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WHY PLAY NAG?

 I often wonder why myself.  

Is it for personal achievement? Fulfiling parents' expectations? Trying out for DSA? Or just to get better.

Whatever the reasons, do treat the NAG differently from the weekly events that you may play in.  

A lot of time is invested - for young players with accompanying persons, many sacrifices are made to babysit you at the venue. Your time is also invested in playing the game. NAG is not a FUN event and should not be regarded as one. It is a testament of how well you currently are plus a measure of you against the rest of the cohort ( meaning those of your age plus those 1 year older).

Therefore I would take the NAG as seriously as a mini "exam". 9 test papers. 9 examiners, ie your opponents who will not stop asking your questions till you end the test. The results at the end of 9 rounds will decide who passes and who fails.

Nobody walks into an exam expecting to fail. Yet why do players not treat their preparation seriously?? 

My hunch is that they expect that their examiners can be lenient, ie give them chances. Examiners can also mistakes too! True, but should you count on that? 

Good players rarely leave anything to chance, hence they work very hard to iron out any doubts or uncertainty in their play. This is usually done by a deep review of their games played, be it over the board or online. Once the weakness is found, it is a chink in the armour and must be fixed asap. Or risk the weakness resurface over the board. 

Give every game your full attention, use your time to work out what your opponent can do with his/her move and find the best reply. Your do not have the luxury to do that for rapid chess. Hence this is the best time to practice your thought process and plan well. 

Many forgot that the NAG is also like a marathon. Playing chess for 6 hours or more a day for 4 straight days is tiring for an adult, let alone a kid. So ample rest is required. Preparation during the event would be minimal - rest is more important as mistakes tend to happen during the latter part of the game. When that happens, it is usually painful for those who care about the result. 

So to all those who aim to do well at the NAG, good luck! (Though you shouldn't need it if preparation is done properly)

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