HT Games
Things You'll Need
Instructions
How to Prepare for a Chess Tournament
Play ONE opening for white, and get a few hundred games under your belt with it before going to the big leagues. Play it until you are very comfortable with it and have seen most of the tricks and traps involved. For the black pieces, you'll want to prepare more than one opening because you are responding to white's first move, which will vary. I suggest learning one opening to answer white's 1. e4, another for 1. d4, and one more for 1.c4. While there are a few openings black can theoretically play against ANY white first move, I suggest saving these until you are more experienced and understand controlling the center with pieces instead of pawns, and flank attacks.
It is a very good idea to stay away from blitz, or quick chess games. Popular blitz time controls are 3 minute and 5 minute chess; each side has 3 or 5 minutes respectively to complete the entire game. Fast play like this will create the horrible habit of moving immediately and without much thought in a tournament game, rob you of deep tactical plays you might otherwise see, and be counterproductive to learning the game of chess and improving your skills.
Play chess with a buddy. Whether online or in person, if you have a buddy who will practice a few longer games with you, it is to your advantage. Tournament games can be several hours long, so try and play as many preparatory games as you can. I suggest setting the timer to 45 or 60 minutes, and take your time with each move, there is no need to rush. NEVER make an immediate move in reply to your opponent, no matter how obvious it may seem. Nobody became a Grandmaster by moving carelessly or as fast as they can. Think it out, consider ALL options, even if they seem silly at first.
The night before the chess tournament, try NOT to study chess. 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. Also, try and eat a good, nutritious meal for dinner, and head to bed a tad earlier than you normally would. You may be nervous already, and you'll need all the rest you can get if you are to perform optimally at the event.
The morning of the chess tournament, get up with plenty of time to spare, it will only make your situation unbearable if you have to rush. If you have the means, eat a good breakfast. Avoid too much sugar or coffee. 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. 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.
Try and have your own chess set and clock. Many times your opponent will have theirs at the tournament, but I wouldn’t count on it. If you don’t have one yet, get one as soon as you can. They can be had rather cheaply if you search for the deals.
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. Arriving at 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.
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 your 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.
HAVE FUN! Remember, although winning feels good, and winning money feels even better, you are there to enjoy chess first and foremost. If you resign a game, compliment your opponent and try to figure out where you went wrong. Keep a positive attitude and improvement will come much quicker than if you get depressed over every defeat. Your outlook can change your chess future, believe me! Good luck in your tournament play and all chess endeavors.