Most of you will say: "wtf, we are not GMs to think about it, if we play, we play for fun..."
But some avid amateurs take it seriously, to compete on an open. It's by the rule twice or trice a year, sometimes rather expensive, and if one invest also some preparations in it, it would be nonsense not to be careful of tournament daily routine.
Before afternoon round.
30 minutes before round
Yoga or watching at some green, sea (if you are blessed with venue at the sea) or simply resting, deeply breathing by the window.
4 hours before round
If possible, make some chess preparations. If your opponent's games can be found in some database, prepare an opening or two.
If the opponent is strong and has more games in database, try with some surprise deviation.
Don't worry about tiredness, you play tournament chess so rarely, you are hungry for chess!
On double rounds days.
Before morning round
Go to the breakfast. Take at least some fruits and coffee.
Prepare for the game late night, and put analysis under the pillow.
Pause - if any - should be used for exercise and relaxation.
Frugal lunch with no alcohol. Quick search for next opponent.
You'll probably have half an hour for "preparation". If possible, at least chose which opening to avoid! Better is to surprise than to be surprised!
After second game, treat yourself with rich dinner and wine and/or Scotch.
If venue is by the sea with warm water - swim every day!
No alcohol before the round.
Players who bring beer and wine at the chess table are only worth contempt.
Before last morning round
Never accept quick draw! Fight for the blood. if possible, book the flight two days after last round. You will get chance to move around a bit.
Before tournament
Do exactly like Fischer. Just for fun. Study list of applicants at chess-result.com, and study the games of first 10 best rated players. You'll probably play way bellow their tables, but just in case, imagine games with them, and prepare yourself. You can opt for some specially drawish variation in their repertoire for example, or on the contrary you can decide to surprise them with sharp sacrifice.
24 hours before tournament, based on the list of competitor, you can see with 45-65% of probability (*depending on cancellations and late enrolling) who your opponent will be.
Prepare for both colours,
Special preparations
Botvinnik couldn't stand tobacco smoke so he forced Ragozine to smoke until the latter died of ling cancer. (Brezhniev did the same with some of his body guards...but that's nother story.)
You can do the same with some features on open tournaments.
If you are specially accessible to irritation by table shakers - play with yourself on the water bed. It sounds dirty, I know... Or kick the table at your home while analyzing.
If you get nervous by spectators and kids running all over the venue, take a pocket chess set with you and go to a park with children and dogs and sit on the bench and try to analyze while surrounded by nasty kids and barking dogs.
Variation of this at home ---> you can use DVD and show some horror with sound turned on.
But some avid amateurs take it seriously, to compete on an open. It's by the rule twice or trice a year, sometimes rather expensive, and if one invest also some preparations in it, it would be nonsense not to be careful of tournament daily routine.
Before afternoon round.
30 minutes before round
Yoga or watching at some green, sea (if you are blessed with venue at the sea) or simply resting, deeply breathing by the window.
4 hours before round
If possible, make some chess preparations. If your opponent's games can be found in some database, prepare an opening or two.
If the opponent is strong and has more games in database, try with some surprise deviation.
Don't worry about tiredness, you play tournament chess so rarely, you are hungry for chess!
On double rounds days.
Before morning round
Go to the breakfast. Take at least some fruits and coffee.
Prepare for the game late night, and put analysis under the pillow.
Pause - if any - should be used for exercise and relaxation.
Frugal lunch with no alcohol. Quick search for next opponent.
You'll probably have half an hour for "preparation". If possible, at least chose which opening to avoid! Better is to surprise than to be surprised!
After second game, treat yourself with rich dinner and wine and/or Scotch.
If venue is by the sea with warm water - swim every day!
No alcohol before the round.
Players who bring beer and wine at the chess table are only worth contempt.
Before last morning round
Never accept quick draw! Fight for the blood. if possible, book the flight two days after last round. You will get chance to move around a bit.
Before tournament
Do exactly like Fischer. Just for fun. Study list of applicants at chess-result.com, and study the games of first 10 best rated players. You'll probably play way bellow their tables, but just in case, imagine games with them, and prepare yourself. You can opt for some specially drawish variation in their repertoire for example, or on the contrary you can decide to surprise them with sharp sacrifice.
24 hours before tournament, based on the list of competitor, you can see with 45-65% of probability (*depending on cancellations and late enrolling) who your opponent will be.
Prepare for both colours,
Special preparations
Botvinnik couldn't stand tobacco smoke so he forced Ragozine to smoke until the latter died of ling cancer. (Brezhniev did the same with some of his body guards...but that's nother story.)
You can do the same with some features on open tournaments.
If you are specially accessible to irritation by table shakers - play with yourself on the water bed. It sounds dirty, I know... Or kick the table at your home while analyzing.
If you get nervous by spectators and kids running all over the venue, take a pocket chess set with you and go to a park with children and dogs and sit on the bench and try to analyze while surrounded by nasty kids and barking dogs.
Variation of this at home ---> you can use DVD and show some horror with sound turned on.