Tournament rituals



Since we live so far away (we're from Hawaii) from most chess tournament locations, a lot of advanced planning has to go into a trip. Here are some of the things I do:



1. Register for the tournament online before the entry price goes up.

2. Book a room in advance at the tournament hotel and ask for a room on a low floor. A view is nice, but not when it takes you five minutes to walk down 20 flights of stairs because the elevators are so congested before rounds. I also like to stay at the tournament hotel, so it's convenient to make it back to your room to rest between rounds. It will probably cost more to stay at the tournament hotel, than a nearby option, it gives your kids more time to rest.

3. Take the most direct flight path that with the shortest layovers. This saves time and jet lag, but usually costs more if you don't book flights early.

4. Arrive as early as possible and try to get in some sightseeing at each tournament location.

5. Try to get teachers to assign homework early, so your child can work ahead. The tournament is about chess and your child should not have to do homework between rounds.

Not enough time on my hands ...

What do you do when you and your wife work full-time and you have three active kids (one is a freshmen in college)? Well, you hope that you raise them right and you also try to have a life of your own outside of work. More later . . . I hope.