What's a good way to simulate tournament pressure in solo practice, since real pressure is hard to replicate alone?
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Direct answer
Use a real clock, and commit to no takebacks, even in solo practice against the computer or on a timed puzzle set. Real tournament pressure comes largely from the fact that a decision is final and time is limited; removing the informal safety net of casual play, rather than trying to recreate the social atmosphere of a tournament, is what actually gets closer to it alone.
Why casual solo practice usually feels nothing like a real game
Unlimited time and an easy takeback remove exactly the two pressures a tournament game actually applies, so however seriously you play casually, it is missing the core ingredient. Timing yourself strictly and refusing to undo a move, even against the computer, reintroduces a real, if imperfect, version of that pressure.
Building toward the genuine experience gradually
Playing games this way regularly, alongside actually entering events once ready, described in should a beginner play in tournaments, is a reasonable way to build familiarity with the feeling before facing it at full intensity in a real hall with an actual clock and an arbiter.
Related questions
Does playing rated games online provide similar pressure?
To some degree, since the result is real and recorded, though the social presence of an in-person opponent adds something rated online play alone does not fully replicate.
Is it worth practising specifically with a fast time control for this?
Yes, a genuinely tight clock is one of the more effective ways to reproduce at least the time-pressure component of tournament conditions on your own.
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