6 Important things to do before playing a OTB game!

We often spend so much time preparing lines and studying games, but forget the small habits that actually help us perform better during the game. These are some simple, practical things you can do to keep your mind sharp and reduce mistakes when it really matters.

Start your games warmed up:
We have seen Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal hit few balls before their highly anticipated match. We have also seen Lebron and Curry putting those 3 pointers or doing few drills before a game. We have also seen Sachin and Virat knocking a few balls before they go out to bat! So basically no matter which the sport is we have seen players doing some basic drills before their game/match
In chess, only a few players do. So how are you supposed to warmup yourself before the game? I would recommend solving simple tactical exercises right before the game. This will sharpen your vision. It's important to choose really simple exercises that you can solve in seconds. I feel it's not the right time to challenge yourself before the game. Unfortunately if you can't solve a difficult puzzle you might end up getting low on confidence which may affect your game. If you are already sitting at the board, you can prepare yourself through visualization exercises: in your mind, go through the prepared opening moves again and/or think back to one of your past won games. Go through this game step by step. This will warm up your chess brain and at the same time bring positive emotions from your past into the present.

Focus exclusively on your game:
Often, thoughts start to wander during a game. Many players think of the tournament standings, the outcome of the game, their own or their opponent’s Elo rating. These thoughts end taking up your energy, increasing the probability of mistakes. During the game, it is best to think only of the game or to relax.

Do not play sharp openings if your opponent is better prepared.
If you know or suspect that your opponent is better prepared, avoid sharp, forced opening variations. This costs you a good deal of energy already in the opening phase, and the probability of you making mistakes is much greater than it is for your opponent.

Determine the purpose of your opponent’s last move:
Before you start looking for your own candidate moves, Begin your move-finding process only after you have figured out what your opponent’s plan is.
Why has he played this move? Is he threatening anything?

Do an anti-blunder check.
Do another final check after selecting a move. Ask yourself: which attacking moves can your opponent play after your move? Are there any pieces hanging, or is there a check? Make your move only after this review.

Avoid tactical complications when you only have little time left:
Many errors occur when the character of the position is changed shortly before the time control. Decide on such changes in the position or on tactical blows only if you have enough time available. With little time available, it is better to make simple moves, and always keep all your pieces protected.

Are you going to stop losing completely by doing this? NO, def not. But even if you can bring down the losses with the help of these suggestions it's a progress in the right direction!
I hope it helps!

About Me:

I'm a Chess player and Coach with a current rating of 2242. Currently I hold the esteemed title of FIDE Instructor and Candidate Master. I have been a professional player for more than 15 years and have been coaching for the last 7 years. With online Rating well over 2700 on chess.com as well as lichess!