English Chess Forum

Does anyone have any advice? During longplay games, I tend to get a tune stuck very firmly in my head - generally music I've heard on the radio on the way to the venue. I find this extremely annoying - what I wanted to ask was (to those who have had a similar problem) does it impede your thinking/chess performance? Is there any way to get rid of it?

Alex.

When I needed to win a game for an IM norm in Benasque, Spain the venue we were playing in kept playing the "Mission impossible" theme

Alexander Hardwick wrote:Does anyone have any advice? During longplay games, I tend to get a tune stuck very firmly in my head - generally music I've heard on the radio on the way to the venue. I find this extremely annoying - what I wanted to ask was (to those who have had a similar problem) does it impede your thinking/chess performance? Is there any way to get rid of it?

Turn the music off before heading off to the venue?

I used to have this problem. I once started humming the tune whilst it was my opponent's turn, without actually realising it. Luckily, my opponent was friendly, and didn't go clamouring for two extra minutes.

I think I've solved it nowadays by going for a walk instead, but I'm not sure that's an improvement; I'm still not spending that time at the board.

The reason it happens for me is that I have very low concentration levels. I find it very difficult to do the same thing for hours on end without breaks. (Hence I procrastinate on here a lot!) Perhaps this could be the root of your problem?

My capacity for finding reasons why I make bad moves is inexhaustible.

Stewart Reuben

Alexander Hardwick wrote:Does anyone have any advice? During longplay games, I tend to get a tune stuck very firmly in my head - generally music I've heard on the radio on the way to the venue. I find this extremely annoying - what I wanted to ask was (to those who have had a similar problem) does it impede your thinking/chess performance? Is there any way to get rid of it?

Alex.

I have had this very same problem only once but it really did mess up some of my games (thanks to that song by Sophie Elis Bexter and I didn't even like the song) and there is an answer, its one thats good for when your brain is still thinking even though your trying to sleep. The idea is to use a "dead" word like "the" randomly thinking it in uneven spaces. It sounds odd by it works both for stopping your brain overthinking when trying to sleep and anytime something is stuck in your head and you want to change it.

I hope it helps.

Alex Holowczak wrote:Hence I procrastinate on here a lot!

I'll tell you tomorrow how to solve that problem

I tend to have that problem as well (tune stuck in my head) but oddly it tends only to happen when I'm playing decent chess and am fairly relaxed about playing. I think it's because I don't feel nervous at that point and am usually enjoying the game/tournament.

It doesn't often happen when I'm playing a higher rated player - whether that's because I'm concentrating harder or because I'm naturally a little more nervous who knows?

On the flip side I remember tournaments (with the manual clocks) where things were going badly/I was under pressure and suddenly everything is very quiet apart from the constant and annoying ticking of clocks!

LozCooper wrote:When I needed to win a game for an IM norm in Benasque, Spain the venue we were playing in kept playing the "Mission impossible" theme

Not just when playing chess but I often hear or think of a word and then a song then comes into my head. Hence my tube journeys often involve the songs "Camden Town" "Baker Street" "Down in the tube station at midnight" etc coming into my head

A tune stuck in your head is called an 'ear worm'

Happy New Year everyone.

LozCooper wrote:

LozCooper wrote:When I needed to win a game for an IM norm in Benasque, Spain the venue we were playing in kept playing the "Mission impossible" theme

Did you win the game?!

During my last match I had Travie Mccoy’s ‘Billionaire’ stuck in my head - I actually hate the song, but it’s played relentlessly on the local radio station the girls in my office insist on having on none stop from 8am-5pm so I think it’s had a subliminal message effect on me at this stage.

I can usually tune out my entire surroundings during a game, so if my opponent was humming I doubt I’d notice it, I can see how it could cause offence though. Personally, if it was bothering me, I’d politely tell him/her to stfu rather than scramble for 2 extra minutes

listen to a cd on your favourite openings, could end up like the periodic table song.

Thomas Rendle wrote:

LozCooper wrote:

LozCooper wrote:When I needed to win a game for an IM norm in Benasque, Spain the venue we were playing in kept playing the "Mission impossible" theme

Did you win the game?!

Amazingly, yes.

Alex McFarlane wrote:

Alex Holowczak wrote:Hence I procrastinate on here a lot!

I'll tell you tomorrow how to solve that problem

Oh dear