Disappointment is a part of the road to greatness. When a few moments pass, in a quiet voice, she can ask Danny if he knows what happened in the game. Hopefully the language between parent and child will already be established so Danny knows his mom is asking about psychology, not chess moves (almost all mistakes have both technical and mental components—the chess lessons should be left for after the tournament, when Danny and his teacher study the games). Did he lose his concentration? Did he fall into a downward spiral and make a bunch of mistakes in a row? Was he overconfident? Impatient?
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Feel the loss because it mattered (if you’re apathetic, then maybe it’s not worth doing anymore). Reflect on your psychology in the moment—how you reacted or tilted. Later, reflect on the errors, forced or unforced.
