Do you mean an OTB?
How do tournaments work?
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Apr 16, 2023
0
#3
If so,
Once it starts, you are paired with another player. If you win you get 1 point. If you lose, you don't a get a point. If you draw, you get 0.5 points. There are mulitble rounds where you get paired agaist diffrent people. The people with the top 3 points get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place.
In most tournaments, you must write down notations so if you don't know already, you should learn how to notate.
The OTB tournament that I played in a few weeks ago was pretty chill.
Good Luck in your tournament!
Apr 16, 2023
0
#5
GM Daniel Naroditsky takes you through the process of playing your first over-the-board tournament. He writes: "I talk about how to find your board, what a tournament looks like, and I cover all aspects of over-the-board etiquette, including how to make moves, touch-move rules, how to offer draws and resign, how to settle disputes, and much, much more! " Go to the YouTube Video here
Apr 16, 2023
0
#6
That video by GM Daniel Naroditsky is excellent and thorough, and the other answers so far are great. As a brand-new OTB tournament player myself, here are the things I have found most interesting and different so far, in no particular order.
- It's not nearly as scary as you think it will be. You're just playing chess. Have fun, laugh at your mistakes, decompress and rest between games, and don't worry about anything. This is a game. Enjoy it.
- No idea how old you are, but if you're over the age of 12, be prepared to lose to players younger than you. If, like me, you are way, way over the age of 12, be prepared to lose to players way, way younger than you. My first tournaments have been almost exclusively populated by school-aged children, and there's nothing quite so humbling as your opponent fidgeting and wandering off after every move (exhibiting the attention span of a nine-year-old, for example), coming back after you move, taking about 4.5 seconds to review the board, making what looks to be the absolute best move against you, and then fidgeting and wandering off again. lol
- Don't expect anyone to resign (and you should not resign, either). It took me a second to figure this one out. It's not that all OTB players are cutthroat, and they aren't impolite. I mean, we've all seen The Queen's Gambit where even non-chess-players now know that you are supposed to resign when you're losing. It's not that. The next round of the tournament won't start until the posted time. If you play in, say, a G60/+5 (sixty minutes per player, add 5 seconds after each move) format, the rounds will likely be scheduled about every two hours. If you finish your game early, you're going to sit around and wait, so why not just play? No one will resign until the position is hopeless, and maybe not even then. But you're here to play, not sit around, so no worries.
- Hydrate. Bring a nice water bottle, and keep it full between rounds.
- Eat (but never at the board!). Hungry brains don't function well, and you want to use yours.
- Don't be afraid to tell the Tournament Director (always written as TD) that it's your first tournament. He/She will be a bit overloaded, but will be willing to help you. Wait for everyone to start staring at a big screen, or printed sheet. Find your game (your name will be in the White or Black column, and have a board number shown), and ask someone where that board is.
- Remember that part about fidgeting and wandering off? You can do that too, and sometimes it's good just to leave the room, do a few knee bends and jogging in place, breathe deep and then go back. You're not tied to the board. The time on the clock is yours, use it the way you want.
- Did I say this before? Have fun. This is a game. Play.
Apr 16, 2023
0
#8
GM Naroditsky also wrote a previous video where he discusses how to find a chess club, how to find a over-the-board, in person chess tournament, how to join US Chess, etc. Click here for his YouTube video
Thank you so much.
Apr 17, 2023
0
#10
It's always a good idea to bring a friend if you can: you can talk about the games after and it just makes it a lot easier!
I have played in a number of tournaments large (approx 1000 players) and small (20-25 players. The first thing I do is check in and you are properly enrolled, especially if you registered in advance. Make certain they have your money and you are listed in the proper division, i.e. open, reserve, U1800, U1400, U1200 or unrated, etc. About 30 minutes prior to the first round, check the board for the pairings. They may not be up, and you will have to wait until they are posted. Once they are posted, you will find your opponent's information and the number for your board. Go there and get ready to play. In some tournaments you have to bring your own set or your own clock. You will have to set up your clock with the proper time settings which vary with every tournament. Once you have done this a few times, you will get use to it and it will go relatively smoothly. There are always a lot of last minute instructions, announcements, and problem solving by the Tournament Director (TD) so just go with the flow. Good luck and enjoy.
