Kind when it hurts

Being friendly after a win is easy, but a good sport is friendly after a loss too. A good sport also plays fair in every game. Do this for 3 whole months, and by then being kind after a loss is a habit.

The word "sport" comes from an old French word that meant taking your mind off serious things. A good sport remembers that chess is still a game.

Lose bravely

Losing hurts, and that is normal, but being brave is about what you do next.

• Let the lost game go.
• Do not blame anything, not the board and not the noise.
• You have not beaten your opponent yet, and you can try again.

Top players lose this way too. When a game is truly lost, a grandmaster says "I resign," which means they give up. Then they hold out a hand to shake. Saying those words out loud takes courage. At your level, keep playing to the end, and learn from the game.

Win kindly

Your opponent just lost, and they feel what you feel when you lose.

• Keep your voice low, and save the cheering for later.
• Say nothing about their mistake, because they already saw it.
• Play them again another day, and play your best then too.

Play fair

Chess only works when both players are honest.

• A move you made stays on the board, even a bad one.
• Take no help, not from a friend and not from a phone.
• Give no help either, because a friend's game belongs only to them.
• Sit quietly while your opponent thinks.

How you get the sticker

You cannot ask for this sticker, because your grown-up or coach sees it in how you play. They watch you, win or lose, for 3 whole months, starting with your next game. Then, one day, they hand you the sticker. If you have no club, your grown-up at home or your teacher at school watches. If you have played like this for months already, that counts too.