Tips when opponents play really really quickly?

I've played a few games recently with time control of 25 minutes per side - but where my opponent has moved within 10 seconds on every move. I find myself feeling pressured into playing faster (despite having lots of time left on my clock) and then making mistakes. Sounds crazy doesn't it?!

But I end up playing a game I don't want to play ie where I have to play more quickly than normal. If my opponent is always moving very fast I don't have his playing time for thinking, then my own clock runs short.

Any tips??

Thanks in advance :)

Nick

Pace yourself to use all your time. Average of 30 seconds per move should take you to move 50 regardless of their pace. So every 10 moves is about 5 minutes. Of course you'll sometimes play faster (memorized opening moves, recaptures, etc) and sometimes slower (critical positions). This is fine, but setting benchmarks lets you know if you should be speeding up or slowing down. For example:

Move number ---- Time left
         10         ----     20
         20         ----     15
         30         ----     10
etc

-------------------

If you stick to your pace, they usually slow down (you've experience this yourself, when you get caught up in their pace). But even if they don't, just ignore them and stick to your own pace.

Just try and play your normal speed. The downside, which you mentioned, is that you don't get any additional thinking time during your opponent's time.

I have that happen in OTB too, and I have to force myself to go through my normal process. Played a recent G/90,+30 tourney and I had around 9 minutes left on the clock and my opponent had most of their time left. Ideally, you have an advantage you can use to finish out the game quickly.

Thanks - that's a great idea to keep on eye on the move number and amount of time left.

And I could probably modify it a little to spend more time in the openings (I'm trying new openings and don't yet know what I'm doing with them!) and less in the endgame where I find it much easier to move quickly.

thanks :)

I get intimidated too - Tonight my opponent played 3 times as fast as me and threw everything at me leaving pieces en prise all over the place and I felt flustered, made mistakes and lost. And then looking back over it after I'm just so frustrated to see ways I could have defended successfully, had I taken the time which I had on the clock, to just think it all through. Arrrrgh!

you could always play 24 hour online games, and spend as long as you want to think?

When my opponents play quickly, I do the following:

The first thing I do is smile. Because I know they are going to make an exploitable mistake at some point.

I continue natural development unless there is an immediate threat. Then, I try and only consider responses that help my overall development.

Once I am developed, I look at their position and start looking for weaknesses; open lines, weak pieces..etc...etc....

I never worry about my time. I know this one sounds strange, but for some reason, the clock has never bothered me. Generally, if I lose on time but feel I have a better position, I'm fairly happy.

Just take your time, and know that when youre playing someone that moves fast, you just have to wait for that mistake.  Moving fast is one of those "intimidation factors" even though im not sure why that is supposed to be intimidating. 

This post is helpful. Thanks to everyone !

I just played a 6 hr tournament with 4 games with time control G40/D5 (delay 5 isn't that crazy). In the last game I blundered the most fundamental ways, Nc3 was guarding Bb5 and now that very knight is attacked. I foolishly played Ne2 and he plays Qa5! BAM and picks up Bb5. That person had lost all their games prior to this and my mistake gave him his first win.

A fundamental error cause I got unnerved by their fast play. I was taking 10 s per move in opening (e4) and he was blitzing out memorized ones (Sicilian). Still beating my head.

Exactly.

Although it can be very frustrating and sometimes difficult to play at normal speed.

I honestly dont know

You can then use preset moves which is although illegal but necessary against such rude opponents who play too fast

I have no idea

No clue

How would I know?

This is for a chess achivement

So yeah