Need some OTB advice

I'm planning to start OTB chess after crossing 2000 or 2100 on chess.com. Now its only 400-500 points away, so a year or one and a half left. One thing I'm curious is about tournament rounds where can't play. In chess.com if we in right condition to play, we play or else we just done but in OTB we have to play according to the timings of tourneys. My questions are:-

About bad health

•How to you avoid loss during illness, any way to achieve short draws? Currently online, I just don't play

•If for poor health if we withdraw, do we lose points for the rounds we didn't play being counted as loss?

About ratings

Do I have to grind all my way from 1000 points to 1700-1800(2000 equivalent of chess.com to fide), just having quick wins due to being underrated playing against weaker opponents, or will it be quick to reach our actual rating we should have?

Draws and resignation

•How can I avoid opponent claiming a draw by having a handshake that pretended to be resignation?

•When draw offering or resigning myself, how can I make both these processes clearly different for me?

Moves

If we submit the scoresheet, then how can we have a record of moves played so we can analyze them at home? Do we have to remember the moves

Calling arbiter

If our opponent makes illegal moves, misbehaves, refuses handshake, talks during game we may need to call the arbiter for penalty, are we supposed to make a sign, call him/her by speaking, or walk to him/her and tell the matter?

You've got a lot of questions about OTB (over-the-board) chess tournaments. I'll do my best to provide detailed answers.

*Bad Health and Avoiding Losses*

- *Short draws*: In OTB tournaments, it's generally frowned upon to agree to short draws without a fight. However, if you're feeling unwell, you can try to negotiate a draw with your opponent, but it's not guaranteed. Be cautious, as some tournaments may have rules against "pre-arranged" draws.

- *Withdrawing*: If you need to withdraw due to poor health, it's best to discuss it with the tournament arbiter. In most cases, you won't receive points for the rounds you didn't play, and it might affect your overall standing.

*Ratings*

- *Grinding from 1000 to 1700-1800*: It's likely that you'll experience a mix of both. As a lower-rated player, you might have some quick wins against weaker opponents, but as you progress, you'll face stronger opponents, and your rating will stabilize. Be prepared to face a learning curve and adapt to different playing styles.

- *Reaching your actual rating*: Your FIDE rating might not directly correlate to your chess.com rating. You'll likely need to play a significant number of games against stronger opponents to reach your actual rating.

*Draws and Resignation*

- *Avoiding opponent's draw claim*: To avoid misunderstandings, make sure to clearly indicate your intention to resign or offer a draw. You can say "I resign" or "I offer a draw" and extend your hand for a handshake or a nod.

- *Clearly differentiating between draw offers and resignation*: When offering a draw, you can say "Draw?" or "Offer a draw" and make a gesture, like tilting your head or raising your hand. When resigning, say "I resign" and extend your hand or nod.

*Recording Moves*

- *Scoresheet*: You'll typically receive a scoresheet to record your moves during the game. Make sure to write down each move accurately, as this will help you analyze the game later.

*Calling the Arbiter*

- *Signaling the arbiter*: If you need to call the arbiter, you can raise your hand or make a clear gesture to get their attention. You can also quietly get up from the board and approach the arbiter. Be prepared to explain the issue clearly and calmly.

Some general tips for OTB tournaments:

- *Familiarize yourself with the tournament rules*: Understand the specific rules and regulations for the tournament you're participating in.

- *Be prepared*: Bring necessary items like pens, scoresheets, and any required documents.

- *Stay focused*: Try to maintain your concentration during games, even if you're not feeling well.

I hope this helps you prepare for your OTB chess adventures!

To answer each of your questions in turn:

Bad Health/Withdrawing

If you have the bad luck to be ill on the day of the tournament I don't see any way around that: you'll either have to withdraw due to the illness or play not at full strength. If you know in advance that you won't be able to play one particular round a lot of tournaments offer the option to accept a half-point bye in a round when you register. People use this to e.g. avoid the last round on a day and leave early. You'll have to see what your tournament allows.

If illness creeps up on you during the tournament and forces you to withdraw partway through, just approach the arbiter at the end of the round and let them know. This is perfectly normal. You won't lose any rating points for the games you don't play, though not playing all the rounds pretty much guarantees you won't be in the prize money.

Starting Rating

I don't know exactly how it'll work where you live, but I'm certain every OTB rating system has something to avoid this problem. The way it works with English ratings is that for the first 10 games you play, they take your performance against those opponents and their average rating and calculate the rating that would expect to achieve that result (plus a "dummy result" of a draw against an 1800). You'll be entering the section of tournaments that matches your online rating and so you should face opposition that's close to equal to you, not massively weaker, so your first proper rating would be reasonable to your actual strength.

Draw Offers/Resignation

For distinguishing your own draw offers and resignation: When resigning you can lay your King down on the board before offering a handshake as a clear signal of what you are doing. To offer a draw make your move, say "Want a draw?" or something similar to the opponent, then press the clock. Don't offer the handshake yet - they have the right to think about it on their time and possibly decline. When they accept they'll offer the handshake.

To avoid that whole scam, when they offer the handshake say "Are you resigning?" and don't shake until they confirm it. That should be overheard by neighbouring players which will bolster your case when they try to quibble.

Submitting Scoresheet

Every tournament I've been to that requires you to submit the scoresheet has used carbon paper so that your writing goes through the top sheet onto one below. You submit the top sheet and keep the lower for yourself. The quality of the copy is invariably awful, but should be enough to get it into your own records.

Calling the Arbiter

It isn't often necessary in my experience, but perfectly accepted when it happens. (Though I wouldn't just for someone who refuses a handshake). Definitely you should walk to the arbiter to ask so that you aren't disturbing other games. If the situation is something that is preventing your game from continuing, like the illegal move, you should certainly stop the clock first.

One thing you haven't mentioned that requires the arbiter: fetching extra queens. If you promote and there aren't enough available queens you are well within your rights to announce to your opponent that you are promoting to a queen, stop the clock, and then go to fetch the arbiter to collect one.

I hope this helps! And you don't need to worry about reaching 2000 first either. Most tournaments will have multiple sections so that you can play against opponents below a certain strength.

One thing I can tell you as an OTB-Player myself:
You are wayyy too overthinking. Most of these things will not occur. And if it would, then there is ALWAYS someone to ask (an arbiter for games, an organizer with structures and registrations etc.). In games, you can also just stop the clock and call an arbiter. But honestly, I only had it happen in around 3 games in my life. Most games will always go normal.
And a handshake as draw instead of resignation? That is movie stuff. A draw offer is announced verbally, and resignation mostly too.

Just get into it and it wil all be fine.

The advice on how to handle health or draw offers is solid. Also, yeah, overthinking can make it worse