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Update: 10.29.05 Changed where we play to Senior Center
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here is a list of the most common questions about the club. