Chess Etiquette

·Offer to shake hands with your opponent before and after your game. Before the game wish your opponent a good game and following the game thank them for playing and or compliment them on their play.

·Promote your pawn correctly. Place your pawn on the last rank and state the piece you wish it to become, than remove the pawn and replace it with its promoted piece.

·Castle properly. Move your King first, than your Rook.

·It is not necessary to say check when you place your opponent in check, but when you do, announce it quietly and politely. If your opponent asks you to stop announcing when he or she is in check than do not continue to announce check.

·Don’t be a sore winner or loser. Wait to fully express your reaction to a game until you leave the playing area so you do not disturb other players.

Tournament Director

Chess tournament directors run chess tournaments. A TD (tournament director) decides parings (who plays who), maintains a quite, clean playing area, takes the results of each game, and makes sure all rules are followed. Should disagreements arise it is the job of the TD to solve the problem. When the tournament is over the TD calculates the winners, often needing to use tiebreaks. The organizer of the tournament decides the site and date of a tournament; sometimes the organizer is also a tournament director at the event.

True tournament directors are certified by the USCF (United States Chess Federation). There are several levels of certification. A Club level TD is some one that has a USCF rating and meant to director small tournaments of 20 or so players and no tests are required. Local level directors are expected to handle larger tournaments of 100 players. They are required to direct a minimal number of tournaments and pass a test. Senior is the next level, they have similar requirements to the Local TD, but they are much more experienced required to work more tournaments and pass a harder exam.

Associate National and National are the two highest levels of TD certification in the United States. Those holding these titles have had years of experience, passed written exams, and directed tournaments on a national level with large prize funds and as many as 1,000 players. Like all tournament directors certified by the USCF they are held to a code of ethics.

Rated and Unrated What does it mean?

There are two kinds of chess tournaments, rated and unrated. Rated tournaments are tournaments that are run using at least one USCF (United States Chess Federation) certified Tournament Director. Rated events are also rated. This means that after the event the results are submitted to the USCF and ratings of each player are than calculated and published.

Unrated tournaments are often not run with USCF Tournament Directors, though it is not always the case. These events do not count towards a player’s rating.


What is a rating and why do I want one, you ask? A rating is a lot like sports statistics. A rating, rates a players ability of play in competition. There has always been debate about how accurate these ratings are, especially in scholastic chess. But ratings are important because they help Tournament Directors pair the appropriate players against one another.

What is in a number?

The importance of the number depends one who you are talking to. It is a gage of competitive performance, but not all players compete regularly. The top rated players in the world are called Grandmasters and have ratings that are usually over 2300. Master rated players are considered the next best in the world and are rated above 2200.

The top rated 7 year old in the United States is rated 1685 and considered a Class B player. Most 7 year olds do not hold such a high rating. Many children that age are rated 500 or lower.

The Benefits of Chess

My father told me that you learn to play chess for the same reason you learn math: To learn how to think. When I was five years old I didn’t care much about that; I learned to play chess because I thought it was fun. I enjoy teaching chess to the children at NNMS because I have fun doing it. Like must teachers, I also feel a since of accomplishment as each student masters a new idea or comes to class with a smile on his or her face.

To chess professionals it is no secret that teaching chess to children has become very popular in the last few years. While it is beneficial to many teachers, it is also beneficial for the students. It has long been held that chess helps to improve skills in the classroom, from higher reading scores to improvements in math. If you want to learn more, explore one of the following sites.

www.gardinerchess.com/publicationsbenefits/educational_benefits.htm

www.quadcitychess.com/benefits_of_chess.html

mysite.verizon.net/kaech/benefits.html

Despite what the research says about chess, the real reason to learn chess is for enjoyment. The fun in learning something new, mastering it, and the joy of playing with family and friends is what kids notice most when they learn the game. Extra benefits are for the adults to notice and praise.

Remember, when someone finds out you know how to play chess, he or she automatically thinks you’re smart. Maybe adults should be learning to play too.

Chess Vacation

The United States Chess Federation hosts five National Scholastic Tournaments each year, two in the fall and three in the spring. The events are held in various places throughout the country. The top players from far and wide come to show off their skills, but more than just the “best-of-the-best” sign up to play.
National Scholastic Tournaments are open to children of all levels of play. Children who find one of these events close to home often make it their first tournament experience. Though playing alongside hundreds of others may seem intimating, most youngsters find it fun. The players spend several days surrounded by kids and adults who love the same game they do. Friendships are forged and skills are honed.

National Scholastic Tournaments are also a great family retreat. The hotel rates are always reduced, so often families will travel together, and in between rounds (i.e., games played) they go site-seeing in the host city.

Tournaments for the

2007-08 school year

2007 National Youth Action
Millennium Hotel St. Louis, MO

2007 National Scholastic K-12/

Collegiate Championship Houston, TX

2008 U.S. Junior High
Dallas, TX

2008 U.S. High School
Atlanta, GA

2008 Burt Lerner ElementaryPittsburgh, PA

Did you know?

The latest issue of Chess Life for Kids features a cover photo by Coach Betsy. The photo was taken while she was busy working as a director and photographer at the National Open Chess Tournament held in Las Vegas this past summer.