4 Must-Haves For An Online Tournament

When joining an online tournament, you can feel a range of emotions. Whether it is determination or relaxation, here are my 4 must haves for an online chess tournament.

1. Some Nice Music

For me, it doesn't have to be calming. Just have a background music going, and concentrate better with the music you enjoy.

2. Switch Off Notifications!

Don't get distracted during your game by a club notification! If you accidentally click on it, your timer will be ticking down!

3. Determination

There have been many a time where I have had a brilliant come back in 9 round tournaments where I am on 2/5 with a low tiebreak score and I end up 3rd with something like 6/9. Believe in yourself. In my case, in the daily 3 check tournaments I play, there is always 5 higher rated players who mostly beat me. I won't call them enemies exactly, but it's nice battling for a win with determination .

4. Check your internet connection before playing!

You don't want to be playing very well and drop down in the rankings because of an inactive connection. Check the number of bars next to your username before playing. 4 bars is excellent, 3 bars is good, 2 bars is OK, 1 bar is poor, and red bars mean you are completely disconnected!