Chess Equipment for Tournaments

June 14, 2010
Tags: Learning Chess Articles, Teaching Chess Articles

Here’s a brief rundown on regulations for chess supplies your chess club should consider when planning for competition in a chess tournament:

Tournament Chess Pieces
Chess pieces can be made of wood or plastic. King height should be 3.75 to 4 inches. Most players prefer heavy pieces, however most tournaments do not regulate weight of the pieces. Staunton style is the recommended tournament play style. Chess sets should have both light and dark pieces that are clearly differentiated and have substantial contrast in colors. It’s important that your chess pieces are not too shiny – they can cast an obnoxious glare.

Tournament Chess Boards
Most tournaments will allow wood, vinyl, plastic, or cardboard. Vinyl rollup boards are most popular for both their ease of use and low cost. The important marker of a tournament chess board is that the contrast in the colors used be significant enough. Also, the boards should not have a shiny finish. The most popular square size is 2-2.5 inches.

Tournament Chess Clocks
Both analog (mechanical) and digital chess clocks are acceptable at most tournaments. Chess Clocks should show at all times the remaining time left for both players. The display need to be legible from a distance of 10 feet away.

You can find all of these chess supplies for tournaments on the Wholesale Chess website.