The big difference between teaching/coaching and being a second is the time element. I would suggest the first question such a player should ask his candidate for second be "What are your own tournament plans close to my event?". Perhaps the second should be "You're not planning on writing a book on the event, by any chance?"Roger de Coverly wrote:Coach or Second though? Those competing at the highest level prefer to recruit from their active professional colleagues for assistance during matches and tournaments.Brian Towers wrote:I would also suggest that a fulltime / dedicated coach is likely to be a much better teacher / coach than a dedicated player.
The last thing you want in your second is for him to have higher conflicting priorities than your performance and preparation.