Don’t Forget Your Chess Etiquette

Understanding chess and playing it well can benefit you in everyday life, because it teaches you how to concentrate, plan, focus and think ahead. And the fact that it gives you the opportunity for some friendly competition in a venue where the only thing that gets bruised is your ego isn’t bad either. That’s probably why you see so many chess tips in stores and online. It’s been a very popular game for people who think for generations.

Many people don’t realize, though, that it takes more than just learning chess strategy to play chess effectively. People new to the game are often surprised to discover that when they first go to a tournament or a chess club. One of these aspects is definite etiquette that should be followed so your fellow players will respect you. You would be amazed how many experienced chess players breech this etiquette. Information about these rules should have been relayed to them by the people who helped them learn to play chess, but that doesn’t happen for many who play the game.

Here are some of the more important chess etiquette rules:

* Beepers and cell phone
Beepers and cell phones aren’t allowed when playing in a tournament, even if they’re set to only vibrate. It’s also considered good manners to keep them turned off when at a chess club, whether in a tournament or not.

* Talking During a Game
When it comes to talking while playing chess, think of the Golden Rule: Do onto others as you would have them do onto you. If you don’t want someone talking during your chess game, then don’t do it to others.

* Moving pieces
The rule is, if you touch a chess piece, you’re obligated to move it. If you pick up a piece, place it on a square and keep your fingers on it, though, it’s OK to move it back to the original square. You’re still required to move it, but you’re free to choose another square. Once you let go, though, it’s officially considered a move.

* The chess clock
It’s essential that you use the same hand to activate the clock that you use to move the pieces. Also, once you press the clock, you’re not allowed to keep your hand on or over it. When playing a tournament, you should press the clock to stop it if there’s ever a need to speak to the tournament director about any aspect of the game.

* Offering a draw
The correct way to offer a draw is to make your move and offer the draw before you press your clock. Once the draw is offered, then you can press your clock. Do not offer a draw while time is running on your opponent’s clock.

These are just some of the many etiquette rules that should be adhered to when playing chess. If you play the royal game, it’s important that you learn all of them.