How can I improve my chess skills enough to beat FIDE 1400 within 8 days ?
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What bothers me most is that you said that you cannot keep track of the pieces. Bacon was on point when he mentioned to look for undefended pieces. This and moving on unsafe squares is common both at your level and even higher when the clock is ticking. Someone also mentioned training games . He does not sound much stronger than you. Just play do not let him psyche you out.
First of all you are an engineer and you must do machine. When you do machine,touch and feel them. Imagine chess pieces like machine parts and feel them. So you can be more comfortable and can play the best game of your life. Good luck