NEW PLAYER ORIENTATION

Hampton Roads Chess Association

TOURNAMENT PROCEDURES

ARRIVAL

• Pre-registered / pre-paid (King Registration) – no need to check in (unless otherwise directed)
• On site registration not always allowed, but see registration desk
• Follow the signage to “skittles” (waiting area)
• Wait to be called for first round

NOT An Elimination Event

• Don’t leave if you lose!!!
• “Swiss System” – kind of like a bracket system (play within / close to your score group – Win = 1, Loss = 0, Draw = 1/2)
• Uneven number of players – lowest player gets a free point (BYE) – only once – you will play all other rounds

PAIRINGS

• We tell you each round what board number and color, and who your opponent is
• Paper copy posted on the walls and digital copy online where wifi is available (link emailed or scan QR code on site)
• Posted 10-15 minutes prior to the start of the next round for set round start times
• Find your seat promptly (parents help then depart the playing hall before games begin - unless spectators are allowed) and make sure your pieces are set up correctly.

ONLINE PAIRINGS & STANDINGS

“Wall chart” is the default view – too confusing for new players – just no – click dropdown arrow to change view

“Current pairings” – check this 10-15 minutes before the start of the next round (or when announced for “ASAP” pairings)

“Standings” – running results – check here to see how you are doing after each round

READING PAIRINGS

Rating

Due Color (Do you have an hour for me to explain?)

Player’s Score Going into this Round

Team Code: We try to avoid pairing teammates but can’t guarantee – individual pairings are priority

Column the scorekeeper will record your result

Board Number

Uneven number of players – free point / no game

CLOCKS / TIME CONTROL

• We will provide clocks on as many boards as we can, priority to rated games
• If you bring your own clock, know how to work it
• If neither you nor your opponent has a clock, start your game when directed, and if your game is still going with 10-20 minutes left in the round, we’ll put a TD clock on the game with 5-10 minutes to finish on each side
• Read pre-event publicity for the time control. For example G/40; d5 means each side has 40 total minutes to complete all their moves, and time will not start coming off the clock for the first 5 seconds (“delay”). +5 means 5 seconds are added to the clock after each move.
• Press your clock after each move, with the same hand you used to move
• All clocks on black’s right unless TD approves otherwise

REPORTING RESULTS

REPORTING RESULTS

• Fill out the provided slip with player names, board number, round, and section before you start your game
• Call Tournament Director (TD) over by raising hand with slip in air
• TD verifies result – YOU record it on slip (if both players agree, record it before you call them over)
• You AND opponent walk together to score desk – turn slip in and initial that the score is marked correctly on the pairing sheet by the scorekeeper
• Pairing TD triple checks results before putting in computer – always check the standings and let us know if we made a mistake!

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READING STANDINGS

W=Win

D=Draw

L=Loss

H=Requested bye (half point

U=unplayed game / 0 point bye

B=Full point bye (uneven number of players)

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Number is the opponent

Color played

Total Score

Tiebreaks

• Used for non-divisible prize distribution, like trophies
• US Chess dictated math formulas
• Measure how hard it was to earn your points – based on points of opponents (M and S), and whether you / your opponent won or lost early or late (C and O)
• First difference breaks the tie

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DO NOT LEAVE

• If you need to leave before the tournament is over, you MUST tell the Chief TD that you are WITHDRAWING.
• If we don’t know, you will be paired, and a kid will be sitting without a game. Nobody wants to win by FORFEIT. They want to play chess. Forfeits also hurt their tiebreaks. If you forfeit a round, you will be withdrawn unless we hear from you that you will play.
• Do not leave your game without agreeing to a result – walking away without doing so and not returning is abandoning a game and is considered unsportsmanlike behavior. Unless we hear from you, you will be withdrawn from the tournament and won’t play remaining rounds.

STAY FOR AWARDS!

• Each section has an award ceremony as they finish (unless otherwise announced)
• Awards as advertised – EVERY INDIVIDUAL is recognized and called by name with either a ribbon, medal (even/plus score), or trophy (Top x), Plus School Team trophies at most events

KEY RULES

ETIQUETTE

• There IS chivalry (and an official Code of Ethics) in chess
• There is NO smack talk / bullying in chess
• Shake hands before and after each game
• INTEGRITY and SPORTSMANSHIP are more important than WINNING
• Help reset your board with your opponent
• Call a Tournament Director over for ANY unsportsmanlike conduct – zero tolerance

INTERFERENCE

• Chess is a game between two players
• Do NOT interfere in another game
• Don’t point out it’s not checkmate / how to get out of check
• Don’t point out flagfall, etc.
• Tough calls for us if you interfere – you may forfeit your game (lose); we decide how the interference affected the other game

DISTRACTION!

• Chess requires extreme CONCENTRATION / FOCUS
• HAVE FUN BUT BE QUIET in the playing hall – This is not chess club – be loud down the hall in the skittles room
• ONLY WATER at the board
• Don’t do ANYTHING that might be considered distracting to your opponent or those around you, and call a TD if someone is distracting you
• There’s actually a rule that covers “ANNOYING BEHAVIOR”
• We have a limited number of noise blocking headphones to loan

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NOTATION

• Notation is writing down your / your opponent’s moves throughout the game
• Without notation, you cannot make certain claims or resolve disputes over placement of pieces, last move, when an illegal move occurred, etc.
• Without notation, you can’t go over your game for analysis with your opponent or coach afterwards
• We will provide limited notation sheets for those who want them
• Read pre-event publicity for notation requirements. Notation is usually required in rated sections (e.g. Open and Novice) but not in Rookie (non-rated) sections.
• Notation is not required with “Quick” (under 30 minutes per side) time controls.
• Both players can stop notating when either clock is under 5 minutes.

