What is wrong with me?

I go up in Rating points.  Then I get into a losing streak.  It gets pretty bad and I drop 150 Rating points.  Then I get into a 17-1 winning streak and go up 130 Rating points.

I do not understand why I am so inconsistent.  I do not feel like I am playing any better in this new winning streak.  What is the best way to proceed?  Try to slow down and only play a few games, or keep up a good pace?

Rating goes up

Encounter tougher players

Rating goes down

Encounter weaker players...

I agree with ivandh. You are consistent. As your rating rises you get to play stronger players. You lose to them and your rating goes down and you play weaker players. I hope over time that the overall trend is upwards as you learn more about how to win games.

BC you stink.

The solution, like any solution, involves critical self assessement. On your 17 to 1 winning streaks how many of those games were decided by simple blunders? On your losing streaks how many blunders do you make? Did you "deserve" to win any games that you lost? Did your opponents "deserve" to win games that you won? How often do you get endgames that you either do not recognize or do not know? How often do you have a position that you have seen before after your first ten moves? If it is often, do you handel the resulting middle and endgame theams well? 

A rating is a statistical tool. It may are may not accuratly reflect your actual chess ability and the more blunders you and your opponents make the less acurate it will be at predicting the result of any given game.

When losing you tend to persist with a limited array of moves, and don't really play very tactically. When winning, you remember small things, nuances, like a knight being on a certain square makes it more vulnerable etc. etc. This nuanced knowledge funnily enough deserts you when you are doggedly trying to win. Take a break.

Also, why don't you limit the range you're playing for sometime. +-100 around what you feel is your natural level. Open it up as you start to remember more tactics.

This is the wrong idea. Play players 200+, 300+ points higher than you. Lose horribly but learn from the mistakes you made and go over the games thoroughly afterwards. This is the best way to improve. Don't worry about your rating. You're probably being inconsistent because your not realizing the mistakes you're making.

BTW I was jk before you don't stink lol.

MojoJedi wrote:

Also, why don't you limit the range you're playing for sometime. +-100 around what you feel is your natural level. Open it up as you start to remember more tactics.

Those guys are tactically usually so good that they'll hit him like a freight train. Why not level up gradually but surely?

dont worry about your ratings use chess.com as a training tool.join a local chess club and play otb you will be a much better player. because people can not cheat .

    I notice if I play too much I get burn-out and start playing badly. (could be computer fatigue/eye strain etc.)  However, if I don't play much I play badly too.  I have to find that sweet spot between enough, and not too much.

    Your health has a lot to do with your performance.  For example, if I don't sleep well, I get into a losing streak.  Too much alcohol will also do it.  Many people have blood-sugar issues.  You get the idea.

Bc lower rated players won't punish your mistakes as well as good opponents. If your opponent isn't punishing your mistakes then you will continue to make em BC you won't realize your making bad moves. It may feel good to win, but it won't make you a better player. Sometimes short games where you get crushed can be the most instructive.

MojoJedi wrote:

Those guys are tactically usually so good that they'll hit him like a freight train. Why not level up gradually but surely?

Engine users come in discrete small samples.  Your rating responds accordingly.  Fatigue also plays an (indepent) role.  Ditto with "overreaching" after too many losses.  Time for a break.

But it ain't Rocket Science.  A 100+ point fluctuation (in both directions) also seems perfectly normal -- it's called your rating Class.  Duh?

Fatique plays an indepent role? (And yet you spelled discrete correctly).

teh spel chequer is still borken

Is there a dog? Or a cure for dyslexia?

Actually the spell checker treats both (g) and (q) as spelled correctly.  Mea culpa.

I think my favorite one was "BC you stink." - LOL

I think changing the rating at various times is a good idea.  My best wins have been with higher rated players.  The higher rated player makes me play better chess.

A very long time ago in High School an Expert rated player used to like my style and the way I could come up with a good move.  My best game was 3rd board against an undefeated player.  This inconsistency in chess has actually been a problem I have had all my life. 

Many times I'll continue to play several games after losing a couple, I lose most of them. Now when I'm losing I quit and come back the next day. Also, you should go over your games. See why you are losing and why you are winning and strive to improve.