Getting ready for my first tournament OTB

I'd like some tips for preparing for my first OTB tournament. I practice puzzles and have been going over some of the openings I use with a higher rated friend but I can't tell if I'm improving. I'd like to be at my absolute peak before I go to the tournament so I don't look like a fool (obviously) but while I've been playing online It makes me really anxious and I tend to make horrible mistakes even though I know I can play better than that. So any helps for practice to help with this?

@1

"I practice puzzles" ++ Not very useful

"have been going over some of the openings" ++ Not useful. What you study will not happen.

"I can't tell if I'm improving"
++ Play some practice games with the same time control against a strong engine.

"I'd like to be at my absolute peak before I go to the tournament" ++ Outdoor physical exercise

"I've been playing online" ++ A tournament is probably a slower time control.
What works in online speed chess does not work in over the board classical chess.

"I tend to make horrible mistakes"
++ Always check your intended move is no horrible mistake before you play it.

Thank you for responding. Do you have any advice on what is useful?

@3

• Outdoor physical exercise to boost your stamina
• practice games against a strong engine with the same time control as the tournament
• blunder checking before moving

I'm playing against the computer set on 2100 with time controls. Is that fine or should it be higher?

@5

Set the level as high as possible and set the time control exactly the same as the tournament.
You will lose, but you will learn and be stronger after that.

Once again thank you for the advice

I will try

What is the time control?
It is better to be low on time in a winning position,
than being in a lost position with plenty of time left on the clock.

It's a 15/10 rapid tournament.

@11
15|10 rapid. That is excellent to practice against a strong engine.
Remember: most games are essentially decided by move 30.
That means you should use all your time before move 30 and then finish the game on increment.
That means you should think about 40 seconds per move.
Do not rush, think carefully. You can always speed up to 10 seconds per move after move 30.

I will try that against the engine

Learn by memory a short game of 20 moves played by a GM to be sure it has not mistakes!! Then repeat that game without a board trying to visual the board while repeating it. Do that for an hour a day. That will make you a positional player and you will make less mistakes. When you are bored with that game learn another game short or long as you wish

Thank you for the advice

I might try that

Hey tygxc I wanted to say thank you once again for sharing your advice. I've been playing against the maximum computer and I feel like I'm slowly getting better. (Although still getting crushed).

Every now and then I play the other bots that I used to have a lot of trouble with and now I'm able to consistently beat them.

So once again. Thank you.

Test your game theories here.

http://chess.com/play/computer