Find some setup against the Caro-Kann because it's really annoying to face when you're trying to win, and trying to overplay the position typically leads to horrible results. (I nearly lost a game to a 800 player because of it). Make sure to develop your pieces and try to come up with a concrete plan for your position, key ideas and moves. If you do those things you should be reasonably alright. Good luck!
I'm Playing at a Tournament This Weekend. Any tips?
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Do outdoor physical exercise to boost your stamina.
Take care to sleep well before the tournament.
Play practice games of the same time control against a strong engine.
Do not worry about openings: you do not win or lose because of the opening, but because of tactical errors.
To most of my students, I give this advice (and it's almost all they need):
The biggest reason people struggle in lower-level chess is because of blunders. They make them in almost every game.
A mistake can instantly put you in a bad position, no matter how well you played earlier: if you had great opening knowledge, great positional skills, great endgame skills, whatever; a single mistake can change everything (you lose a piece or get checkmated).
So, how do you avoid blunders? Follow these two simple steps:
1. After your opponent moves, think if it's dangerous. Ask yourself, “What’s his idea?”
2. Before you make your move, think if it's safe. Ask yourself, “What attacking replies can he play?”
If you feel like getting to levels like 1600, 1800, or 2000 in chess is super hard, let's look at it in a different way. Those players you're facing make blunders in nearly every game they play. Beating them isn't so tough if you stop making big mistakes and start using their slip-ups to your advantage.
Again, it does not require you to become a chess nerd or spend all your time on chess. Just doing this one thing can boost your rating by a few hundred points right away.
Lastly, while avoiding blunders is crucial, I also share a few basic principles with my students. These principles help them figure out what to do in each part of the game - the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. Understanding these simple principles is like having a map for your moves. When you use this knowledge along with being careful about blunders, you're not just getting better at defending. You're also learning a well-rounded approach to chess. Keep in mind, chess is not just about not making mistakes; it's about making smart and planned moves to outsmart your opponent.
I'll be playing at my first "big" tournament this weekend (St. Louis Chess Club's 2023 Thanksgiving Open for those curious) in the U2000 section. I've never formally learned what to do during openings, mostly just learning from trial and error. I always play e4 as white and play randomly from there. If white plays e4, I always play Sicilian, which is the only opening I've been taught, although I still only know the basics. I don't really know what to play against d4 (again, just learning from trial and error). Does anyone have any suggestions or tips I should learn? Your help is greatly appreciated