HOW TO RUN A CHESS TOURNAMENT

TOURNAMENT BASICS
Chess tournaments can be very fun if done well... or frustrating if done wrong. The information presented here is for schools, teachers, parents, and coaches who want to organize a fun and enjoyable tournament where all students learn and have a good time. If you are looking for more serious competitive or rated tournaments, check with your local chess federation or organization.

WHY HAVE A TOURNAMENT?
Chess is a competitive game. There is usually only one winner! Players naturally want to compete to see who is better, but it is very important to emphasize that no matter who wins the tournament or each game, you can never lose when you are learning! The only losers are those who are too afraid to participate! Wholesale Chess recommends that all participants should win something, even if it is just a certificate or ribbon of participation.

ORGANIZING PLAYERS
Wholesale Chess recommends that you divide players by general skill and/or age. While it is never fun losing, it is definitely NOT fun being beaten by somebody who is obviously in a different category. It is usually better to have more small groups than one large group. It is easier to manage and also allows for more winners.

CHESS EQUIPMENT
Make your chess tournament more enjoyable by getting the right chess equipment. Nobody likes to sit out and wait for a board! Click here to read about rules for choosing tournament chess equipment.

THE BASICS OF A CHESS TOURNAMENT
The best thing you can do for your chess tournament is make sure that everybody plays the same number of games! Don't use elimination tournaments - they are frustrating, discouraging and boring for those who lose early. Wholesale Chess recommends that you use the round robin style of tournament (see below). Chess tournaments require that each game be scored. A win is worth 1 point, a loss is worth 0 points, and a draw is worth 1/2 a point. If you are not using clocks in your tournament you need to encourage players to move quickly. If a player feels that another player is stalling, have them raise their hand to draw your attention. If the game is not finished in the specified timeframe of the game then Wholesale Chess recommends that you call the game for the player who has a point advantage of 5 or more points (King = not counted, Queen = 9, Rook = 5, Bishop = 3, Knight = 3, Pawn = 1). Or, if there is less than 5 points difference than call the game a draw. Wholesale Chess also recommends that you play "touch-move". A player must move the first piece he/she touches unless it is an illegal move. Also, if you find that players have made illegal moves, try to go back and reconstruct the most reasonable position. Try and make sure that both players are happy with the results of any dispute.

ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENTS
You can play a round robin tournament with almost any number of chess players, but it is usually best with a small number of players (6 or fewer). Within each group each player plays one (or two) games against each other player and the player with the most points at the end wins. If you have more players than that, try separating them further into smaller groups. You can have the winners of each round robin group play against each other in an exciting playoff! Check out the following example:

Notice that each player is given a player number. The chart shows how each one did against their opponents. Notice that there is an "X" in each space where it shows that they play against themselves. You can see that in this tournament "Collin" won because he had the most points of the group.

ENDING THE TOURNAMENT
Again, make sure that each player feels like they are a winner for participating. You might consider giving a "Good Sportsmanship" special award to any students who lost all of their games. Everyone loves chess prizes and trophies! Encourage all players to practice more and pay more attention in their games.