haha in 36 hours i'm going to my first big (not really big but for me it is ) chess tournament anything I should know?
You'll experience the difference... I recommend to expect not very much (speaking of the results). No doubt it will be fun though. Good luck!
I had very high aspirations. Was paired with a master the 1st game. Played my heart out. Exchanged my rook for bishop for a promising game. Reached an endgame position that I resigned, down the exchange and a pawn. A spectator showed me a forced draw by perpetual check. I was devastated. Played poorly thereafter and was easily defeated in my next 5 games. Result: 0-6.
A lesson well learned.
Oh Yes! Have some fun. Savor the time. It's only a board game.
A lesson well learned.
Oh Yes! Have some fun. Savor the time. It's only a board game.
I appreciate all the advice thank you :)
Goodluck, have fun.
I played my first tournament earlier this year. The obvious suggestion would be to bring snacks and stay hydrated.
My personal advice is related to the story @mdinnerspace shared: try to recognize when you are getting too emotionally invested and dwelling on past mistakes, and take steps to calm down or prevent it altogether. In many gaming communities, it is referred to as "tilting".
Do not look at your opponent's rating: if it is lower than yours, you might assume it will be an easy game and get sloppy. If it is higher than yours, you might get scared into thinking you have no chance, or that your opponent's mistakes are really cleverly disguised traps. Just play the position and do your best.
When you slip up (as we all do), don't dwell on it. It's not a big deal. If you find yourself getting flustered, just go take a walk, assuming classical time controls. Go outside and do some jumping jacks or whatever. In both games I lost, I thought I had made a mistake, got upset with myself, and the advantage I held slipped away completely within the next few moves. It clouded my thinking and I missed the obvious ways out (an immediate win, in one case!).
Have fun. You'll be fine. You've got them right where you want them.
My personal advice is related to the story @mdinnerspace shared: try to recognize when you are getting too emotionally invested and dwelling on past mistakes, and take steps to calm down or prevent it altogether. In many gaming communities, it is referred to as "tilting".
Do not look at your opponent's rating: if it is lower than yours, you might assume it will be an easy game and get sloppy. If it is higher than yours, you might get scared into thinking you have no chance, or that your opponent's mistakes are really cleverly disguised traps. Just play the position and do your best.
When you slip up (as we all do), don't dwell on it. It's not a big deal. If you find yourself getting flustered, just go take a walk, assuming classical time controls. Go outside and do some jumping jacks or whatever. In both games I lost, I thought I had made a mistake, got upset with myself, and the advantage I held slipped away completely within the next few moves. It clouded my thinking and I missed the obvious ways out (an immediate win, in one case!).
Have fun. You'll be fine. You've got them right where you want them.
Good luck! Maybe I'll go to the tournament tomorrow too)
Just an exchange and a pawn down - why would you resign?
I have been to many, many tournaments, and my biggest piece of advice is this: take it one game at a time. When a game is over, either immediately try to forget about it, or do some analysis of your errors and then forget about it. You don't want to get complacent out of a win, and you certainly don't want to get demoralized after a loss. Keep a clear head.
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