You have not lost anything yet, but are already playing to avoid the feeling of defeat. You postpone entering an event, check the same variation or look at your rating more often than the position.

These situations are possible examples, not compulsory stages of a universal phenomenon. Fear of losing can take different forms, and a cautious decision may be entirely justified.

What exactly are you afraid of?

Try specifying the imagined consequence: disappointment, a rating drop, someone else’s judgement, the feeling that you prepared badly. These concerns are not interchangeable.

Write down what depends on you and what remains uncertain. You can choose your preparation and examine a threat; you do not control the result alone. Even a good method can lead to defeat against someone who plays better that day.

There is no need to claim a prevalence among club players or particular brain activation to recognise that this fear can trouble you.

Loss aversion: an analogy with limits

Kahneman and Tversky (1979) propose a theory of risky decisions in which outcomes are evaluated relative to a reference point. Losses and gains do not occupy symmetrical positions in it.

This may suggest a question: do you experience a rating drop as a loss relative to a number you have become attached to? That application does not demonstrate that fear of losing a game is entirely explained by loss aversion. The publication does not measure this mechanism in chess players.

The multiplier “twice as painful” is not a constant applying to every person, stake and game.

Caution or avoidance?

An exchange, solid defence or draw offer can be a good choice. To discuss its quality, examine the position and tournament situation. Visible style does not reveal a player’s courage.

After the game, compare a decision you considered cautious with its alternatives. Had you seen a real threat? Rejected a favourable line you did not yet understand? Run short of time? This precise analysis helps more than dividing players into those who want to win and those who merely want not to lose.

Regaining room to choose

Before playing, propose a practical goal: check forcing replies, compare two candidates when they exist, keep time in reserve. The goal need not become an obligation to be perfect on every move.

If tournaments weigh on you, you can return in a less demanding setting, with a trusted partner or in a format that suits you. Accumulating twenty games in a weekend is not a demonstrated anxiety treatment and can also add fatigue.

You can discuss this difficulty with your coach without having it reduced to a lack of willpower. If it persists and extends beyond chess, appropriate support may be preferable to another training prescription.

For your relationship with the displayed number, read Elo and self-esteem. Fear of winning separately addresses difficulty finishing a favourable position.

Sources

  • Kahneman, D. and Tversky, A. (1979), “Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk”, Econometrica, 47(2), 263–291. Original text.