Preparing for the Age Group

Hey there!

The National Age Group here in the Philippines is next week, April 1-6 at at Mandaluyong City (hall?) and I am sure all those serious age groupers have been preparing for this annual event.

How do age groupers prepare for a national tournament?

For one, they are supported and monitored by their parents, chess parents. These age groupers are either representatives or players of the schools they go into and have access to other school based tournaments. They are or might be players for the prestigious Palarong Pambansa and this gives them the competitive edge against other players. Others are members of active chess clubs which conducts year round activities. They too have the edge against other players who are either super-busy with their schooling or plain lazy about their chess training.

Remember the late Bobby Fischer who once said "chess is life?" Maybe he meant he was born to live life in the chess world. There is no other way to greatness in chess but the road less travelled by the legends. 16 hours of chess study? For sure only a handful can give that kind of effort.

Of course, tactics, end-game theory and practice are there to provide these preparing players the necessary skills and training needed for the tough times ahead. Visualization drills and understanding of principles of chess a must.

Physical fitness plays a major role too. Imagine having to play for 9 rounds spread out in 6 days with a time control of 1 hour and 30 minutes? Stamina, stamina stamina! Not to mention that these players will be spending time to travel from home to the venue and back home. Traffic on EDSA and everywhere! Whew! Nightmarish guys!

TO end this post, I'd like to direct you to Chess Inputs, Filters and Results by Robert Pearson. A good thought on how other elements play a role in the results of a chess tournament. I will print out the diagram and give it out to everyone I meet along the way. Heheheh!