How to Prepare for a First Chess Tournament

Don't take a chess tournament lightly--it can be grueling.

Playing in your first chess tournament can be stressful, to say the least. You thought you were ready, you paid your entry fee, and now you are second guessing whether this is a good idea or not. Every chess player goes through this, but there are ways to make your experience more enjoyable, no matter what your strength is. Preparing for a chess tournament is like preparing for a test--most of the same general rules apply.

Things You'll Need

• Chess board and clock

Instructions

1. Get enough rest. It will do you no good to enter a tournament situation tired and with a fuzzy brain. Go to bed about an hour earlier than you normally would to ensure that you feel invigorated for your first game.

2. Do not study the night before the tournament. Take a break–watch TV, read a book, go to the movies. Do anything but study. This type of last minute “cram” does not work well, either for school students or chess players. Don’t think about chess, don’t look at chess, don’t play chess.

3. Have a good breakfast. Flying through a fast food joint and getting a couple of donuts and a coffee is likely not going to help your creative juices flow. Get up a little early and have a well-balanced, healthy breakfast that will keep you full for a while.

4. Take a sack or backpack in with you. In the sack, there should be extra pens/pencils, a snack or two, bottled water or juice, and a sweatshirt or light jacket in case the tournament hall gets cold.

5. Play the openings you know, and studied for. It is a big mistake to try something new at a chess tournament. If you get into positions you are not familiar with against a stronger player, things will probably not end well. Trust your instincts–play what you know!

6. Be on time to the game! There is no worse way to start a tournament chess game then showing up to find your clock is down 30 minutes. You will be forced to play faster, and just as accurate as your opponent, who has all their time left. Chances are, that isn’t going to happen, and the time pressure will hurt you. You paid money to play in the tournament, so it makes no sense to blow a game by sleeping in.

Tips & Warnings

• If possible, use your own board and clock. The other guy may not have one, or you could hate his setup.

• Don't forget to write a move down. This will screw up countless other moves, and make it impossible to go over the game later.

• Get up and stretch every few moves. Sitting until your limbs are asleep won't do you much good.