My First Tournament
This all escalated quickly.
I have been running the chess club at our school since just before the Pandemic. Chess.com made it possible for us to continue when we couldn't meet in person. This year I really want to offer an OTB tournament experience for the kids, but I have never actually been in a live chess tournament.
I went online and needed to find something to play before the end of March. I wanted to get in as many rounds as possible, but it had to be confined to the weekend and couldn't cost a ridiculous amount of money. When I factored all those things in, I found that my best option was THIS COMING WEEKEND.
And so, just like that, I am going to be playing in the U1200 division at the Mississauga Open this weekend. It's a 5 round Swiss OTB tournament with 1.5 hour time control.
I'll do what I can to get ready, but I am a teacher and it is report card week, so prep won't be too intense. To be fair, my expectations aren't intense either. I am ready to go there and lose every game, but I am going to be fighting for a better result. I am going because I want to see what the experience is like.
I really like navigating new and unfamiliar environments. It feels very ALIVE. My prep consists of 3 parts.
1. reviewing what I already know. (not the time to be learning new openings. I just want to play solid chess.)
2. reading about chess tournament rules and etiquette, especially as it relates to the Chess Federation of Canada.
3. Playing 15 and 20 minute time control OTB games with a clock and scoresheet so that I am not doing it for the first time when I show up at the tournament.
If you are reading this (especially before November 12, 2021) and you have played a live tournament, I would like to know: WHAT IS YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR A BEGINNER PLAYING THEIR FIRST TOURNAMENT?
I am looking forward to it, no matter how it goes. I plan on taking those scoresheets and plugging them into an engine after for some review and analysis. Maybe I will even make that an upcoming blog.