Apr 17, 2023
0
#12
I haven't played in a tournament in years. Do most of them still post pairings on a board, or do they post them online and you look using your phone?
Apr 17, 2023
0
#14
SurRuss wrote:
That video by GM Daniel Naroditsky is excellent and thorough, and the other answers so far are great. As a brand-new OTB tournament player myself, here are the things I have found most interesting and different so far, in no particular order.
- It's not nearly as scary as you think it will be. You're just playing chess. Have fun, laugh at your mistakes, decompress and rest between games, and don't worry about anything. This is a game. Enjoy it.
- No idea how old you are, but if you're over the age of 12, be prepared to lose to players younger than you. If, like me, you are way, way over the age of 12, be prepared to lose to players way, way younger than you. My first tournaments have been almost exclusively populated by school-aged children, and there's nothing quite so humbling as your opponent fidgeting and wandering off after every move (exhibiting the attention span of a nine-year-old, for example), coming back after you move, taking about 4.5 seconds to review the board, making what looks to be the absolute best move against you, and then fidgeting and wandering off again. lol
- Don't expect anyone to resign (and you should not resign, either). It took me a second to figure this one out. It's not that all OTB players are cutthroat, and they aren't impolite. I mean, we've all seen The Queen's Gambit where even non-chess-players now know that you are supposed to resign when you're losing. It's not that. The next round of the tournament won't start until the posted time. If you play in, say, a G60/+5 (sixty minutes per player, add 5 seconds after each move) format, the rounds will likely be scheduled about every two hours. If you finish your game early, you're going to sit around and wait, so why not just play? No one will resign until the position is hopeless, and maybe not even then. But you're here to play, not sit around, so no worries.
- Hydrate. Bring a nice water bottle, and keep it full between rounds.
- Eat (but never at the board!). Hungry brains don't function well, and you want to use yours.
- Don't be afraid to tell the Tournament Director (always written as TD) that it's your first tournament. He/She will be a bit overloaded, but will be willing to help you. Wait for everyone to start staring at a big screen, or printed sheet. Find your game (your name will be in the White or Black column, and have a board number shown), and ask someone where that board is.
- Remember that part about fidgeting and wandering off? You can do that too, and sometimes it's good just to leave the room, do a few knee bends and jogging in place, breathe deep and then go back. You're not tied to the board. The time on the clock is yours, use it the way you want.
- Did I say this before? Have fun. This is a game. Play.
Don't eat at the board? Is this proven or in your personal experience? I usually don't eat at the board but sometimes I do if I didn't get time for lunch.
Apr 18, 2023
0
#15
Batman2508 wrote:
Don't eat at the board? Is this proven or in your personal experience? I usually don't eat at the board but sometimes I do if I didn't get time for lunch.
As I've read and been told... It's completely acceptable for your opponent to tell the TD that it is distracting for you to eat at the board, and (again, as I've read) most directors will ask you to stop. In my limited experience, I've only ever seen people go away from the table to eat, as if it were a local guideline/rule, so I just assumed what I read was accurate. Maybe it's a regional thing...?
That's true
Apr 18, 2023
0
#17
SurRuss wrote:
Batman2508 wrote:
Don't eat at the board? Is this proven or in your personal experience? I usually don't eat at the board but sometimes I do if I didn't get time for lunch.
As I've read and been told... It's completely acceptable for your opponent to tell the TD that it is distracting for you to eat at the board, and (again, as I've read) most directors will ask you to stop. In my limited experience, I've only ever seen people go away from the table to eat, as if it were a local guideline/rule, so I just assumed what I read was accurate. Maybe it's a regional thing...?
Never had it happen.
Wassup
I have played in large tournaments involving 1000 people and some small tournaments of about 25 people. In the smaller tournaments, I had to play against people with ratings of 1700 to 2000. I did not do well against them, but I did win my division, U1200 and $11.00. That did not pay my entry fee but I told my wife, I am now a professional Chess player.
Hi everyone,
I'm going to do my first tournament soon, and yet I'm still very confused about how they work. I've looked at a lot of websites and I'm still confused. If someone could please let me know how the system of a tournament works, what it's like, and what I do at my first one so I'm not super confused, that would be amazing. I appreaciate you guys.