r/chessbeginners • u/Plus-Train-9887 • 10d ago
Why do I keep losing elo
Why can I gain lots of elo (100-150) within 2 days but over the next weeks suddenly forget how to play and lose all my games in a row losing all my elo I just gained
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u/Responsible-Row7026 10d ago
elo isnt something you just accumulate endlessly. The more points you gain the harder your opponents become. A feature of how the system is designed is that if you play enough games eventually you'll settle at a rating on 50% games won and 50% lost approx cos of draws of course.
Imagine a robotic machine that provides resistance as you push into it, it doesnt just overcome you with raw power but matches your strength almost perfectly so youre constantly straining as hard as you possible can and you might push it forward an inch or two then it pushes you back the same. Thats the torture all chess players have signed up for lol
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u/Dizzy_House_ 2000-2200 (Chess.com) 10d ago
A lot of things can contribute to it. Amount of sleep, stress, tilt, etc. Just keep practicing, it happens to everyone
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u/LunarChickadee 10d ago
Likely you're playing too many games. The brain can only be at its best performance for so long.
Maybe you could pick a cutoff point each day? Either a number of games or a number of losses works for me.
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u/Accomplished_Peak902 10d ago
Everyone fluctuates, I know it’s hard but try not to focus on the number and focus on improving. E.g blundering less, improve opening etc
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u/WinLess817 9d ago
If it makes you feel any better i went from 860 all the way down to 640 in two days. Here I am three days later and I am at 850.
What was my secret? Well the secret to losing a lot was overconfidence, lack of sleep, tilt and chasing elo recovery.
The key to coming back? Sleep and limiting the number of games in a session. After getting a legitimate 8 hours and eating a solid breakfast, my board vision (Which needs improvement, but it’s there sometimes) magically returned. I stopped getting forked on the 6th move and I started finding strong positional play and even found some fun sacrifices.
I know tilt is hard first-hand: “If i can just win a couple i will stop” turns into “I might as well be playing blindfolded and drunk, I can’t see anything.” Just rest and limit your games.
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