Welcome to San Gabriel Valley Chess Club. This Guideline will help explain how we conduct our tournaments, certain rules when playing a rated game, and the conduct we expect from both players and spectators. All players and parents will be emailed a link to this Guideline at the start of an event. All players are required to have read this Guideline or have had it explained to them
Tournament Format: We play one game a week and our events are usually five to six weeks in duration. You should per-register at our website by clicking on the Calendar and finding the tournament you want to join. You can enter in the middle of a tournament but will need to contact the Tournament Director (TD) as instructed in the tournament description. Once you have entered a tournament, we expect you to be there every week (unless you are sick) until that tournament is over. If you are going to miss a week (or more), you must contact us so we can remove you from the pairings. We allow for two half point byes for a tournament. A bye must be requested in advance of the round. It allows you to miss a round but still get a half point credit in the standings. Byes do not affect ratings. You should request byes as early as possible and the cut off for requesting a half point bye is at 4:00 pm on Monday before that week’s round. If you don’t contact us and fail to show up you will receive a forfeit loss and be withdrawn from the tournament without a refund of your entry fee.
Start Time: Games start at 6:45 pm and your opponent will start your clock even if you are late. If you do not arrive by thirty minutes from when your clock was started your game will be forfeited. All games end by 10:00.
Pairing System: We use the Swiss System for pairing opponents. This system pairs players based on their USCF rating and performance in the current tournament. You don’t get to pick your opponent or what color you play. Pairings are posted at our website on Sundays but will typically change several times before the start of the round.
What to Bring: You should try to bring a chess set, clock, score book, and a pen or pencil. We have a limited supply.
Phones and Devices: Please silence your cell phones. The TD will enforce Rule 20N1, Disturbing Noise, for a second violation by the same player, which is to subtract either 10 minutes or half a player’s remaining time, whichever is less, by the offending party. A second offense by a spectator will result in the spectator being asked to leave the tournament room.
No Talking: There is no talking by players or spectators in the main tournament hall once games start until the last game is finished. Players should never make remarks to their opponent or others once a game has started other than to offer a draw or to summon the TD (see below). When your game is over you can analyze it with your opponent in a separate room.
Spectators Cannot Interfere with a Game: A spectator, which includes visitor, parent, or player watching another players game, can never interfere with a game. This includes calling out or pointing to an illegal move or calling out a loss on time. Doing so could cause the TD to have to cancel the game, having the players start over, or adjudicate the game. The spectator who does so will also be penalized.
Tournament Rules and Conduct
Below is a brief list of some of the more important rules when playing a rated chess game and the conduct expected of the players. We cannot cover all rules in this short space and it is the responsibility of the player to know them.
Touch Piece: Once you touch a piece, you must move it. So be sure of your moves before you make them; you can’t take them back.
The Clock: You must use the clock in your games. There isn’t a penalty if you forget to press your clock, except your opponent will get to think while your time runs out.
Keeping Score: You must keep score during the game. This means writing down moves on a sheet of paper. You can stop writing down moves when you have less than five minutes on the clock. You may struggle to keep score for your first few games, but please try. It is easy to do, and you will learn fast.
Draw Offers: When making a draw offer to your opponent you use the following procedure.
Make your move—while it is still your turn—on the board before offering a draw. Next, offer the draw by saying “I offer a draw,” and then press your clock.
Once you offer a draw it cannot be taken back even if you do not follow the above sequence. If you offer a draw without having moved a piece your opponent can compel you to make a move before deciding whether to accept or decline your offer. Your opponent can verbally accept or decline your offer, or just make his/her move, which is in effect declining your offer. If your opponent accepts your offer you should say “thank you for accepting my offer of a draw” so that the offer is understood. Do not play on or analyze at the board if a draw is agreed to. Go mark the pairing chart immediately and review the game in the analysis room if you both wish to do so.
Do Not Make Repeated Draw Offers: If your offer of a draw is refused, then you should just play on. You should not make another offer of a draw unless there is some significant change in the position, like the exchange of a piece or pawns. Repeated offers of a draw is annoying conduct and the player who continues to get draw offers from their opponent should summon the TD for assistance. The TD can issues a verbal warning to the offending player or take other measures, such as adding time to the non-offenders clock.
Requesting TD Assistance: There are many instances during a game where something happens and the TD should be requested to intervene. Some of these are often not intentional on the part of your opponent, but rather an accident, such as making an illegal move, touching a piece that was not intended to be moved, or one player having a defective setting on the clock, such as not setting the delay feature. It can also be conduct you find annoying, such as repeated draw offers or talking to you during the game. You should always seek TD assistance in such cases. To do so, pause the clock and summon the TD by raising your hand. If the TD is not nearby go to the TD table. Let the TD know your issue in a calm and clear way and the TD will make a ruling after going to the board and revieweing the situation.
You Must Be Your Own Advocate: Only a TD can intervene in a game but the chances of something irregular happening while the TD is watching your game are rare. So all chess players, even very young ones, must learn to get the TD if they think something is wrong. Once the result of the game is final, nothing can be done, whether you later discover your opponent made an illegal move or the clock was set wrong. The game is final. So learn to advocate for yourself and ask the TD for help.
