5 Things You Should Know before Entering Your First Chess Tournament
If you’ve mastered the game of chess, the next natural step is to enter a tournament. Tournaments can be a wonderful way to not only show off your skills, but it’s also a great way to earn scholarships and prize money. Of course, there are a few things you should know before you enter your first chess tournament.Early Entrants Can Save Money and Time
In many tournaments, chess players can save on the entrance fee by registering early. Not only can you expect a reduced prize, but early registration will also save you time. Players who register before the tournament don’t have to worry about coming early to fill out the paperwork. You simply arrive at the time that your first game is scheduled to begin.
Tournaments Are Evenly Matched
Players don’t have to worry about playing against competitors that are above their skill level. During registration, computer systems and/or directors rank the players based on their skills. This means that the player with the highest score can expect to play against a competitor that is closest to his ranking. As the tournament proceeds, players get one point for each game they win and are then placed against competitors with the same number of points. Players are expected to play through the entire competition and the competitor with the highest score wins.
Withdrawing Is Frowned Upon
It can be upsetting to lose a game in the tournament, but that’s no reason to withdraw. Because players are not eliminated, you should continue to play until the tournament is over. Not only may you succeed in the rest of your games, but you’ll get better by playing against some of the best players.
Open Events Can Be a Wonderful Learning Experience
If your first tournament is an open event, you can stand to learn a lot about the game. While players are grouped by age, children do have the chance to play against adults. Those that want to expand upon their skills should definitely consider playing against more skilled players, but they don’t have to.
Prizes Vary
The exact prizes awarded vary from tournament to tournament. In some cases the top winner receives a part of a large sum of money and the rest of the money is split up among the winners in smaller categories. In other tournaments, winners may receive titles or trophies. Exact details will be given to the competitor upon registration.
As you can see chess tournaments may sound intimidating, but they really aren’t. Not only are players evenly matched, but there are many winners and many prizes. You can also save time and money by registering early. Best of all, you can even increase your skills by choosing to play against competitors with higher skill levels.
About the Author: Celeste Perman is an avid chess player and amateur competitor. When she is not playing, she enjoys studying investments, UFX Markets, and personal finance and she finds it fascinating that at times chess and ufx are no different.
