My predictions.

Group A - <Germany>, Poland, Ecuador, <Costa Rica>

Group B - <England>, Paraguay, <Sweden>, Trinidad & Tobago

Group C - <Argentina>, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro, <Netherlands>

Group D - <Mexico>, Angola, <Portugal>, Iran

Group E - <Italy>, Ghana, <Czech Republic>, USA

Group F - <Brazil>, Croatia, Australia, <Japan>

Group G - <France>, Switzerland, Togo, <S. Korea>

Group H - <Spain>, <Ukraine>, Tunesia, Saudi Arabia

<brankat> preparation, yes. I have approx. 5 weeks to go, <DrDum> and I still play semi-friendly games against each other. We are using each other as sparring partners.

As black, I'm focused on Sicilian, Najdorf (B90) he's focused on Dragon Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto (B34), versus e4.

I'm doing more King's Indian Defense (E60) to use versus d4, and <DrDum> has always used Nimzo-Indian (E20).

As far as white goes, Scotch Game (C45), (Don't like to go into the deep Ruy Lopez (C60) lines) I use Petrov, Modern Attack (C43) to avoid a drawish game (I can hear you laughing already =)

To answer c5. I like to use the Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4 (B21) Smith-Morra, or I use the Sicilian, Accelerated Fianchetto, Maroczy Bind, 6.Be3 (B38). That's about all the openings that I use.

It's not about the results anyway. You're not a kid trying to achieve some rating. Play chess because you enjoy it. You should enjoy exploiting your opponent's weaknesses by strategizing. You should also admire when your opponent does the same for you:)

Part I:

Like I said before, I haven't been playing actively for many years, and, of course, there hasn't been anything in terms of preparations either. With the exception of the correspondance tourney we participated in.

The process of studying/learning/preparing used to be very much different then compared to today. Most notably, computer-facillitated approach was not available, which makes it so much faster and convenient these days. It used to be a nightmare (hehe) to try to find a few games with a specific opening line. You had to sift through a ton of written material and maybe You stumble onto something You were looking for. On the other hand, it forced one to work long and hard, and indeed to memorize as much as possible, knowing that it would be impractical, to say the least, to repeat the same thing over and over again. For instance, opening lines that I play these days are almost the precise replica of what I had memorized some 35-40 years ago. Of course none of this should bother You these days.

Just a little trip down the memory lane. I hope You don't mind.

Some more or less general thoughts on preparation which I'd like to share with You.

1. It is a good idea to prepare opening lines You intend to use by:

a) studying/understanding/memorizing them on Your own first.

b) then practice them with chosen opponents, like You are with <Dr.Dum>. It is important to agree with Your sparring partner to play chosen lines, regardless of the scores.

c) do the post mortem together, later do it again by Yourself and make notes, not mental ones, but actually jot them down. It is especially important to analize games that You lost. It is a very hard, sometimes almost painful excesise, but it's got to be done. As the saying goes: "The best way to learn the anatomy of the game is on Your own carcass."

2. It is not easy to decide/choose which openings to use. A number of factors should be considered:

a) does an opening suite Your style (positional, tactical etc.)

b) availability of a fair number of sample games to study.

c) to what types of mid-game positions do given lines lead, how comfortable are You with them.

3) It is always best to study specific openings in conjunction with related middle-games' set-ups. This just emphasises the importance of friendly sparring games & and of analizing pertinent masters' games.

4) Do not burden Yourself with to many openings. First and foremost one needs to study & understand the fundamental principles of openings and ideas behind them, since they apply to all of them. Select 3-4 openings with the white and as many with the black pieces. This is sufficient to cover a lot of ground, since it allows You enough flexibility. But these ones You need to know really well. With less than that, in a long run, it'd be very hard to be successful.

5. Regardless of the coming tourney, try to make this study an on-going, long term project, with well planned timetable. Explore and study as many variations as You can, assess them (and Yourself), then pick a few.

6. Don't forget that the openings represent just 1 phase of the game, so don't neglect the others. Most of reasonably well played games will almost certainly go to the endgame. Hence the importance of studying the end-games. Especially early on, untill You feel proficient enough. For the tourney in Vegas, I would suggest You go through as many basic endgame set-ups as You can.

