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Prepare for OTB without people to play against

DrHack

It is difficult to simulate OTB chess online. My advice for what its worth is: If you are rated in the 1000's and want to perform well OTB, but don't have other ways to practice, take 2-3 months and work through a program like CT-art 4.0. Go in over prepared in tactics because ALL games at the 1000 level are decided by a hanging piece or a missed two or three move tactic.

Your nerves calm OTB the more you do it. More familiarity = better performance. The best thing to do to train OTB is to play OTB unfortunately. GL!

It is difficult to simulate OTB chess online. My advice for what its worth is: If you are rated in the 1000's and want to perform well OTB, but don't have other ways to practice, take 2-3 months and work through a program like CT-art 4.0. Go in over prepared in tactics because ALL games at the 1000 level are decided by a hanging piece or a missed two or three move tactic. Your nerves calm OTB the more you do it. More familiarity = better performance. The best thing to do to train OTB is to play OTB unfortunately. GL!
Royals_Fan22

@Hollow-1-1
Review your games. This game you lose a few times. First, and simplest, you try to take the pawn on h2 as an intermezzo, but you don't see your bishop will be trapped after g3 or f4 and you can't come back immediately as you need to recapture. Next, on move 29, you miss a tactic. You should attack the pinned knight with Nc5, or you could play h3+ Rxh3 Rxh3 Kxh3 Qxe4+! Qxe4 Ng5+ wins the queen back. The second idea is hard to see, but the first is relatively easier. On the next move, you miss another tactic with h3+! Now Kh2 or Kh1 the Rf1 hangs, and Kg1 h2+ Kg2 Rxf1 Rxf1, and black will make a second queen and win shortly. Instead, you trade rooks right away, but you have a chance to equalize with h3! and white will have to make concessions to stop promotion, and will be an unclear position.

https://lichess.org/IEYPfaHR/black#22

@Hollow-1-1 Review your games. This game you lose a few times. First, and simplest, you try to take the pawn on h2 as an intermezzo, but you don't see your bishop will be trapped after g3 or f4 and you can't come back immediately as you need to recapture. Next, on move 29, you miss a tactic. You should attack the pinned knight with Nc5, or you could play h3+ Rxh3 Rxh3 Kxh3 Qxe4+! Qxe4 Ng5+ wins the queen back. The second idea is hard to see, but the first is relatively easier. On the next move, you miss another tactic with h3+! Now Kh2 or Kh1 the Rf1 hangs, and Kg1 h2+ Kg2 Rxf1 Rxf1, and black will make a second queen and win shortly. Instead, you trade rooks right away, but you have a chance to equalize with h3! and white will have to make concessions to stop promotion, and will be an unclear position. https://lichess.org/IEYPfaHR/black#22
Hollow-1-1

@Royals_Fan22 said ^

@Hollow-1-1
Review your games. This game you lose a few times. First, and simplest, you try to take the pawn on h2 as an intermezzo, but you don't see your bishop will be trapped after g3 or f4 and you can't come back immediately as you need to recapture. Next, on move 29, you miss a tactic. You should attack the pinned knight with Nc5, or you could play h3+ Rxh3 Rxh3 Kxh3 Qxe4+! Qxe4 Ng5+ wins t...

Thank you for the time you took to do that, Royals_Fan22! I see what you are saying here.

@Royals_Fan22 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/jamENuFJ) > @Hollow-1-1 > Review your games. This game you lose a few times. First, and simplest, you try to take the pawn on h2 as an intermezzo, but you don't see your bishop will be trapped after g3 or f4 and you can't come back immediately as you need to recapture. Next, on move 29, you miss a tactic. You should attack the pinned knight with Nc5, or you could play h3+ Rxh3 Rxh3 Kxh3 Qxe4+! Qxe4 Ng5+ wins t... Thank you for the time you took to do that, Royals_Fan22! I see what you are saying here.
Royals_Fan22

At your and my level, almost if not all games are decided by tactics, so that is most important.

At your and my level, almost if not all games are decided by tactics, so that is most important.
ChessPriyome

@Hollow-1-1 said ^

I have an OTB tournament coming up. I don't have people to practice against unfortunately. What I have been doing is playing online games (classical) and making the moves on my physical board and then making the moves online. I think this is the best I can do given what I have to work with. To be clear, I don't move the pieces around and then decide what move to make. I'm strictly moving the piece...

I did exactly that when I played in the 4545League here a few years ago when I had more time on my hands. Set up a real board, make my mover and opponents moves on the board. rinse and repeat.

I think it's a great way to simulate an OTB game as long as you keep it honest and adhere to the rules of Tournament chess.

@Hollow-1-1 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/vGQi1I3v) > I have an OTB tournament coming up. I don't have people to practice against unfortunately. What I have been doing is playing online games (classical) and making the moves on my physical board and then making the moves online. I think this is the best I can do given what I have to work with. To be clear, I don't move the pieces around and then decide what move to make. I'm strictly moving the piece... I did exactly that when I played in the 4545League here a few years ago when I had more time on my hands. Set up a real board, make my mover and opponents moves on the board. rinse and repeat. I think it's a great way to simulate an OTB game as long as you keep it honest and adhere to the rules of Tournament chess.
NM BroderickBauml

Hi @Hollow-1-1!

Yes this is a very common struggle, since it isn't always easy to get OTB opponents. One option that I have tried is the Lichess voice-to-move feature paired with the Lichess auditory move sounds. So then you say your move out loud to make it, and then your opponent's move will be said by text-to-speech. Theoretically you won't need to look at the screen at all.

Pro tip: To avoid mouseslips as much as possible, learn the phonetic alphabet "Knight to Bravo 4".

Good luck in your tournament!

Hi @Hollow-1-1! Yes this is a very common struggle, since it isn't always easy to get OTB opponents. One option that I have tried is the Lichess voice-to-move feature paired with the Lichess auditory move sounds. So then you say your move out loud to make it, and then your opponent's move will be said by text-to-speech. Theoretically you won't need to look at the screen at all. Pro tip: To avoid mouseslips as much as possible, learn the phonetic alphabet "Knight to Bravo 4". Good luck in your tournament!
whatismymainbro

Me personally I play myself a lot to prep for tournaments, you can use lichess otb for that. Otherwise just play some chess and take a break beofre the tournament (me personally I do a week, but that is a bit much lol)

Me personally I play myself a lot to prep for tournaments, you can use lichess otb for that. Otherwise just play some chess and take a break beofre the tournament (me personally I do a week, but that is a bit much lol)
pmpsoft

You're already viewing a physical board, so you're probably seeing pieces in danger almost as well as online screens.

Recently played OTB for the first time in umpteen years. My board at home is tiny, and I suspected the perspective of sitting on one side of a standard big board would make it more difficult to see threats. Sure enough, I missed seeing a bishop in the first column. This can't happen online: I moved forward a pinned pawn in between that bishop and my king, an illegal move! My opponent moved, I realized I was in check, he knew his move didn't cause it, so we backtracked, a polite friendly game. Will be more careful next time OTB.

You're already viewing a physical board, so you're probably seeing pieces in danger almost as well as online screens. Recently played OTB for the first time in umpteen years. My board at home is tiny, and I suspected the perspective of sitting on one side of a standard big board would make it more difficult to see threats. Sure enough, I missed seeing a bishop in the first column. This can't happen online: I moved forward a pinned pawn in between that bishop and my king, an illegal move! My opponent moved, I realized I was in check, he knew his move didn't cause it, so we backtracked, a polite friendly game. Will be more careful next time OTB.