@Chesstroll_Ingot Post #11
Quoted "Does it mean, that if you want to gain more rating points you should mostly play with stronger opponents? And if you play with weaker opponents, you have more chances to lose your rating points?"
Actually believe it or not the answers to your question's are NO!
Which might shock you!
You see it would seem like playing weaker opponents is bad for you! Since, You are over all losing points instead of gaining points!
It would also seem like playing only stronger opponents would benefit you in gaining points!
However, avoiding weaker players is only a temporary solution.
It does not solve the problem!
Avoiding weaker players can help you gain points in the short term; however, it will not help you in the long term!
The best way I can show how this situation effects you long term is by giving you an example.
For Example:
Magnus Carlsen!
Number 1 ranked player in history!
There is not a single person higher rated than him.
Thus, he doesn't have a stronger or much stronger human opponent.
His chess insight would only show Much weaker/ Weaker/Similar
No human is above that
Only thing above his ranking is computers!
However, he doesn't play computers in human event's
Thus, If all you do is play Similar/ Stronger/ Much stronger opponents what will happen if you reach a point where you go into the top elite?
Once you get so high you will have to be able to handle Much weaker/ Weaker / Similar opponents since not a lot of people will be above you!
Further more, You do not have to be in like the top 10 to be elite on something.
I will use another example of my own ranking to demonstrate this!
For example:
Monthly Classical rating distribution
41,652 Classical players this month.
Your rating is 2008.
You are better than 96.6% of Classical players.
^^ The above is my rating stats
For this month.
96.6% is not the top 10 but it is pretty high which means I will more than likely face weaker ratings
Which is to say I will have to be able to profit from them.
I believe the best chess insight you want to have is to have something similar to jimj12 Post #15.
I believe the Ideal or perfect chess insight you want have is a plus score in all categories.
Even if the score is not very high at least it is positive!
Which is to say you should strive to profit from everyone.
Much weaker, Weaker, Similar, Stronger, Much Stronger.
Lastly, I would like to wrap up with something which comes from a psychological stand point.
People have did study's which show playing solely against stronger competition or playing solely against weaker competition can hurt you!
Believe it or not I remember reading an article on another chess site were studies were showing people who played only the extreme ends of competition could lead to a regression in there chess skills or even some quit chess!
When you think about it. It does make prefect sense!
The reason a person plays against someone weaker is to test out there current chess knowledge as well as experiment and have fun!
Thus, If all you do is play against weaker competition your chess will not really improve because you do not have someone stronger than you challenging you mind.
Furthermore, if you play against weaker competition solely what can end up happening is a regression in chess.
You play stronger competition so they can challenge you and show errors in your game.
If all you play is weaker players no one will ever show the errors to you in your game!
Thus, you will start to reinforce bad habits.
The fact you never played stronger competition has caused you to reinforce bad habits which now even become harder to get rid of since they have worked for you for so long against weaker players!
Which results in a regression of chess skills.
There is an old chess phrase about this in fact.
"If all you do is play weaker players eventually you will turn into one yourself"
The reason a person plays someone stronger is to get better in chess.
Playing stronger competition can help you fine tune your knowledge.
However, eventually if you keep playing them and they keep beating you.
You will start to lose interest in what you are doing!
You will even become flustered and make mistakes you normally wouldn't make!
Your goal vs a stronger player is to get better at chess!
If you reach a point were all you do is lose against them and you start to become disinterested in chess or even start having idea's of quitting chess than the opposite effect has happened!
Obviously this is harming you not helping you!
A well balanced chess player needs a mixture of both weaker competition and stronger competition to keep engaged, challenged, and interested.
Hopefully that helps!