G rea t L a ke s Ch es s, L L C

Tips & Match Rules 2014 Fall Great Lakes Chess updated October 28, 2014

PART ONE lists Match Tips, explaining everything from “Check-In” procedure to rules that govern both players and spectators. PART TWO offers a Partial Summary of Rules according to the United States Chess Federation. Great Lakes Chess is proud to provide chess playing opportunities for NW OHio area K-8 students in a fun and meaningful way. Thank you for allowing your child to participate.

I. PART ONE Match Tips A. Differences between a Match & Tournament 1. GLC Match Events last 60-90 minutes vs. 5-8 hour USCF Tournaments a) GLC Matches are after-school events. b) USCF Tournaments are held Saturdays and last up to 8 hrs, not counting driving time.

2. GLC Matches are LOCAL vs. USCF Tournaments are anywhere in Ohio a) GLC Matches are held right here in the Toledo area. b) USCF Tournaments are generally held in the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati areas.

3. GLC Matches are included in instructional fee, Tournaments costs extra a) GLC Matches are INCLUDED w/current GLC membership. b) USCF Tournaments cost $15-$35 per tournament. USCF Tournaments also may require an annual USCF Membership ($17/student).

B. GLC Matches 1. GLC Matches are divided into North and South Divisions a) North Div. includes Anthony Wayne, Ottawa Hills, Perrysburg, Sylvania & Toledo b) South Div. include Bowling Green area schools southward.

2. GLC Matches are among the largest in the Midwest a) Typical scholastic chess matches involve only 2 schools. b) GLC matches are attended by hundreds of students from over 30 schools. This fact increases parity among players so games are more fair.

3. GLC Matches follow USCF Rules a) GLC officials “gently” enforce USCF rules. b) We understand that many students are Beginners at chess and we want matches to be a positive experience for all our students. c) For Summary of the Rules followed at GLC matches, see Match Rules below.

POLICY CHANGE Matches will begin at the published starting times as listed on your schedule. This year, however, games have been extended from 30 to 60 minutes. This will probably not affect most players and family schedules. Players who finish their games last year in 15-20 min. will likely continue to do so and are free to quietly leave the match after reporting results. Allowing games to last 1 hour, encourages more serious players to slow their games down, think harder and play at a higher level.

C. What to Bring to a GLC Match? 1. GLC provides ALL chess material needed for the match. a) Please do not bring chess sets from home. i) They may get lost or mixed in with GLC sets. b) Players may use GLC sets to warm up before the actual match game. c) Snacks and drinks are prohibited at most matches. i) Exception is when a match is held in a cafeteria setting. d) Parents should bring something to occupy younger siblings at matches. i) Books & electronic games with earphones are good ideas for young siblings. ii) Noise & Distractions during match games are strictly prohibited.

DON’T FORGET… USCF rules pertaining to noise, distractions, etc… applies to both players & spectators. Please be respectful to all our children who have worked hard to compete at these events.

D. What to Do Upon Arrival at a Match? 1. Check-In (IMPORTANT!!!) a) The official Check-In Sheet will be located near the main entrance of the Playing Room. b) Please check-in immediately upon arrival, so you don’t forget. c) To check-in, place a check (√) beside your student's name on the Check-In Sheet. i. This tells the computer if your player is present. ii. Saying “hello” to your coach is not checking in. iii. Parents… please assist younger players with Check-In MISTAKES during Check-In cost your student and others the opportunity to be properly paired. ALL PLAYERS must CHECK-IN or they will only be limited to Exhibition Play.

POLICY CHANGE We no longer accept phone calls from parents/students who are running late to matches. This practice proved too disruptive last year and actually delayed the starting time on several occasions.

E. Match Procedure 1. Warming Up a) After checking in, we strongly recommend that students begin warming up. Players may warm up with a parent, teammate, friend or anyone at the match. b) Warm-up may be in the form of a practice game or exercises. c) Warm-up games do not count toward your score. d) DON’T WASTE TIME or be silly. Warm up time is just that! e) Start “thinking chess”. Do not just goof off and then lose during your match game.

2. Announcements a) Occurs at the end of the warm-up period. b) It is at this time that any special instructions/changes to the normal rules are stated.

3. Pairing Posted a) After announcements, an event official will post Pairing Sheets. b) Pairing Sheets tell players who they will play, where their board is and color. c) Players should report to their boards immediately. d) This is the official match game. e) Players are not to begin until instructed to do so.

4. Only One Game Counts! a) After players have read the Pairing Sheet and have found their correct board & color, an event official will begin all match games at the same time. b) If a player does not have an opponent, an official will come over and address the issue. i. Either someone made a mistake at check-in or the opponent is in the restroom. ii. Mistakes at check-in that cause you not to have an opponent, will not penalize you. In such cases, an official will either pair you by hand or you will receive a BYE and score 1 point as if you had played and won the game. In either case, players will still play even if it is an exhibition game.

Frequently Asked Questions about Matches How are Players Paired? a) Players are “paired” by a computer program using the standard Swiss Pairing Method. b) The Swiss Sys program uses the following variables among others to produce pairings: i) Rating A numerical value indicating a student’s playing strength based on previous matches. If a player is new to the GLC, he/she will be assigned the arbitrary rating of 500. ii) Section or Class Players are then grouped into sections or classes based on their ratings and skill level. iii) Grade Level After rating and section, grade level is used to determine pairings. Consequently, players will be paired first based on rating, then section and lastly grade level. This is the norm in scholastic chess matches and tournaments. Age, gender or grade level have no direct bearing on the playing strength of a student. iv) School Team A player’s school is also taken into consideration, so players from the same team do not play each other. The only exception to this rule is sometimes in the final rounds, if players on the same team are tied, they may have to play each other in order to break the tie for award purposes.

