HOW TO
RUN A CHESS TOURNAMENT
TOURNAMENT BASICS
Chess tournaments can be very fun if done well... or
frustrating if done wrong. The information presented
here is for schools, teachers, parents, and coaches who
want to organize a fun and enjoyable tournament where
all students learn and have a good time. If you are
looking for more serious competitive or rated
tournaments, check with your local Chess federation or
organization.
WHY
HAVE A TOURNAMENT?
Chess is a competitive game. There is usually only one
winner! Players naturally want to compete to see who is
better, but it is very important to emphasize that no
matter who wins the tournament or each game, you can
never lose when you are learning! The only losers
are those who are too afraid to participate!
Wholesale Chess
recommends that all participants should win something,
even if it is just a certificate or ribbon of
participation.
ORGANIZING PLAYERS
Wholesale Chess recommends that you divide players by
general skill and/or age. While it is never fun losing,
it is definitely NOT fun being beaten by somebody who is
obviously in a different category. It is usually better
to have more small groups than one large group. It is
easier to manage and also allows for more winners.
CHESS
EQUIPMENT
Make your Chess tournament more enjoyable by getting the
right
Chess equipment. Nobody likes to sit out and wait
for a board! Click here to read about
rules for choosing tournament Chess equipment.
THE
BASICS OF A CHESS TOURNAMENT
The best thing you can do for your Chess tournament is
make sure that everybody plays the same number of games!
Don't use elimination tournaments - they are
frustrating, discouraging and boring for those who lose
early. Wholesale Chess recommends that you use the
round robin style of tournament (see below). Chess
tournaments require that each game be scored. A win is
worth 1 point, a loss is worth 0 points, and a draw is
worth 1/2 a point.
If you
are not using clocks in your tournament you need to
encourage players to move quickly. If a player feels
that another player is stalling, have them raise their
hand to draw your attention. If the game is not finished
in the specified timeframe of the game then Wholesale
Chess recommends that you call the game for the player
who has a point advantage of 5 or more points (King =
not counted, Queen = 9, Rook = 5, Bishop = 3, Knight =
3, Pawn = 1).
Or, if
there is less than 5 points difference than call the
game a draw. Wholesale Chess also recommends that you
play "touch-move". A player must move the first piece
he/she touches unless it is an illegal move. Also, if
you find that players have made illegal moves, try to go
back and reconstruct the most reasonable position. Try
and make sure that both players are happy with the
results of any dispute.
ROUND
ROBIN TOURNAMENTS
You can play a round robin tournament with almost any
number of Chess players, but it is usually best with a
small number of players (6 or fewer). Within each group
each player plays one (or two) games against each other
player and the player with the most points at the end
wins. If you have more players than that, try separating
them further into smaller groups. You can have the
winners of each round robin group play against each
other in an exciting playoff! Check out the following
example:
|
5th GRADE TOURNAMENT |
|
PLAYER |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
TOTAL |
|
1 |
Joe |
X |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
2 |
Ryan |
1 |
X |
0 |
1/2 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
|
3 |
Jenny |
0 |
1 |
X |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
4 |
Sarah |
0 |
1/2 |
0 |
X |
0 |
0 |
.5 |
|
5 |
Collin |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
X |
1/2 |
4.5 |
|
6 |
Jessie |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1/2 |
X |
3.5 |
|
Notice
that each player is given a player number. The chart
shows how each one did against their opponents. Notice
that there is an "X" in each space where it shows that
they play against themselves. You can see that in this
tournament "Collin" won because he had the most points
of the group.
ENDING
THE TOURNAMENT
Again, make sure that each player feels like they are a
winner for participating. You might consider giving a
"Good Sportsmanship" special award to any students who
lost all of their games. Everyone loves Chess
prizes and
trophies! Encourage all players to practice more and pay
more attention in their games. |
