"The way he plays chess demonstrates a man's whole nature."
                                                                           ~Stanley Ellin       

Attitude Check #2--The First of the Four Freedoms
"...freedom from hate, unconditionally..."

It may seem something of a stretch to apply the above all-important freedom to chess and chess competition.  However, we've probably all observed chessplayers with attitudes toward their opponents that are aggressive to the point of cruelty.  One only has to remember Bobby Fischer's oft-quoted declaration that he loved to watch his opponent's ego crumble.  Then there's the frequently repeated adage, "You've got to hate your opponent."  

Nothing could be further from the truth.  Hatred may be a type of fuel for some, but it certainly isn't a desirable one.  Thankfully, we have examples of players, even at the very top of the chess world, whose behavior is as outstanding as their play.  Former World Champion Max Euwe of The Netherlands was one great example.  Svetozar Gligoric, one of the strongest players in Yugoslavian history, is another.  But my favorite example is the late Estonian Grandmaster, Paul Keres (more about him here).

Keres was among the strongest players in chess history to never play a match for the world title.  At the age of 49, his last realistic chance to earn that shot was to play the 1962 Candidates' Tournament in Curacao.  Going into the last round of the long, brutally tough tournament, he trailed Tigran Petrosian by half a point.  Petrosian drew with Miroslav Filip of Yugoslavia, opening the door for Keres to force a play-off match if he was able to defeat Bobby Fischer.

During the Keres-Fischer game, Petrosian tried to keep calm by going for a walk.  From time to time he returned to the tournament hall to check how things were progressing.  "The first time he saw that Keres' position was marvelous, the second time that the game was almost equal...when he returned a third time, he saw Keres, irreproachably restrained, elegant, smiling as much as was natural, as much as was humanly possible, coming towards him with outstretched hand:  [Keres] the chess cavalier, without fear or failing, was hurrying to be the first to congratulate his rival on his victory in the tournament..." (Vik Vasiliev, Tigran Petrosian, His Life and Games).  The game had been a draw, knocking Keres out of contention.

So, we see it certainly is possible to be a top competitor without sacrificing goodwill toward fellow players.  Why is it, then, that hatred is sometimes the course taken?  May I suggest a possible root cause of hatred:  the pain of injured pride, which a player naturally suffers when he/she loses.  Pain can easily lead to fear of more pain should another game be lost, and/or desire for revenge.  Unchecked pain and fear, as well as revenge-seeking behavior, seem to me to be core elements of hatred.  

How can one avoid the destructive path toward hate?  A good first step is to honestly face the fact that it hurts to lose a game, especially an important one we've worked hard at.  When I hear a person tell a player who has just lost--"Don't be so upset...it's just a game"--I cringe a bit.  Denying the legitimacy of the pain doesn't help.  I've been playing competitive chess for roughly forty years now, and losing today hurts as much as it ever did.  What has changed is my ability to deal with that hurt.

A player must first accept and then process "the agony of defeat" before he or she can move on in a healthy way.  Finding a quiet place to sit for awhile or going for a walk might help; tears may be necessary, and are perfectly acceptable.  The goal is to release the pain of losing in order to keep it from building up over time, breeding the kinds of negative attitudes we're working to prevent.

What needs to happen next is "reframing the event," by finding a way to put the loss in proper perspective.  The best way to start is by asking, "What lesson did I learn from this game?"  Finding the answer helps turn the experience into one with redeeming value.  There may be many possible lessons to be learned, but it is critical that we find a single, solid one to apply to future games.  This is partly why it is so important for the aspiring player to analyze his games, particularly the losses.

Understanding how to deal with losing makes it more bearable.  However, completing the process can take some time, and we often don't have much time before the next game.  What then?  It's useful to identify any quick lessons that can be gained from the experience; then "tough it out" until later when it's possible to finish the reframing process.  

Hatred is not only unnecessary in chess, it is destructive--growing out of an atmosphere of unresolved pain, fear and desire for revenge.  Learning how to properly deal with painful losses is one important way to keep ourselves free from hate.  It is also a powerful life skill...clearly another one in which Paul Keres was a Grand Master. 

Click here for Attitude Check #1--The Four Freedoms...

© 2002-2004 Pete Prochaska. All rights reserved.

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