The first stage of the tournament "named after Van Kanigem"

Basically, at the end of each turn, save to a backup save file – reveal the map, see what the AI is doing, and try to change your actions if something doesn't suit you.

That's a wise approach!
I used this method to eliminate a very powerful sorcerer who was planning a round-the-world trip in the middle of the game.
I revealed the map after another turn to see what the enemies were planning, and I saw that one of them had bypassed the guards and was heading into the forest. I thought, "This won't do." I reloaded, made my move, saved, revealed the map, and saw that this traveler had ignored the guards! Which, frankly, suited me very well. :)