A few years ago, I asked my older brother if he had any last-minute advice before I started the first round at Nationals. He replied, "Just don't lose, don't draw, and you'll be fine."
Haha. If only chess were that simple, yeah?
Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realized that chess isn't that complicated, either. Just play the best moves and you win the game, though easier said than done.
I've always had a problem stressing over various factors such as my opponent's rating or title, the tournament situation, factors that don't ~matter~. More than once, I found myself wondering during the game what place I'd be in if I won, or who I'd play next. I'd start to put pressure on myself and get caught up with nerves, only to lose a painful game a few hours later.
As cliché as it sounds, the only thing that's relevant is playing to the best of your ability; worrying about anything else is pointless and will only serve as a distraction. And though my brother's advice itself was mediocre, it reminded me to calm down and focus on winning the game, not the tournament.
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