How to prepare/study to underdog in a tournament?

Hello guys! 

I am rated 1050 because I did so poorly in an U1200 tournament (Chicago Open). It was my first real tournament and thats probably why my nerves got to me my first game and I lost very quickly. I got winning positions in the other 6 games but blundered two of them away.

Anyways, I am playing in an U1800 Tournament over Labor Day weekend and I was wondering if there is a special/specific way I should study to increase my likelihood of being an underdog. I am currently only doing very light opening preparation on some chessable courses I have and medium-weight study of "How to Reassess Your Chess" now that I've finished "The Amateur's Mind" I also have a chess coach that I take a lesson with each week who is about 2050 rated.

If you have any suggestions, please reply!

I have a similar story; I am 1257 USCF but I do believe that I am much higher than that in real life.  I am biding my time; at some point I might enter an U1400 or U1800 like you are and surprise everyone.  You will be an underdog just by your rating; I would suggest the preparation like it sounds like you have been doing and just be you playing a normal game like you do.  When you give yourself the pressure, that's where you will blunder away won positions.

So you WANT to be the underdog?

#1

"I got winning positions in the other 6 games but blundered two of them away."
++ Always check your intended move is no blunder before you play it

"a special/specific way I should study to increase my likelihood of being an underdog."
++ Play training games with the same time control against a strong engine.
"I am currently only doing very light opening preparation"
++ That is a waste of time. That which you study will not happen.

Actually I can thank opening prep for getting me winning position in the six games. Opening preparation has helped me massively

#5

If you got winning positions, then thank your opponents for making mistakes, not opening preparation. It is an illusion to think that opening preparation has helped you.

Do you prefer honing your chess instincts rather than theory?

I'm planning to read "Reassess your chess" by Jeremy Silman, but I'm not sure if its good and worth reading instead of other books. Since you have started it, is it a good book?

Its neither an illusion nor are you wrong. Of course they had to make mistakes to get me winning positions, but opening preparation stopped me from making mistakes first. The mysterious seventh game that I lost and never got a winning position was simply because I did not know the opening and made some moves that looks strategically good, solid, tactically sound but actually weren't and did not keep with the plans of the opening. I am not trying to win based off opening preparation, but arguing that opening preparation is unimportant is rather unrealistic.

It is definitely worth a few reads. I'm planning to read "The Amateur's Mind" a few times more. The ideas can seem obvious as a 1600 (and you a ~1800, and yet the 2000s in it will make reasonable mistakes). So as you read it and dig into it more you will better understand the nuances to the position. I think "How to Reassess Your Chess" is just a bigger and more comprehensive "The Amateur's Mind."