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The Grandmaster Nigel Davies   Photos © Larry Fletcher 2004 Nigel Davies takes on fellow Grandmaster Art Bisguier as Victor Niederhoffer looks on. (2/23/4)

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3/23/2005
Trade/Emotional Momentum, by Nigel Davies

I often use the term 'emotional momentum' to describe how a player will often let the past history of a game influence his ongoing assessments. For example if someone stood better and then lets it slip, there's a strong tendency for them to chase the shadow of this previous advantage to the detriment of their position.

This loss of objectivity is, I believe, the main reason why people lose games rather than the technical points that are usually held responsible. The bad technique often comes as an extension of someone's emotions and it only takes a few factors to be overestimated or underestimated to throw their entire decision process making out of kilter.

You tend to find that very strong players are much better in this regard because their decision making apparatus appears much more stable. I suspect this is a function of experience, amateurs often get hold of the wrong end of the stick or even the wrong stick.

Nigel Davies is a trader and an International Chess Grandmaster residing in the United Kingdom. Visit his Web site at www.tigerchess.com.