Today I want to share with you one of the simplest but most effective ways I’ve found to improve my performance in over-the-board tournaments. I call it “the tournament notebook.” It’s simply a notebook I bring with me to tournaments to record my thoughts. I’m not talking about a book of scoresheets. I don’t use this to record the moves from my games, but rather thoughts and concerns that arise during the tournament.
But you are not allowed to write anything except the moves on the scoresheet, during a game no? I say that because I remember in 22 I was playing a youngster and we were at the 3rd. hour of play already and he went wild with an unexpected move that I was sure was a bluff just when I was going to grab his passer with my King. He look at me, a senior, and he challenge me to calculate 3 moves ahead in an open position and I couldn't. That is what he expected and after a draw agreement I thought that I was very tired but if just I could write the variations on a paper I would succeed.
As I understood this is illegal I went home, passed the game to pgn and went to sleep.
Next day the first thing I did was to get a paper and write down the variations that I had in my brain and it all sorted out neat. But already was to late to play the moves and after the 2nd hour of play, my calculation skills go really blurry :(
But you are not allowed to write anything except the moves on the scoresheet, during a game no? I say that because I remember in 22 I was playing a youngster and we were at the 3rd. hour of play already and he went wild with an unexpected move that I was sure was a bluff just when I was going to grab his passer with my King. He look at me, a senior, and he challenge me to calculate 3 moves ahead in an open position and I couldn't. That is what he expected and after a draw agreement I thought that I was very tired but if just I could write the variations on a paper I would succeed.
As I understood this is illegal I went home, passed the game to pgn and went to sleep.
Next day the first thing I did was to get a paper and write down the variations that I had in my brain and it all sorted out neat. But already was to late to play the moves and after the 2nd hour of play, my calculation skills go really blurry :(
About to head out to USATE myself. Just threw a notebook in my bag. Good luck!