Tournament preparation and competition routine

What to do in the weeks before, the day of the game, between rounds and after the event.

Weeks before

• Reduce new opening material two weeks before; consolidate what is known.
• Play training games at the tournament time control.
• Sharpen with daily tactics and a few endgame play-outs.
• Plan sleep, travel and food; young players need parents involved in this.

Game day

• Light preparation only: look at the opponent’s openings if known, refresh the main lines, no new theory.
• Arrive early, settle down, have water and a simple snack.
• During the game: follow the move routine, write down the move before playing it, use checkpoints for the clock.

Between rounds and after

• After a loss: a short, factual look at what happened, then switch off. Deep analysis waits until after the event.
• After a win: same — do not ride on emotion into the next game.
• After the tournament: full analysis of every game with the protocol, then update the training plan. Record the event in the Tournaments log.