how do you prepare for otb chess

I would like to join a local chess club , or have a crack at an OTB event. My only experience of chess is RHP, how do you prepare for live chess, do you have to just leap in and prepared to be caned.

Personally I stay away from a chess board for 24 hours, a good night sleep, Tuna sandwitch 30 minutes before my first game, x1 500ml can of Lager (to take the edge off my nerves) a reliable pen and ear plugs.

The london classic has an open weekend event (looked it up) ,would it be beyond a newbie to put up a fighting show or am I dreaming. Its in december ive got 6 months.

can you drink during the event.

Originally posted by kaminsky
I would like to join a local chess club , or have a crack at an OTB event. My only experience of chess is RHP, how do you prepare for live chess, do you have to just leap in and prepared to be caned.

I have advocated joining a chess club several times here. It is the best way to improve. All clubs have strong and not so strong players. Join one, play as many players as you can, don't latch on to a similar strength player and enjoy the improvement in your game. Chess sites cannot replicate the feeling you get OTB, especially when your clock is running down!

Originally posted by kaminsky
can you drink during the event.

Of course.

I normally get lashed with at least 4 cans or Stella with a Mc Donalds before playing.

During the game depending on how things are going I might switch to vodka and Redbull to perk me up a bit for the end game.

Originally posted by plopzilla
I normally get lashed with at least 4 cans or Stella with a Mc Donalds before playing.

During the game depending on how things are going I might switch to vodka and Redbull to perk me up a bit for the end game.

.......🙂 Let me know when your going to an event in the North of England, sounds to me like we could have a very comprehensive day out!?

I would suggest a local club to begin with, it would be alot more relaxed than at a congress. Players at a congress are usually pretty serious about the game and are obviously there for the competition.

I agree about the pen and ear plugs. Also if you're not used to sitting for 5 or 6 hours on end then perhaps a cushion(if its a classical time control in a congress that is.) Also get used to using a clock and the etiquette of offering draws etc.

In my first event I kept forgetting to hit the clock because it does it automatically on the net! I also learned how superficial my thinking was, all the top players at the event were extremely intense, concentrating for hours at the board or pacing nervously about the hall if it was their opponents move.

Also, I was amazed how prepared even relatively low rated congress players were, studying there openings and opponents etc.

But try it, its how chess should be played. I loved it.

Go for it. If you have bever played in chess tournament then you must.

"My only experience of chess is RHP."

I'd join a club first get the OTB eyes rolling.
You will discover it is a lot different than staring at a postage stamp siced board.

The etiqutte in OTB club friendlies is to resign when all hope has gone.
Start dragging out totally lost games and you will soon find no one wants
to play you.

You will however find that games like Game 8354794 tend to
get played on till it's a 100% draw.
You missed an easy a win of piece in that game.

The Queen v Two Rooks ending after 28.Qxf8+


is unclearish with the chances to White but the piece win was an obvious shot.


White to play.

Im probably not confident enough to play 2 rooks against a queen, I can see I missed checking his king ,and pinning his knight. I need alot more games, but not corespondence , what about blitz , I play once a week ,get caned, and go back when the humiliation has died away. This is one of reasons Id rather do a tournament than join a club , afterwards you can just drift into the night.

How daft ,g2 to g4. I missed it twice.

Originally posted by kaminsky
I would like to join a local chess club , or have a crack at an OTB event. My only experience of chess is RHP, how do you prepare for live chess, do you have to just leap in and prepared to be caned.

A good way to prepare is to watch an otb event for a couple of hours, write down any questions you have about the rules, then ask the tournament director. (And then leap in and be cained!)

The hardest thing that I find about playing otb is the size of the board. It is huge! I have gotten used to the little boards on my computer monitor. As a consequence I am not able to see the outside ranks and files and almost always miss the long Bishop fianchettoes. I suggest playing some of your computer games on the full size board the day or so before you compete. It was a shock the first time I went from computer to otb.

Also practice with a clock and practice writing down your moves. Both are required in tournaments. I miss half of my opponents moves while I am busy writing down the moves. Still haven't gotten around this one.

Good luck and enjoy.