7. Just to mention, while talking endgames, You always should try to keep an endgame on mind during the mid-game phase, so You can plan for it. For instance: passed pawn, open/closed line, opposite colour Bishops, the King with an easy/fast access to the center, Knight over Bishop in positions with "blockaded" pawns, etc. Just like during an opening You ask Yourself what kind of the middlegame position You want to establish. This gives the game a flow, a continuance. It is not easy, but with hard work and study it can be eventually achieved. Here again, there is no substitute for the study of masterss' games.

8. For the Vegas tourney there is not much time left. But You can still design a small, but structured, preparation plan and follow it through. Of course it'll be nothing grand now, but it must be feasible. Unless You have done this already. After the event pick up Your studies where You had left off.

9. Time that You want/can spend on this process on a daily basis should be reasonable. You need to be feel rested and eager, so You can absorb the subject matter. If You are tired and try to force Yourself to study, more often than not it'll be a waste of time. Build in sufficient flexibility/variety in the schedule to make it more interesting and appealing.

10. Need to stay in good physical condition. Some 4-5 days before the start put aside EveryThing related to Chess, so when it finally starts, You will feel weel re-freshed and enthusiastic. Of course, in practice the plan of preparation can never be quite completed. There will always remain something that You would have wanted to do, but didn't have enough time. Leave it alone, don't worry about it. You'll do it next time around. No last moment adjustments, corrections, etc. Some 12-24 hours before the start make just a quick review (1 hour) of Your preparatory work, then let it be.

11. On the game day it is best not to really analize/prepare at length. 15-20 minutes of brief review for the coming game, at least 2 hours before the game itself. Never analize before the bedtime for the next day's game. It is sure to ruin Your sleep. 1/2 an hour "nap" before the game is also helpful. During the game don't "coffee out", have a bottle of fresh water instead, or some light (not to sweet) beverage.

12. During the correspondance tournament here on CG.com, my impression had been that You had a tendency to play too fast. Slow down, use the clock wisely, there will be plenty of time on the clock, so You can focus. Remember what Dr.Lasker used to say: "When You see a good move, wait, look fo a better one." Actually, it may have been Steinitz, I'm not sure.

While the game is in progress, try not to pay attention to anything else! All the other things: kibitzing, conversations, snap-shots etc, can wait till after the game.

Last night while playing <you vs yourself> I played a line in the Sicilian, white side, that I never played before, and I promptly got beat (resigned) in less than 13 moves. (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bd3?)

Not doing that in the tournament. Going to go with what little theories I know, then reach a reasonably OK middle game.

You are [very] correct that in the corr. tourn. I played fast, I tend to look at a position, go away for 1/2 a day, and boom! play a move. Not gonna happen in the tournament either.

I believe Fischer favored fruit juices(?) when he was playing chess? I have heard from more than one to not drink caffeinated beverages. Will also keep this in mind. First game is at 10 AM, maybe just a cup or 2 of coffee with breakfast and then bottled water.

Thank you for the time you spend on the posts and recommendations. I've requested vacation for next week from work, (see how my progress this week is on the project.)

Group A - <Germany>, <Poland>, Ecuador, Costa Rica

Group B - <England>, Paraguay, <Sweden>, Trinidad & Tobago

Group C - <Argentina>, Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro, <Netherlands>

Group D - <Mexico>, Angola, <Portugal>, Iran

Group E - Italy, Ghana, <Czech Republic>, <USA>

Group F - <Brazil>, <Croatia>, Australia, Japan

Group G - <France>, Switzerland, Togo, <S. Korea>

Here they are again, just to make sure:

FIRST ROUND:

Group A: <Germany>, <Costa Rica>, Poland, Ecuador

Group B: <England>, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, <Sweden>

Group C: Argentina, Côte d'Ivoire, <Serbia & Montenegro>, <Netherlands>

Group D: <Mexico>, Iran, Angola, <Portugal>

Group E: <Italy>, <Ghana>, USA, Czech Republic

Group F: <Brazil>, <Croatia>, Australia, Japan

Group G: <France>, Switzerland, <Korea Republic>, Togo