Player Responsibilities

Show good sportsmanship. Show proper respect for other players, parents, officials, and all personal and school property. Do your personal best, and have fun!

It is the player's responsibility to resolve questions or disputes themselves, or to seek help from a tournament official. To get help, stop both clocks (if used) and raise your hand, without making any more moves. Do not resume play until the issue is answered.

During play, players may quietly talk with their opponent only about the game, for example, to point out an illegal move. Do not look at your parents during the match. Do not bother other players.

The players -- not parents and not officials -- are responsible for deciding the results of the matches. The players must be in agreement about the outcome. If in doubt, get help from an official, who can make sure the players know how to decide. Once the players agree on the result, that agreement stands. So study the board carefully before agreeing. It is common for a player to honestly believe they have won, and to announce checkmate to the other player, when in fact the other player still has a way out of checkmate. The lesson is: don't simply believe your opponent if they claim the game is over, because he or she might be wrong.

After finishing a match, the players should shake hands, quietly pack up the board and pieces, return any borrowed equipment, and go to the scorer's table. Both players must report the result together, and they must be in agreement about the result.

Parent Responsibilities

Parents are expected to set a good example for their kids through good sportsmanship, and by showing proper respect for the players, the other parents, officials, and all personal and school property. This includes helping keep the school clean. As long as they remain quiet, parents may stand behind their son or daughter during the matches. Absolutely no eye contact, talking nor any other communication between parent and child is allowed until the players have agreed that the match is over. Tournament officials will ask parents to leave the room if this rule is violated.

A parent may quietly point out to a tournament director situations such as illegal moves or players needing help. However, parents may not affect the matches via communication with the players. They may not make decisions or resolve issues for the players. They may not point out to the players illegal moves, errors or incorrect decisions by the players, clocks with time run out, etc. A violation of this rule may result in the parent not being allowed to watch any further games. If the tournament officials believe that the interference may affect the result of the games, that parent's child may be given a forfeit for the match.

Parents are strongly encouraged to stay for the entire tournament, to offer their children congratulations, encouragement, a hug if needed. If you will not be there during the entire day, make sure your child gets checked in okay and is set up with chess supplies and food/money, and knows a parent who is staying whom they can go to for help.