What is a Rating? A rating is a numerical value that indicates a student's “playing strength”. A rating merely suggests or indicates a student playing strength based on previous rated games. It is not a direct measurement of anything empirical. Ratings are calculated after two players play in a rated game. The winner of the game experiences an increase in his rating while the loser’s rating goes down. Ratings may go up, down or stay the same when games end in a stalemate or a draw-depending on the difference between the players’ ratings before the game.

What is a Section? GLC officials at a match also divide players based on ratings for purpose of parity. These groups are referred to as “sections”. Generally speaking, players will only have to compete against opponents within their own section. An exception to this rule is when a parent requests his student “play up” in order to be more challenged.

POLICY CHANGE

Awards & Recognition For the first time ever, Great Lakes Chess will be awarding top individuals and school teams at the conclusion of the last match of the semester. Individuals who do not win a trophy will be awarded a participation medal. Individual trophies will be awarded based on how well players do within their particular sections throughout the semester with each game counting as 1 point while draws and stalemates are a ½ point each. Team Trophy awards will be based on the top 4 players from the same school at the conclusion of the last match- regardless in which section the students play. All players who do not receive a trophy will receive a participation award. POLICY CHANGE

GLC Ratings & Rankings Since the GLC will be awarding top individuals and teams at the end of the semester, we will begin to post at events the scores and ratings of top players and teams. These postings will begin before the 3rd match of the semester. For privacy purposes, the GLC will not be posting data of all individual players on-line. If parents wish to see the progress of student, updated data will be sent out weekly to all GLC coaches. Parents may contact their student’s coach for this information.

PART TWO 2014 Fall GLC Match Rules A Partial Summary of Chess Rules For a complete list of rules, see USCF Official Rules of Chess th 5 Edition by Tim Just & Daniel B. Berg

We understand that many students are true beginners at chess. For this reason, I wish to reassure everyone that USCF rules will be gently enforced at GLC matches. Above all, we want our children to have a fun and positive experience while learning the game of chess.

TOUCH RULE Simply put, if you touch a piece, you MUST MOVE that piece unless it is an illegal move. If a player begins to capture an opponent's piece and touches that piece with a finger, hand or the attacking piece, the player must take that piece- unless it is an illegal move. Adjusting a Piece If a piece is sitting slightly off its square and needs to be centered, the player must say aloud the word "adjust" before touching the piece. Otherwise, the Touch Rule applies and the player will be required to move the piece he touched- even if his intention was to only adjust it.

CASTLING Castling is an important part of most games. It can be done to either the King or Queenside of the board, though in most games the Kingside offers a stronger defensive position. Five Conditions that PROHIBIT Castling. 1. If the King has previously moved at any point during the gameeven if the King moves back to his original position. 2. If the King castles into check. 3. If the King castles out of check. 4. If the King castles through check. 5. The Rook toward which the King wishes to castle has been movedeven if the Rook moves back to his original position.

EN PASSANT This endgame move is not so common, but nevertheless is part of the game. Players are responsible to know it.

The Purpose behind ANY Chess Rule Chess rules are intended to keep one player from having an UNFAIR advantage over the other. An unfair advantage can result from a number of causes all of which are prohibited including distractions, noise, silliness, trash talk or arguing. A player is not allowed to receive advice, help, tips or clues from anyone verbally or otherwise during the game. Even a nod, groan or wink from a spectator or teammate can be considered a violation and could potentially disqualify a player, costing him and his team a point.

WARNINGS Players and spectators are subject to USCF rules while games are in progress. First time offenses will result in a verbal warning. A second offense at the same event, may at the discretion of the Event Director result in the offender being asked to leave the Playing Area or room and forfeit his game if the offender is a player. Player Interaction

General communication (verbal or otherwise) between a player and anyone else during a game is NOT permitted except when communicating with an offic ial. Communicating with family members, teammates or anyone else other during a game other than with an official is strictly prohibited. Players may NOT suggest moves, trash talk, argue or be silly amongst themselves during games. If there is a dispute, the players have been advised to raise their hand and an official will come and assist.

Distractions

Any noise, behavior or event in the Playing Room that is deemed by the Event Director as disruptive is prohibited. This rule applies to both players and spectators. Rulings of distractions are solely at the discretion of the Event Director.

DISPUTES & ARGUMENTS When a disagreement occurs between players, either player may raise their hand to summon an official. When the official approaches the board where a dispute occurs, the first player with their hand up may explain the issue first. Arguing will not be tolerated. Parents are not allowed to intervene on behalf of any player while games are in progress. THIRD PARTY INTERVENTION No parent, teammate or any other person can make a claim on behalf of any player. This means that no one may intervene during a game to point out an illegal move, false claims of check or false claims of checkmate, stalemate or a draw other than an official. It is up to players alone and officials to point out errors or make claims. PLAYERS: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU AGREE TO If your opponent says “checkmate”, and you say “yes”, nod your head or shake his hand, you are agreeing that there is checkmate and the game is over. Take your time to decide whether or not it is indeed checkmate. Many games are lost every year because a player agrees to a false checkmate. Checkmates, draws or stalemates do not need to be verified by officials. If the players agree it is over, then it is over. USCF tournaments usually do not allow parents in the Playing Room, Great Lakes Chess makes an exception to this rule and allows parents access so long as all USCF rules are being followed. The Event Director reserves the right to close the Playing Area to any and all spectators if the USCF rules of chess are violated.