How to Prepare Your Kid for a Chess Tournament
There’s nothing more exciting in chess than testing your skills against other players at a tournament! Whether your chess kid is ready to compete for the first time or a tournament veteran, take a few minutes to review these tips. You and your chess kid will be ready to have fun and conquer those matches.
How To Sign Up: Know Your Requirements and Your Kid
To play in most tournaments, your child must have a current US Chess Federation (USCF) membership. Becoming a member is easy. You can sign up anytime prior to registering for a tournament using the online registration link at US Chess. Your child will receive their lifetime US Chess Member ID number. That’s the number you need for tournament registrations, so keep it handy. Once your chess kid has enough official matches for a rating, that number will track it.
Pay close attention to how the tournament sections are organized to ensure your child is in the correct one. Depending on the size of the tournament, there may be age and rating divisions, making it tricky to pick the right one. If you have any doubts, contact the tournament directly for help. It’s not always possible to correct errors on tournament day.
Before you put in your credit card number and commit, be sure your child has the maturity to operate independently during a chess match. Tournaments do not allow parents to be near their children during play. Your child must be able to participate independently, exhibiting reasonable and age-appropriate behavior and decorum. You know your child. If they need a little more time, there will be another tournament when they’re ready.
Preparing to Perform
Now that your kid is signed up, how can you help them perform their best?
Players at higher levels spend time drilling on possible combinations and their opponents’ previous games, but most chess kids won’t have this information. It’s enough to have a plan going into a game and some flexibility. If your player wants to work on something they know is a blind spot or weakness in their game, encourage that! Chess 24/7 might be too much, though. Performance pressure can hinder their game, so maintaining balance is crucial.
[product skus="MENWREY375-PRESTIGE-B,B0169TH,AMERICANCOMBO2"]Chess is a sport! Players need to be healthy, well-rested, hydrated, and properly fed to perform at their best. Make sure they’re getting plenty of sleep and eating healthy meals ahead of the day. If you’re traveling, it’s better to arrive the night before and settle in if possible. Then, think about what an athlete might need at an all-day sporting event: plenty of water, snacks, and rest between matches.
One final note about preparation: Take a few minutes to plan your logistics to arrive on time. This includes adding some buffer time for unexpected traffic or a slow-to-wake child. It’s difficult for a child to settle in and concentrate if they’ve had a hectic morning, and showing up late may cause a disappointing disqualification. Look up your driving route and be sure you understand when check-in starts and ends.
Tournament Day: What You Need to Know
Common Tournament Formats: The Big Three
There are three common formats for chess tournaments: Swiss, Round-robin, and Knockout. The format will affect your waiting game and rest schedule.
- Round-robin: This is a very common format for club matches, small tournaments, or larger tournaments with small sections. In a round-robin, every player plays every other player, with the victor being the person with the most wins. This is the “fairest” format, as everyone has played the same opponents. It can take a long time, however, and will often result in a nearly non-stop game schedule. There’s little downtime since assignments are known up front.
- Swiss: The Swiss format features a predetermined number of rounds, with winning players advancing to face opponents with similar win totals. Swiss tournaments are ideal for large competitions where a round-robin would be impractical. Winning chess matches consistently will make the next round more challenging. Consistent wins will overcome an upset or unlucky draw early.
- Knockout: A knockout tournament is a type of elimination format. A loss (or two, in double-elimination) will mean the end of the tournament for that player. Knockout tournaments are more common in speed chess or when the participants are seeded to ensure even first-round pairings. This type of tournament makes for a very unpredictable day for kids and parents! Prepare to be flexible.
All tournament formats have the option of “bye” rounds, where your player does not have an opponent. Scoring will count byes according to the tournament standard, from zero to one point. Byes are great for rest and recovery, but you may need to have a backup activity to quell restlessness. Running up and down the venue hallways is not a good idea!
Important Chess Rules to Remember
There are two major rules at chess tournaments that consistently trip kids up. Make sure your player understands them fully. Younger kids will benefit from a reminder before each match for a while.
The “touch-move” rule is a hard one for kids to remember, even if they’ve been practicing tournament rules at home or chess club. In the tournament setting, they may impulsively reach for a piece as their nerves get the better of them. The US Chess Federation’s Official Rules of Chess (7th Ed) states:
“…a player on move who deliberately touches one or more pieces, in a manner that may reasonably be interpreted as the beginning of a move, must move or capture the first piece touched that can be moved or captured.” (ORoC, pg 21)
Make sure your chess kid has played under this rule and practiced thinking through their moves before their fingers move toward the board.
The other rule that can be hard for kids, some more than others, is “no talking.” Tournament rules require the players to refrain from talking during a game. If there is a rule question or challenge, the player must raise their hand and wait for an arbiter. If you have a chatty child, this can be difficult! Again, practice using this rule and gently remind them not to talk during games.
Time Controls and Chess Clocks
Tournaments always adhere to a standard time control, typically using chess clocks. The specific time control should be specified in the tournament rules during registration. Practice the time control standard ahead of time! If the tournament requires your player to bring their own clock, ensure it can be easily set to the correct standard.
Hitting the button after a move should be a reflex in tournament play, especially in a blitz or rapid format. Forgetting to do so gives your opponent valuable time to consider their move and wastes yours. Play practice games at home with the clock to reinforce this. The ZMart Fun II Digital Chess Clock is a durable option that offers all the time settings you need for tournament play.
Chess Notation
Chess notation is essential for tournament play. The completed score sheet is turned in to the tournament director after the game to serve as the official record of play. Make sure your child understands and can write chess notation independently. A great free resource for learning the “language of chess” is Learn to Read & Write Chess by Jeanne Cairnes Sinquefield.
Independent Play and Chess Etiquette
As previously discussed, parents are not allowed near their children during play. Your child must be able to navigate the hall and play independently, including interacting with the arbiter. They also need to demonstrate an age-appropriate level of etiquette by greeting their opponent, playing a fair game, and offering a handshake and “good game” at the end.
Are there tears in kids’ chess? Yes, inevitably, there are tears. A hard-fought loss or perceived unfairness can bring out big feelings. Your young player should do their best to be polite, even if they’re disappointed or angry about the outcome.
After the Tournament
No matter what the results are on the day, take time to celebrate and praise your child’s accomplishment. Even a challenging tournament is a testament to perseverance and grit. Plan a fun activity or a special meal and follow through no matter what. A positive experience can make a wonderful day even better, but it’s even more important on a difficult day to bundle some positive emotions.
Resist the temptation to jump right into post-mortems and criticism of chess matches. Keep discussions of the day positive and save any critical analysis for later. Results are results, but you can avoid instilling a negative impression of “failure” by praising the good aspects and focusing on what they learned.
Wrapping It All Up
Where you’re going home with a medal or a learning experience, the chance to compete against others on a level playing field is valuable for kids. Set them up for success by ensuring they are rested and fed, reviewing what to expect, reinforcing those tricky rules, and celebrating the day with something fun. One great tournament experience may turn your family into a chess family!