The basics of chess etiquette
By QUAH SENG SUNChess players are generally expected to know the basics of chess etiquette whenever they take part in a chess tournament or even as a spectator at a chess event. But do they? When they go to a chess tournament, how are they expected to behave?
The first thing to remember is that, with the exception of top-level chess events, most chess activities are held in confined spaces where, many times, one player’s elbows may be practically touching his two immediate neighbours.
Here some of the common inter-related chess etiquette which chess players and spectators are expected to know and follow.
Firstly, when watching a game of chess, keep the noise down. Background ambient noise adds to the tension of a game. The last thing players would want is for someone in the crowd to make audible comments on their games and disturb their concentration. Whispers should be discreet and out of earshot of players.
Next, chess clocks are expensive, fragile, and difficult to source locally. So they must be handled with care. Spare a thought for the owners of the clocks who are gracious enough to pool their clocks together for use at chess tournaments.
Thirdly, time trouble may be exciting for spectators but a player should give consideration to fellow players who are concentrating and struggling under the weight of the flag falling. In the rules of the game for most local chess competitions, it is the responsibility of the players themselves to call a flag fall. It is all part of the game. So, under no circumstances should anyone call out to him that the flag has fallen.
Fourthly, at a chess tournament, you would want to know where all the best action is going to take place. As the event progresses, all the best action is going to be focused on the top few boards. The action is the most tense at the top boards as these are players who are chasing for top honours. As these games will eventually gather the majority of the crowd, you may soon have problems in getting close enough to watch them play. Paradoxically, the noise level around these boards is usually lower than the rest of the tournament room despite all the people crowding around the action.
Fifthly, photography – especially flash photography – is discouraged once a round is already under way. Organisers normally close an eye if you take photographs within the first 10 to 15 minutes of every round but, generally, you will be disturbing and distracting the players if you release the occasional flashes in the room once the games have proceeded in earnest.
Sixthly, after a game finishes, some players may sometimes remain behind to analyse critical positions in their game together, or they may go to another room to do this. There are always points in a game where a player has to make a choice between two moves of equal outcome in their eyes. It is these key moments that live large in a player’s mind as the board develops around them. So chess players quite often will go over this even with the person they have just beaten or lost to.
For the spectator, it is a great time to stand back and watch the analysis. It is possible to learn a lot from it.
Olimpbase website
The Olimpbase website at http://www.olimpbase.org is now available once more to visitors. This website contains all the history of the men’s Chess Olympiads since its inception in 1924.
Quah Seng Sun can be contacted at ssquah@gmail.com. Join Malaysia’s biggest chess mailing list by registering yourself at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chess-malaysia.
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