Nervous on Board 2

The following game is my own. It was an ugly game in which I had trouble finding a long-term plan. It was for my highschool chess team, and I was very nervous when I played. I was too afraid of taking the types of risks that I normally choose to take, so I ended up in positions that were made for such risks and sacrifices yet without the risks and sacrifices. It was a game where I was very unsure of each move. In this game, I learned about the problems that can arise from not having a clear plan.

This is why I think it helps to be prepared in your openings. For me, it's about the first 10 moves in terms of actual memorization, but what I mean is knowing your plan. You should try to make it so that you always know your plan in each opening and thus game you play. Of course if the opponent does something wierd you have to think about it more, but as they say it's hardest to find a plan in the most balanced, equal positions.

Yeah, I totally know what you're talking about when it comes to nerves. Try not to get tight but concentrated. If you're confident but concentrated and not overconfident, this is when you play best as you play natural, just as you would when posting lines of analysis or thinking in a correspondence game. When you're nervous you tend to think every move could be a huge blunder, but it's when you're nervous when you can't calculate concrete variations or commit yourself to a clear plan.

Oh, and interesting game.