Which are your favorite psychological tactics in an OTB tourney?

(Observed or applied only, please - no theoretical discussion)

only tournament tactics?

Well this isn't tournament-related exactly, but it's probably applicable:

I find that playing against a friend, you develop certain lines that you both like to play and end up spitting out very quickly over time. So, to get a psychological edge, you can deviate from the usual opening lines right off the bat to throw your opponent off-balance.

Make relatively quick moves, but make sure they are accurate. This will not only help you in time, but it will make your opponent either think twice about their next few moves, put them in a false sense of security, or scare them completely.

i have left playing otbs 2 years ago

i like to wear evil clown make-up. 

I like to wear clothed washed in poo, puke over the board, and carrie around my old stuffed dead dog.

So funeh, so funneh.

Against some young players i try to move a bit more slowly, most young players like to move fast and get impatience when you do so. Also i prefer more positional and quite positions, because lot of young players like to play sharp/tactical and agressive and once the need to think positional they seem less strong.

Sometimes in a complicated game and doing a good move, i quickly remove myself from the board/table and trying to give the message to my opponent that i have seen it all. Ofcourse the move isn't so good as i think it is, by my opponent doesn't have to know it ;)

When time controls kicks in and with more time then my opponent ill try sometimes to complicate the game so he will have a hard time.

Anything to win ^^

My Bad. I forgot the or - OTB games or Tourney

As soon as I saw the title of this thread, the following popped into my head:

"I know, you know, that I'm not telling the truth."

But I digress.

---

A name tag simply stating M. Carlsen seems to do the trick.

well, i usually get dressed with formal clothes (that shows me older than i actually am)

the way i moves the pieces (so calmly even in hard positions), the way i push the button of the clock,

I always whish  a good game and shook hands

all of this, (as TwistedLogic said) the young players  are not used to, so, some of they would play more in defense, or just think we are better , that is not always true.

I did that over 15 years ago and I regret it.    My advice is to return.

Well, since I am a strong believer in psycological advantage of things in chess, I ....

1- Pick my nose

2- Whisper to myself

3- Wear headphones with some crazy music playing ex- Slayer

4- Stare at my opponent while I'm cross-eyed

5- Start smelling myself like my armpits.

6- Eat at the board

7- Breathe oddly

8- Start lip-syncing to the music

9- Occasionally dance while sitting

10- "Accidentally" kick the table, then say sorry like im deaf

11- Walk away from the board when its my move. No i never get into time pressure

12- Stand behind them when it is their move. Because some people like to cover their notation sheet like it is Top Secret or something

13- Slap myself in the face.

14- Drink plenty of drinks that have a pungent smell to them

15- Text during games

16- Leave the tournament go get starbucks, then come back, on my time.

17- Show up late to my games

18- Go get in the hot tub when im in a losing position. Show back up in wet clothes.

19- I watched someone get plastered at the board, AND he still won.

That is all that I can think of, and I KNOW some of them are rude, but it is stuff that I HAVE done, or observed. I no longer am this rude of a tournament player. I like to keep things strictly on the board now.

Draw offers, especially when you think he isn't going to accept (of course, don't do this if a draw would be a bad result). After people refuse a draw, they sometimes play differently, as if they have to prove they are winning -- they suddenly start a misguided attack instead of slowly improving their position, etc.

I believe that most of the time when people think more than fifteen minutes, it's because of indecision, and thinking longer after those fifteen minutes won't help them. This should be encouraged. So walk around when they take a long think, and don't sit down while they're thinking (that's a cue for them to make their move). When you notice your opponent finally making up his mind, offer a cup of coffee. Etiquette requires them to wait with moving until you've returned with the drinks (and to buy you a drink in return later).

Repeat moves once, not twice (of course only when it can be safely done in the position). Especially when this gives them a chance to go indecisive over their last move again (the one that took them half an hour) -- combined with all the indecision of whether they want a draw, and if refusing the repetition means that they have to play for a win, and... Of course there's no threefold repetition there to take at all, as you are only going to repeat once :-)

Nothing better than the poker face. Just stare at the board, and occasionally glance at your opponent expressionless. Way more effective than some immature faketics. 

In his early years, Tal would stare at his opponent after making a good move.  Many found this disconcerting.

At the 1962 Candidates' Tournament, Benko showed up for his game against Tal wearing dark sunglasses.  Tal objected to the arbiter, but there was no rule against it.  In the minutes before the round began, Tal ran to the hotel gift shop and bought a pair of hugely oversized sunglasses (which were a popular gag souveneir gift in those days) and put them on as he sat at the board.  Benko protested, it was also denied, and they all had a laugh.