Opponent preparation routine
In short
In a tournament with one round per day, you have a few hours to prepare. Use a fixed routine: collect the opponent’s recent games, identify their openings against your repertoire, pick one line, review it for 60–90 minutes, then stop and rest.
By the end you can
- Prepare efficiently between rounds
- Balance preparation and rest
The lesson
In a tournament with one round per day, you have a few hours to prepare. Use a fixed routine: collect the opponent’s recent games, identify their openings against your repertoire, pick one line, review it for 60–90 minutes, then stop and rest.
Over-preparation before a game often backfires — fatigue and confusion between lines. A clear line you understand plus a fresh mind is the goal.
Key points to remember
- Fixed routine, fixed time limit
- One line, understood
- Stop and rest
Examples
Homework
Prepare for a mock opponent in 90 minutes and play a training game from the result.
More competition lessons
- Managing the clock (Class C)
- Tournament routine (Class B)
- Tournament psychology (Class A)
- Setting season targets (Expert)
- Playing for norms (Master)
- Competition management (IM / GM track)