The "opposite" strategy does not work

 When on a losing streak it is tempting to do something outrageous or the direct opposite of what you are currently doing. I see this a lot with young chess players, who play sound chess but lose, so decide unsound chess is the way to go. I even fell into this trap when I was starting out, but it turned out my losses were quicker, and more horrible. It also explains why 'suicide' chess is so popular, as kids who get all their pieces captured think that losing them by accident is the equivalent to losing them on purpose (Narrator: No it isn't).

Of course the blame does not with the choice of strategy, but in not understanding the strategy. The "what have I got to lose" approach may work in politics (or sometimes sport), but it rarely succeeds in chess.