Chess tilt - lost 200 elo in 1 week, ready to quit

I recently hit my peak of low 1700s in blitz, minimal study just playing a lot recently after a few years. This week I have dropped over 200 elo points! Has anyone else gone through such dips?

I am tilting massively and starting to not enjoying it. I am used to losing in chess, but when you losing to players you think you should be beating it feels worse. And the drop it Elo makes it feel like you are unlearning chess.

I can't see basic tactics, or seeing threats and forgetting them 2 moves later, blundering loads.

I don't see how you can just forget or unlearn chess in the space of a week.

Take a few days off where you get enough sleep and get enough to eat. Try again when you feel up for it, your rating will go back up quickly.

I lost 400 rating points in less than a minute, back in January.

I know the feeling, just take a short break

yup

I went from an almost-peak blitz rating of 1175 (low rating, I know), and then dropped into the 1040's. (ouch) I wasn't winning against many other 1000-rated players. Then I hit a big spike and went up to 1190. Although I am only around 1120-1130 now, I still got back up in a respectable (for my level) rating range.

The same will happen to you. Just pretend you have no rating, and try to convince yourself that a rating is just a bunch of stupid numbers.

take a week off from the game. Solve chess tasks. They don't cause such great excitement. You can relax.

And in the future if you lose 4-5-6 games in a row to the different opponents, and not to the only one,  stop playing that day. Good luck!

100% understandable. In fact, this is WAY more common than most people think it is. chess.com graphs currently also only plot ratings at the peak for each day, so players probably experience twice as many ups and downs as a long-term graph will make it look like. 

Many reasons might be why you lose a ton of rating off of a cliff like that (and probably even a combination of some of these reasons). 

-It might just be variance (cruel but possible if you realize how much you will naturally fluctuate rating because of the math as to how the rating system works)

-It might also be for human factors such as lack of sleep, lack of eating (or poor nutrition), attention span not entirely into chess for the moment etc. The lack of sleep one gets me a lot because I "feel" awake enough but don't realize how it impacts me until after I start dropping a lot of points...

-Another possible reason for dropping off a rating cliff might be a statistical indicator that you are about to gain a lot in the relatively near future! This might sound odd, but I know by first-hand experience that this sometimes happens. If you learn something new today, then it might take a month or so before this displays itself in your ratings. If you incorporate a new opening into your repertoire, learn a new positional concept, or start thinking about chess positions in a different way, then all of these things might increase your rating long-term, but drop a lot in the short-term while your experience kicks in. Say you read a new chess book from cover to cover and learn a lot (like My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer). If you were rated 1600 at the time you began the book, then the book might boost you to 1800, but the graph won't look like an up of 200 points. It will look something like. 1600, 1620, 1650, 1600, 1550, 1450, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1750, 1800. The time scale between these might vary based on the book (or whatever method of learning) but the point is that you typically gain a bit, then drop off a cliff and then ups and downs as you gain back and then way higher. 

I also recommend implementing a stop-loss system of some kind and also "checking in" with yourself after each game to assess your mindset. If you aren't feeling like you are on your "A-game" then stop for the day. If you lose x-rating in one sitting, then you call it a day (might be 30 points or 50 points or 100 points - that is up to you, your mentality to handle swings and the time control played (allowing for more swings in shorter time controls). With a stop-loss system in place for say 30 points, then you discipline yourself to quit if you ever drop 30 points for one day or one session. This way it would take 5 days to drop 150 points versus just one bad tilting session of 150 points. The gaps in time help you reset, or mentally refresh and this helps you play better long term. If 30 points isn't a stop-loss number you like then change it to something that works for you, but the point is to cut your losses on bad days. 

With a disciplined stop-loss system, you will find things like lack of sleep still devastating because you might not fix your sleep schedule that night and therefore just drop another 30 the next day and another 30 after that etc. if you aren't aware of lack of sleep being a possible reason. Once you humble yourself from numbers a bit, you might start a winning momentum and then you'll likely begin climbing back up in rating again. Remember that you don't have to make up for a tilted session the next day or even next week; you will find good days where you are playing great and "win back" half of what you lost and other days where you only gain a small percentage back (or even drop a bit more). This isn't only expected - it is natural. I'd be more surprised if it didn't occur.

Feel free to message me if you ever need to talk a bit. I'm actually recovering from a drop of about 100-150 points in rapid right now. At the time of this message, I've recovered about 75% of it back, but it is a process and still with ups and downs even on the road to recovering - it is part of the swings and everyone goes through them. What separates you from others who stay lower rated is that you are able to take a deep breath and come back later and improve while they might get discouraged or quit chess all together.

Lastly, I just want to make one thing clear. When you drop 100 points (or whatever amount), then you are not 100 points weaker or 100 points less knowledgeable than the player you were just a short while ago. No, that is just a rating number - which is only an estimate at that. You are the same you and your mindset should be more focused on learning and improving - not on solely recovering rating numbers. Dropping 200 points in one week (tilt or not) doesn't mean you "forgot" 200 points worth of chess ability. When you place more emphasis on learning and improving (as should almost always be the focus), then you'll naturally float back to your natural chess ability and that is likely 200 points higher (or more!). 

Good luck; we all go through this, but some take it tougher than others and some never come back. I have confidence in your chess abilities and I know you can get that rating back up there again. Might not take a week - sadly might not even take a month, but I know you can get it back and when you do, you'll be a stronger player than the "you" that was at that rating last time

Something like this is actually pretty common. Take a break, or play against bot, to bring back your chess senses.

Take a few days off where you get enough sleep and get enough to eat. Try again when you feel up for it, your rating will go back up quickly.

specially sleep but eating is important too. I totally agree

A couple of hundred point swing in a short time is just another day at the office - nothing to worry about. 

I actually really enjoy the downward spirals when drunk/tired/distracted as I know the ride back up is going to be fun, playing off a rating that’s unnaturally low. 

Conversely, when you’re at or near your peak, it probably means you’re a bit overrated at that time and it’s only a matter of time before the bubble has to burst.

Either way, as someone has already pointed out, you’ll get back to where you should be - probably somewhere near the middle of your high and your tilted low.

dont quit 

Oh memes actually brings up a productive point. Chess is a mentally-stimulating game, so it is no surprise that it can be mentally exhausting at times. When I feel this (whether there be a downward rating spiral attached to it or not), I like to watch funny videos, comedies, memes and things like that. It sort of "mentally refreshes" because you don't have to think too much

Its not that bad i have reached almost 1700 and then droped to 1300 its normal

The drama filled life of the online speed chess player. 

Stay tuned for tomorrows episode of "How the world tilts"

Just sit down and enjoy how stupid your opponents moves are