losing. 

If attitude is that important in a game where the head is used as a bludgeoning tool, imagine how much more true it is in chess!

Fitz_Mc
Sorry, but being a bad loser in chess, to the point of unsportsmanlike and/or abusive behavior, is because you’re either:

a. A highly strung present or former chess prodigy that has been mollycoddled for all of their childhood and is in such a chess bubble that they haven’t learnt how a decent human being behaves when competing.

b. A complete tool

c. a and b

I don’t like losing and I want to do well, but I don’t take out my frustrations on others if I make a mistake. I mean, you mouseslip a queen and EXPECT to be offered a draw?? I’ve been offered draws before, in a complete drawing position when it’s a clear slip, but I certainly don’t expect someone to offer.

I get people asking for takebacks all the time, and I accept more often than most would, but I never ask for one myself. Some will throw a wobbly when you refuse, it’s ridiculous.

At the end of the day you’re playing a game online, with no negative impact from losing apart from a few meaningless rating points and suffering a bit of disappointment or frustration, and you have a hissy fit when it doesn’t go your way and start being insulting towards people?

So, in short, grow up, and don’t forget that you could be telling a child to F off, and you could put them off online chess for good.

Unbelievable
inmaniac

I am somewhat of a sore loser but I don't take it out on the person.  I just end up not playing live games because I hate losing so much.  I internalize it.  I think practice is the solution but I'm not there yet. 

One thing I am working on is doing a really thorough blunder check.  I hate losing but when I lose to someone who out played me, then that isn't so bad.  What I hate is when I was ahead and I lose because I dropped a piece.  That is extremely frustrating. 

 

m_connors

Become a sore winner . . .

slaintemath
Blunders are part of the game. When you do blunder there is really only one person to blame.
You basically win at chess by making the least mistakes and blunders.
You lose your queen and you lose the game typically. Even getting angry at yourself will just make you play worse for a little while.
‘Oops’ might be an okay comment. Make ya feel a little better. Lol.