My 7 Top Tips For Playing Online Matches
Here are my 7 Top Tips for playing rapid and blitz tournaments and matches online:
1. Be relaxed and healthy.
That means: Don't tire yourself out with blitz games in the hours before the match. Get enough sleep, do some light exercise daily and eat healthy food. Exactly the same as for an important over-the-board tournament.
2. Avoid distractions when playing online.
If possible, play your games in a room where there's no TV or music playing so there are no interruptions. Switch your mobile phone off completely or put it into silent mode, and focus purely on your game. (Also, go to the bathroom before the match starts, so you don't have to when you are short on time.)
3. Plan your time & play at a steady pace.
First: be on time for the start of the game!
Whatever the time limit for the game (whether rapid or blitz) mentally divide up your time equally into a) opening & early middlegame b) rest of the middlegame and c) endgame.
Every player is different for how they use time, of course.
Never count very much on increments: Mostly they are only a very few seconds, and therefore only any use for super-emergencies, so try not to count on them.
Some positions you will find difficult and some you will find easy. That will affect how much time you take, but in general do not use too much time on simple decisions, save it for the difficult decisions. Managing your time help you avoid blunders at the end of a game.
4. Play actively whenever possible.
Attacking is much easier at rapid and blitz - defending is much harder, as one mistake can lose the game. Sacrificing/gambiting a little bit of material is sometimes worth it in rapid & blitz - if it means you have attacking chances and dangerous threats. But you can also keep the initiative without sacrificing any material - just make sure your pieces are active and well-placed. The safety of the kings matters a lot in rapid and blitz!
Keep up the pressure on your opponent by setting up threats & causing them problems. This will make it easier to play quickly, and make it harder for them to play quickly.
5. Keep fighting!
No matter how difficult the situation on the board, keep on fighting. It is always possible to look for (or miss!) a winning tactic or a last-minute stalemate. Many, many rapid and blitz games are decided by tactics and blunders. If all else fails, think of a swindle or a trap your opponent could fall for.
6. Play fair!
If you're fairly new to online chess, you may not realise how utterly pointless it is to try to get an advantage by unfair means. Help from a friend or family member, or from a computer (engine) is very easily spotted these days by sophisticated algorithms used by all the leading chess playing websites.
If you cheat, you will be found out, and you will be banned!
Also, winning by unfair means is the opposite of cool - any victory achieved this way is worthless. And the hurt you cause others, the disrespect you show by cheating - this will very hard for people (many of them your friends) to forget.
So please: Don't even think about it! Focus on playing fair, and you will get better at chess without any computer help.
7. The most important - enjoy your games!
Whether you are playing well or not, enjoy the game. Enjoying the game will mean it is easier to learn from the experience - win, lose or draw. (And you can analyse your games afterwards to find out how to play better).
That's all for now. I do hope these 7 Top Tips are useful in helping you to enjoy playing online.