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CELL PHONES / ELECTRONICS

• The sad reality of cheating in chess
• Cell phones / smart watches must be left with parents or TURNED OFF and placed upside down on the table in plain view
• DO NOT leave the room with a cell phone with a game in progress – automatic loss
• If your phone / watch rings / alarms during your game, you don’t get a warning – 10 minutes or half the remaining time off your clock as a penalty – if it happens again IN ANY ROUND, you immediately lose
• If you see something, say something.

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BATHROOM / WATER BREAKS

• You don’t need to ask, just go.
• Go on your move or your opponent’s move.
• You may NOT PAUSE YOUR CLOCK for breaks – your time continues to run, so be quick
• Tell a TD if your opponent leaves the board and does not return for 10-15 minutes.
• DO NOT SPEAK TO ANYONE on your break with a game in progress.

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KEY CHESS RULES

• TOUCH MOVE – if you touch it and it can be legally moved, you MUST move it
• TOUCH CAPTURE – if you touch your opponent’s piece and it can be legally captured, you MUST capture it
• “ADJUST” - Clearly say this word if you just want to fix a wonky piece and not move it. Say it BEFORE you touch it, not during or after.
• ILLEGAL MOVES must be corrected – YOU CANNOT CAPTURE THE KING
• Illegal move is usually leaving or putting your King in check, but can be any move with any piece that doesn’t follow the rules
• Without notation, it’s tough to know how long ago it happened when you notice a King has been sitting in check, so be mindful
• YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY CHECK – it’s your responsibility to notice if you are in check. Your opponent may not say it, and if you don’t see it, an illegal move will likely result.

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• Pro Tip #1: Don’t be impulsive – look / think before you touch
• Pro Tip #2: Your integrity is more important than the result of the chess game – be honest if you touched something

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AGREEING TO A RESULT

• Remember, chess is a game between two players.
• Be careful what you agree to.
• If your opponent says CHECKMATE!!!
• Politely ask to wait a moment while you look at it.
• Do CPR – can you Capture the checking piece, Protect (block) the piece, or Run (move your King)?
• If you agree, that’s the result – TDs can’t check every position on every board
• IT’S OK TO ASK A TD, “IS THIS CHECKMATE?” – we’ll run you through some questions to help you decide
• STALEMATE is when it’s your move and there are NO legal moves left on the board, but your King is NOT in check – don’t agree to a checkmate - that’s a DRAW.

FLAG FALL

• If your clock runs out of time, that’s called Flag Fall.
• Most digital clocks will display a black flag.
• Don’t call your own flag – let your opponent notice and call it.
• Don’t call a flag on a neighboring board (see interference).
• You must have mating material to Win if your opponent’s flag falls; otherwise, it’s a Draw.
• If there’s a dispute about what came first, Flag Fall or Checkmate, for example, call a TD over to help.

DRAWS

• There are FIVE ways a game can end in a Draw (1/2 point).
1. By Agreement. One player can offer a draw and see if the other accepts. Do so AFTER YOU MOVE and BEFORE YOU PRESS YOUR CLOCK. If your opponent does not accept (says no or moves a piece), don’t be annoying with repeated draw offers. Wait for the situation to advance / change to offer again. If your opponent offers a draw and presses the clock, be mindful not to let your flag fall while you consider it, or you lose.

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• By Stalemate. It’s your move, and you have no legal move at all, and your King is not in check.

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• By Insufficient Material. You physically cannot checkmate with just a King and one minor piece (Knight or Bishop), or a King alone, when both players have insufficient material – BOTH.

DRAWS, CONT’D

• There are FIVE ways a game can end in a Draw (1/2 point).
• By Repetition of Position. If the same position appears on the board 3 times (doesn’t have to be consecutive), you can claim a draw… but you need notation to prove it if your opponent doesn’t agree. Claim the repetition by calling a TD and telling them what move you are about to make to produce the repetition. A TD might intervene in a game and call a Draw if they observe five consecutive repetitive moves.

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• By the 50-Move Rule. This does NOT mean you’ve made 50 total moves in the game. It means the game is not making progress. Fifty consecutive moves (white and black is one move) have been made with no pawn moves and no captures. If you want to claim this draw, you need notation to prove it if your opponent doesn’t agree. You may call a TD over and ask them to start counting if you are not taking notation (especially if low on time). A TD might intervene in a game not making progress (common in Rookie sections) by counting 75 moves and arbitrating the game a Draw.

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The Decisive Game

• Checkmate is the goal – checkmate wins (1 point). The King is in check with no way out (CPR fails).

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• Remember, you CANNOT capture the King (something illegal happened – fix it).

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• You can RESIGN. This is not unsportsmanlike. This is a polite / courteous way to concede defeat. You can simply say, “I resign,” or you can softly / quietly tip your King over and extend your hand to your opponent.
• Note that we discourage kids from resigning – play the game out – everyone makes mistakes, and you’d be surprised how often the game turns around again. It’s also great practice for your opponent to execute a checkmate pattern even if you know you can’t win (e.g. lone King). Also, play for stalemate. ½ is better than 0.

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Concluding Thoughts

• Make sure your player knows all the basic rules – things like en passant and castling (which has several rules for when it cannot be done) will be played in their games, and they need to know these are legal moves.
• Our Rookie sections are for learning, and TDs will explain rules to your child if something comes up, but don’t register a kid who doesn’t really know the basic rules of piece movement.
• You are not tattling if you raise your hand to tell the TD of a rules infraction, including annoying behavior – you are enforcing the official rules of chess.

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• You can never lose in chess, only learn.
• HAVE FUN!!!!

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QUESTIONS?