OTB Competition Rituals

Is there anything you do before a OTB tournament game starts or during the game?

Here are some of mine:

1. Get there early and solve 3-5 easy tactic puzzles.
2. Not play chess before the game.
3. Don't write my rating or my opponents rating down.
3. Drink a can of pop.
4. Drink lots of water after the pop.
5. During though decisions when my opponent seems shake, I stare at them and add more pressure.



So what "secrets" do you use?

Well, during games, I drink loads of water.... last weekend I drank about 1 gallon(approx 4 liters) of water in a 30 minute time period. I went to the bathroom 8(!) times in the course of 45 minutes. Also, when I'm thinking over a long move, I always take a sip of water... it seems to calm me down. Also, I use my "lucky green pen" whenever I can(I don't really believe it helps me, but I do it for fun). And as Rahimk said earlier, I occasionally stare at my opponents to make them uneasy.

I found the way u take a piece can be a little intimidating if you remove there piece and then place yours in its spot insted of just hitting the other players piece. well I seen a gm doing this and I have tryed it. seems to work? Thanks Kevin

Originally posted by Kevin Mcfarland
I found the way u take a piece can be a little intimidating if you remove there piece and then place yours in its spot insted of just hitting the other players piece. well I seen a gm doing this and I have tryed it. seems to work? Thanks Kevin

Yes!!

You gotta do this slowly though. You take you right hand, grab his piece lift it straight up and move it horizontally back and then drop it beside you. Do this very slowly. Then you grab your piece and plonk it on that square.

That's a great one!

Originally posted by chesskid001
Well, during games, I drink loads of water.... last weekend I drank about 1 gallon(approx 4 liters) of water in a 30 minute time period.

Be careful, you might be accused of cheating! 😉

I played a game in chess club the other night, and one guy picked up the piece he was going to capture in his hand, but then thought about which piece to capture it with since two pieces could capture it.

If there is no rule against it, it could be a nice way out of the touch take rule. Touch the opponents rook but you have two possible pieces that can take it, so you can decide which one is better... more flexible than touching your piece first.

Originally posted by chesskid001
I played a game in chess club the other night, and one guy picked up the piece he was going to capture in his hand, but then thought about which piece to capture it with since two pieces could capture it.

If there is no rule against it, it could be a nice way out of the touch take rule. Touch the opponents rook but you have two possible pieces that c ...[text shortened]... take it, so you can decide which one is better... more flexible than touching your piece first.

I don't really see a problem with that. As long as they don't take forever.

To me that's like touching your own piece and then wondering what to do with it.

I haven't been in tournaments lately, but back in the day, I used to do a few things.

1-Go to bed early the night before.
2-eat very nutritive things so I dont have hunger distractions.
3-When I was clothing miself, listening to some relaxing music(my dad taught me this) before the tournament, helps your brain to be in its most favorable wave.
5-Always try to get familiar with the place, before the first game I would joke a little with my friends, while lloking at the hole place, and commenting about it, if it is a new place, when you talk about it it makes you feel like home after a while, sometimes i would feel presured because I was in a new place.

That its about all, sometimes my friends and me would speak aloud about some of our games with the best players of the city so our opponents hear us and be intimidated.

Making good moves did help me a lot. Difficult to keep up with it, though.

Originally posted by Superman
I haven't been in tournaments lately, but back in the day, I used to do a few things.

1-Go to bed early the night before.
2-eat very nutritive things so I dont have hunger distractions.
3-When I was clothing miself, listening to some relaxing music(my dad taught me this) before the tournament, helps your brain to be in its most favorable wave.
5-Alway ...[text shortened]... ome of our games with the best players of the city so our opponents hear us and be intimidated.

I read about this guy who would talk about breaking a opening out loud to his friends right before his game. If he knew which opening his opponent would play then he would use that name.

So like, O ya I found this new trap in the dragon and I can't wait to try it today!

Of course If I played the dragon I wouldn't play it against him if this was the first time I met this fellow and hence you would be thrown of your game if you can't play the opening you wanted to play.

Tell your opponent you slept with his wife/husband!!!

Originally posted by Sharastani
Tell your opponent you slept with his wife/husband!!!

Morals.

Originally posted by RahimK
I read about this guy who would talk about breaking a opening out loud to his friends right before his game. If he knew which opening his opponent would play then he would use that name.

So like, O ya I found this new trap in the dragon and I can't wait to try it today!

Of course If I played the dragon I wouldn't play it against him if this was the firs ...[text shortened]... and hence you would be thrown of your game if you can't play the opening you wanted to play.

Good one!!

well im not sure how ethical this is, but i threaten my opponent that ill kill him/her if i lose or draw, then i put some sleeping medication in whatever theyre drinking.....

I don't shave the day of an important tournament.