My First Ever OTB after playing chess for 2 years

Hey y'all..
I wanted to gather some tips and experience from all those experienced OTB players,
As OTB is new for me, i don't know what openings do people prefer and what lines should i use against those..
I will play my forst OTB tomorrow..
Please everyone share your Experiences and guide me
Thank you
I would be grateful for your comments!

Hi Op,

Great decision. OTB chess is the real thing and I hope you have an enjoyable experience.

Before the event you should have some opening ideas prepared. Basically you need a defence against 1.e4 and 1.d5 and preferably some system you can play against 1.c4 or 1.Nf3. You also should know what you intend to play as White when faced with your opponents replies.

During the game. Don't rush. Follow the Lasker rule. See a good move sit on your hands and find another move. That said since this is your first OTB tournament remember to bring a few pens and make sure you understand how to record moves.
Good Luck!

You can't learn a lot of lines in one day, so just think carefully about the first moves during the game.
I hope you've taken care of the Covid protection. If the opponent sneezes, immediately give up and get away from him.

Major differences between online and OTB:

1. Touch move rule. In online chess you can click on a piece but still change your mind and move another piece. In OTB if you touch a piece you have to move it. Once you let go of the piece, the move is made and cannot be changed. You probably know this rule, but I mention it anyway because it is absolutely crucial.

2. Online your clock is started and stopped automatically, but in OTB you have to press the clock yourself. It sounds simple, but it is very common for OTB beginners to forget to do it. Don't let your opponent think on your time.

3. In OTB you also need to write down your moves (unless it is rapid or blitz). The correct way to do it: make your move, press the clock, write down your move. In that order. After playing enough OTB, it will become second nature, but it takes time getting used to in the beginning.

A lot of OTB players also play online, I would say there's no substantial difference between OTB and online opening repertoires. Expect pretty much the same chess.

I don't do a ton of OTB, but in terms of openings, the same openings you play on here (as long as they're not bullet-only dumb openings) should work in OTB

you also have a ton of time in OTB (usually), so use it wisely - try not to think too long in the opening and save the time for when you have to make critical decisions.

@Variants_Champion
Have enough sleep before you come up for OTB tournament. A cool and calm mind is very essential to have before playing game.
Revise your openings and stick to your opening system and don't try out new openings at fag end before tournament.
Don't get feared on knowing opponents rating before game. Against strong players, try to do as many exchanges as you can and endgame would decide the result. Hence having good endgame knowledge is very crucial.
Hope you have practised well.
Don't panic when you blunder try to remain calm instead else opponent can infer from your behaviour something is not going well for you.
Always say 'Well played' when you win and 'Congratulations' when you lose. They are sign of a true sports player.
Get enough water to keep yourself hydrated.
As I have played quite number of OTB tournaments, I guess the time control would be 15+0/25+0 or something like that. So, you would have quite amount of time hence don't play quickly rather take time even for some quite simple ones as one bad move is enough to lose in a middlegame. You may play opening comparatively quicker but middlegame required strategy build up and hence takes most time.
When you are in winning position, don't get overconfident rather stay confident and play with senses. You can also exchange pieces as it will ony favour you.
Don't forget to share results!
All the best!

Thank you all for your comments,
And tips ..
I have understood everything and am ready for the games!
Tc is 25+10
And yeah i will def.share the results!
Once again thank you all!

@PTX187 said in #3:
> If the opponent sneezes, immediately give up and get away from him.
This thread isn't about joke, it's serious.
And since it is OTB tournament, so as per measures there would have been compulsory RT-PCR testing. Only those would play who are fine.

@PTX187 said in #3:
> You can't learn a lot of lines in one day, so just think carefully about the first moves during the game.
> I hope you've taken care of the Covid protection. If the opponent sneezes, immediately give up and get away from him.
Me*with trillions of allergies*(around):Time to win the world cup the easy way
edit:spelling mistake

@ohcomeon_1 said in #4:
> Major differences between online and OTB:
>
> 1. Touch move rule. In online chess you can click on a piece but still change your mind and move another piece. In OTB if you touch a piece you have to move it. Once you let go of the piece, the move is made and cannot be changed. You probably know this rule, but I mention it anyway because it is absolutely crucial.
>
> 2. Online your clock is started and stopped automatically, but in OTB you have to press the clock yourself. It sounds simple, but it is very common for OTB beginners to forget to do it. Don't let your opponent think on your time.
>
> 3. In OTB you also need to write down your moves (unless it is rapid or blitz). The correct way to do it: make your move, press the clock, write down your move. In that order. After playing enough OTB, it will become second nature, but it takes time getting used to in the beginning.
>
> A lot of OTB players also play online, I would say there's no substantial difference between OTB and online opening repertoires. Expect pretty much the same chess.

The most important difference is premoves!