Review of chess tournament::Chess Rules?
Review of chess tournament::Chess Rules?
You have played quite a few online chess games and are winning more often than losing, so you are interested in live, over the board (OTB) tournaments. These can be VERY long and stressful days, so I have compiled a general list of things you should know before the big day. First off, I advise that you play ONE opening for white, and try to be rather familiar with the thing by playing as many games with it as you can before you enter your first tournament. For instance, if you play 1. d4 (Queen's pawn up two squares) for almost every game online, don't get to the tournament, sign the score sheet, shake hands with your opponent and play 1. e4 (King's pawn up two squares). Same goes for your black openings, except since black moves second, you should have two or three prepared, depending on white's first move. There are, however, black openings that will work against almost anything, but this is usually for more advanced players with tournament experience (I myself play 1..Nf6 against every single opening). This advice may sound elementary, but if I had a nickel for every time a new player spent hours preparing at home, only to get to the tournament and play something completely different, I would own a private jet by now. Keep it simple, keep it solid. Another good preparatory technique is to stay away from large numbers of blitz, or fast games online. While they can be entertaining and may even pump up the adrenaline levels a bit, they DO NOT help you prepare for a brutal six hour tournament game. If you choose to prepare by playing games on the internet, as many of us do, I suggest playing no quicker than 20 minute games, with 45 minute games being all the better. If you have a regular playing buddy that you can actually compete against on a board, in person, ask him or her if you can play a couple really slow ones with them, it will make for excellent practice. If you already own a chess clock, I suggest setting it to a 60 minute game (which is 60 minutes for each player, and can very easily turn into a 2 hour slugfest), and try to use your time wisely. NEVER make an immediate move, even if it seems to win outright or it appears otherwise very obvious. Nobody ever won the world championship making obvious moves, or replying as fast as they can to their opponent's moves. Now fast forward a few months - you have played a couple hundred games using your tried and true openings, you have a decent win record with them and you feel confident enough to pay an entry fee and play chess competitively for a purse. You have waited what seems like a lifetime, and your first tournament is one day away. There are many things you can do at this stage to further ensure a healthy showing, and should be practiced by tournament players of all levels. The best advice at this point is probably to eat a good dinner and go to sleep a tad earlier than you normally would. A full night's rest is vital for the endurance of stressful tournament games. These games can be several hours long, and sometimes conditions in the playing establishment are less than comfortable, so it can only help to at least have decent rest working in your favor. Another bit of advice I would throw out there is not to study the night before. Watch some television, go outside and work on a project, maybe see a movie. It's the same principle as cramming before an exam at school - many times it is not only an ineffective way to learn, but can actually hurt your performance. You may be tempted to stay up later than you should, or change your mind about a certain line, or even want to play a different opening completely. This is not the time for such decisions, and if you have played ample games using what YOU are comfortable with, you have to trust yourself and realize that you do in fact possess enough knowledge to enter the tournament, and relax a bit - you'll do fine. Now that the fateful morning has arrived and you sprang out of bed feeling revived and energized, make SURE you eat a good breakfast if at all possible. Trust me, going to a local café and having bacon and eggs with orange juice will be FAR superior to having a cinnamon roll and a soda. Sugars tend to energize us for a bit, but then we risk being subjected to a miserable `sugar crash` in which we find ourselves void of energy and not thinking clearly - two states we obviously do not wish to be in if we plan on being competitive. Go easy on the coffee, too, unless you have been a regular coffee drinker for years and the absence of it is likely to throw you off. Caffeine can have the same effect as sugars, spiking and dropping our energy levels. I like to drink water at tournaments, and if you look around the playing hall you'll see some of the top names in chess doing the same. Ok, we've got our rest, we have our balanced breakfast and we feel confident in our playing abilities. The next step in our preparation is arriving at the tournament with the correct tools. Try and have your own chess set and clock. Many times your opponent will have theirs ready, but I wouldn't count on it. If you don't have one yet, get one as fast as you can. They can be had rather cheaply if you search for the deals. Bring a small bag or backpack with a snack of some sort (maybe a granola bar, or even a candy bar for when the playing gets dull), some water or juice, and an extra pen or pencil. You don't want to be the player who can't write the moves down because your pen ran out of ink, or your pencil broke in two while you were trying to figure out if the Knight sacrifice was sound. Also, think about throwing a sweater or light jacket in as well, you don't want to be cold if the heater is broken at the tournament hall. You could also dress in layers, as some professors advise their students to do at bigger exams. Wear shorts under jeans, and a couple shirts so that you can shed them as the day goes forward and gets warmer, or keep them on should you find the playing conditions to be rather frigid. BE ON TIME! Once the Tournament Director says it is ok to start your games, it is legal for the player with the black pieces to hit the clock, whether the white player is there or not! Likewise, the white player can make his first move, write it down and start black's clock, even if no player is present. Coming to your tournament game with 30 minutes wiped off your time can be a horrible start to an otherwise good day, so please try and be punctual - you are only hurting yourself if you are late. Finally, know when to get up and take a breather. Sometimes these games can be very grueling, and sitting there waiting for your opponent to move while your legs are asleep or cramped isn't going to help you make the best decision when your turn comes anyhow. Don't be afraid to wander a bit, go to the restroom, refill your water, or even lean over the shoulders of the stronger players at the event. Just manage your time well, and glance back at your board every minute or so to avoid unnecessary time loss. If your game goes into sudden death, and turns into a blitz battle where you and your opponent are both very low on time, you'll wish you hadn't watched that Grandmaster for so long back on move 32. I wish you all the best of luck! Tournament play is an experience that can't effectively be put down into words. It is in a category all itself, and it can be an extremely joyful time, or so awfully painful you'd think you were physically beat on, instead of just mentally. The best thing you can do for yourself is be prepared for the worst, and I hope this short article is able to help you out as you officially enter the ranks of competitive chess. |
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