Chess lessons › Good chess habits
Preparing for a game
Rest, know the time control, refresh the plans of your own openings, and warm up with easy puzzles.
The idea
Rest, know the time control, and refresh your openings’ plans.
- Black’s pawns on d6 and e5 block White’s on d5 and e4.
- Black’s pawn chain points at the kingside.
- So Black’s plan is ...f5, attacking the pawn on e4.
In a game: The day before, go over your openings’ plans, not new lines, and check the time control.
How the lesson begins
A good result often starts before the first move. Before a tournament game:
The day before: sleep well, and check the time control, the start time and the place. Openings: go over the ideas of the openings you already play, rather than learning new ones. On the day: eat something, arrive early, and warm up with a few easy puzzles.
A question
The night before an important game, you find an exciting new opening. What should you do with it?
Show the answer
Keep it for practice games first, and play your usual opening tomorrow.
Right. A new opening played without practice leaves you lost as soon as your opponent leaves the moves you saw. Your usual opening comes with plans you know.
In numbers
Games lost on time
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | 21% |
| 800 to 1199 | 19% |
| 1200 to 1599 | 19% |
| 1600 to 1999 | 22% |
| 2000 and up | 23% |