Tournament Rules?

You know and follow the main tournament rules.

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You know and follow the main tournament rules.

The same rules almost everywhere

FIDE, the world chess federation, wrote down the rules that most chess tournaments in the world use. Some countries change a few small rules, and the arbiter, the chess referee, knows which ones. Learn the rules once, and you can play at almost any tournament board.

 

At the board

  • Touch-move: if you touch one of your pieces, you must move it. Once you let go of it on a square, it stays there.
  • If you touch your opponent's piece, you must take it, if you can.
  • If a piece is crooked, say "I adjust" before you straighten it. The Tidy Player page tells you more.
  • The arbiter says where the chess clock goes. At many events, the player with Black picks the side for the clock.
  • To offer a draw, first make your move, then offer the draw and press your clock.
  • Your opponent says yes or no, and if they just make a move instead, that means no. Once you offer a draw, you cannot take the offer back.
  • If something is wrong, stop the clock and raise your hand, and the arbiter comes to help.

 

In the playing hall

Many players sit and think in one big room, so being quiet is the biggest rule of all. Save the talking for after the game.

  • If you have a phone, give it to a grown-up, or turn it off and pack it away.
  • When your game is over, you and your opponent both tell the arbiter the result.
  • If you finish early, you may leave the board and watch other games without a sound.

In 2003, world champion Ruslan Ponomariov's phone rang during a game on his 20th birthday. Because of the ringing phone, he lost the game right there.

 

Think first, then touch

Most rule mistakes happen because a hand moves too fast. The hand is already on a pawn before the head has chosen a move. So choose your move first, and only then touch the piece. Benjamin Franklin wrote the touch-move rule down in 1786. His words were: "if you touch a piece, you must move it somewhere." The rule is still the same today.

 

How you get the sticker

Your grown-up or coach asks you about the rules, such as what happens when you touch a piece. Then they watch you play a game. A tournament game is best, but any real game counts. When they have seen you keep the rules, they hand you the sticker. If you have no club, your grown-up at home asks and watches, or your teacher at school does. If you have played in tournaments for years already, just show what you know.