tournament practice

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colle-pirc

i m going to a USCF tournament next weekend, and i m trying to study, by playing 10 games with the same time limit 40/40 against computers rated around me.

 

this is a game where i have the white pieces vs.  a 1500~ black player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


likesforests

I would have opened differently. Why let your opponent get away with 2.b5? You could immediately pressure the arrogant b-pawn with 2.e4 (which also claims the center). Play might continue 2...Bb7 3.Bd3 Nf6 4.Qe2 a6 and White has an edge.

2...e6 - A second opportunity to play 3.e4.

7.Bb3 - I'm not so sure about this idea. I like your bishop better on the c1-h6 diagonal. On the a1-h8 diagonal it's blocked by both your pawns. What about 7.d5, removing the b-pawn's defender and trying to blast open the center?

8. "i hadn t seen this move (i was already in time trouble!)." 

If you're in time trouble by move eight, you need to work on your opening strategy. A book called "Improve Your Opening Play" (there is an e-book of the same title than can be purchased online) really helped me in this area. It took me about two weeks to finish with ~45 minutes of study per day. If you are in time trouble by move eight you will probably be in alot of trouble against tournament players when they open up the position tactically.

You don't always have to find the best moves, but you do have to find reasonable moves and save sufficient clock time to do well in the middlegame.