Does anyone else’s chess performance fluctuate like crazy?
I’m curious if anyone else experiences this.
Recently I reached a rating I’d never been at before, and for a while I was absolutely dominating people. I felt like I was seeing everything on the board, calculating well, spotting tactics, and winning games pretty comfortably.
Now, seemingly out of nowhere, I can barely focus enough to win one game. 😂
I’m making blunders I normally wouldn’t, missing obvious tactics, and just generally feel like my brain has stopped cooperating.
It’s weird because I don’t feel like I suddenly became a worse chess player. It feels more like my ability to actually access my chess skills fluctuates from day to day or even from week to week.
Does anyone else experience this? Do you have periods where you play way above your usual level, followed by periods where you suddenly can’t seem to play for shit?
And if so, what do you do about it?
Posted Aug 11, 2026, 11:22 AM UTC