This is the first posting in a series of 4 articles comprising A Parent’s Guide to Tournament Chess:
1. Preparing for a Chess Tournament
2. During a Chess Tournament
3. Understanding Chess Ratings
4. The Swiss System for Chess Tournaments
Written by Robert N. Bernard for Wholesale Chess
So your child has been playing chess for a while, and his or her chess teacher has suggested they play in a tournament. Your child begs you to play; “They even have trophies – big ones!” the child exclaims. You relent, and the chess teacher provides the time and place. How should you prepare? Once you get there, what should you expect?
Many kids’ first tournaments are small, local gatherings (of perhaps 10-20 participants), but some are noticeably larger. Most of what’s written here applies to most of the tournaments in the USA and Canada, but there will always be some variation. Read more �
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.
Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com
As a young girl growing up in rural Connecticut, it was hard to find many chess tournaments – certainly there were none for kids. My father had to drive a ways to find one and I was usually the only girl.
I remember the adult males being very supportive of me, allowing me into their fold. It was a very positive experience for me. One would think there would be a lot of sexism in chess. Really there isn’t.
Today many girls play in scholastic chess tournaments around the country. As a chess coach, I can tell you that our classes have an equal number of boys and girls.
I have never seen any prejudice amongst our students. Why would there be? It just doesn’t occur to them.
One of the plus points of chess is that you can sit down and play anyone, and you are on equal footing. Think about it. You both start with the samechess pieces, which have the same rules of movement. It all comes down to who creates the winning position – who best uses their intelligence and imagination.
There are no gender, racial or economic barriers. Even age doesn’t matter. The color of your skin, your gender, your job, all don’t matter.
One of the things I always loved about playing in chess tournaments was that you’d find the room filled with people from all walks of life. A doctor might play a stay-at-home mom, a teacher might be paired with a construction worker and a rocket scientist could play a high-school freshman.
Who wins? Really it boils down to who plays the better game, who makes fewer errors. Bottom line, chess players respect a good game.
Laura Sherman founded Your Chess Coach (YourChessCoach.com) with her husband, Dan Sherman. Together they teach children to play chess through various schools in Pinellas County, Florida, as well as online.
If you would like to ask Laura a question about chess, you can ask the question in the comment space below, leave your email, and Laura will respond directly to you – OR – you can always find YourChessCoach on Twitter or visit her new blog.
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