Home

I am not a good player. Should I play?

Sure! Come jam with the rest of us patzers. We're all learning, and you don't have to be a Grandmaster to have fun at chess. Besides, the Swiss pairing system will match you with opponents of equal ability (after a few rounds). And just think of how much better you'll be after a day of chess jamming.

I do not even know how to play chess

Learn, and come play with us! We will have a "Chess Training Table" at the event.  And there's only three things you need to know to start playing: 1. The starting position. 2. How the six different types of pieces move. 3. How the game ends. (Get the King!)

Do I have to write down the moves?

Yes and No.  It's entirely up to you. One of the best ways to improve is to review your games after a tournament. (Besides being able to show your friends the awesome move you made that clinched the game.) Also, learning chess notation opens you to the whole wide world of chess literature. (So, bring a pen or pencil!).

If I haven't taken my hand off a chess piece yet, can I change my mind?

In a rated tournament, if you even touch a chess piece, you must move it! And if you touch an opponent's piece, you must capture it! So sit on your hands until you know what you want to do. If a piece needs to be centered or adjusted, you may do so by first saying "I adjust".

Will we use chess clocks? How do they work?

Yes, we'll use clocks. Chess clocks are a great invention. They keep slow players from slowing and losing players from stalling. After your move, you hit the button nearest you on the chess clock. Your timer stops, and your opponent's timer begins. In this tournament each player will get 30 minutes, thus ensuring that no game goes over an hour. If a player uses up all 30 minutes, it's a loss just like checkmate.