How should I prepare for my 2nd OTB tournament?

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MSC157

My first tournament was an individual blitz tourney. Time control there was 5 min + 0 sec increment. This one is totally different case. It's not blitz, but quick rapid tournament, 10 min + 5 sec increment. 

It's a National high school team event, to be precise. 3 vs. 3, I will be switching from Board 2 to Board 3 and back, so I guess it will be a little bit easier (we have 1 rated player and because of the rules I won't be able to play Board 1. But it's ok since he should be our "weakest" player - more chances to win). 7 rounds in total.


And here goes my question. Opening preparation.
What should I do? I play everything, but also have some weaknesses in main lines.

WHITE
- French, Caro-Kann, QID, Sicilian Dragon
BLACK
- Catalan, Scotch, non-exchange Grünfeld

EDIT: Any specific tactics against these openings in rapid?

Here's also a nice tactic I haven't spotted in the live 10|5 game and embarrasingly lost against a 1300 player:

rooperi

I'm curious, how often will you switch boards? Won;t that mean you get the same colour all the time?

apostolis1

Vs the sicilian dragon I personally like the variation with an early g4 without Bc4



apostolis1

Also, vs the french you can use the KIA. And nice tactic, although if you know what you are looking for it is way easier to find the correct continuation ! Wink

Doggy_Style

How did your first tournament go?

 

Surely, that's enough material for you to consider, without asking the opinions of strangers.

MSC157
Doggy_Style wrote:

How did your first tournament go?

http://www.chess.com/blog/MSC157/my-first-otb-tournament2

Doggy_Style
MSC157 wrote:
Doggy_Style wrote:

How did your first tournament go?

http://www.chess.com/blog/MSC157/my-first-otb-tournament2

A comprehensive answer, well played.

 

That lot will take a while for me to digest.

MSC157

I mean, I'd be happy with 3.5/7 or not last place for our team. Laughing

MSC157
harryz wrote:

How are you rated 2000 yet you have only played 1 OTB tourney so far?

You mean Online? I played and improved in high school's library. Ask my friend about it. He has a similar story to tell. Smile

LoekBergman

You are a good tactician. Always play on tactics in your blitz games. Try to get positions that you prefer to have.

I always play the advance variation against the French and it suits me well. The board is roughly divided in two. I attack on the king side with all I have.

Against the Dragon the English attack. Might be standard, but it gives good play.

Against Caro Kann I play what I like. Don't think in openings, think in tactics. You have the best chance to win if you have a lot of positions in which you feel at home.

MSC157
LoekBergman wrote:

You are a good tactician. 

You still think so? Wink

LoekBergman

If tactics trainer is your base argument:

definitely.

If you take a look at our games? Definitely too. :-)

MSC157

Loek, it's unclear I'd say. :)

What about time issues. How to win (by checkmate)? I mean, when should I stop the clock...?

LoekBergman

I might missing here something, because stopping the clock means admitting to lose.

What your opponent is doing, is not important for your game. Some time ago I read what Nakamura said about chess: it is all about focus. Keep your focus on the game, not on your opponent. The moment you think you have won the game, you are focusing on your opponent, not anymore on the game.

The reason I took a vacation in our game is exactly because of that: I can't focus properly on our game. I like to play chess with you, but to play on a decent level I need to have more focus than I have right now. Or I should stop the clock... :-)

MSC157

Yes, actually I thought what to do when you win the game (OTB) and stop the clock. Do you need to stop it even if it's checkmate otherwise you run out of time, or...? :)

Zigwurst

I'm pretty sure that once checkmate occurs on the board, then the clocks become irrelevant and anything not claimed before the mate is null and void.

LoekBergman

Wow, your problem is actually a real problem. There were games where the side that had been checkmated still won the game!

Here a pdf from Geurt Gijssen, a famous chess referee from the Netherlands:

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/geurt115.pdf

The information is very old, but that are the rules of chess too. :-)

Till_98

Thats just a Rapid Match. So play something like The Smith-Morra Gambit, the nordic Gambit or the KIA. Most of those Players dont know this Openings and get into timetrouble and lost positions.

MSC157

Change of plans, not going to Nationals, but on individual strong tourney :) next sunday

BryPin

anyone going to tape you so you can show us (that will never do that) how it goes? Would be interesting if possible.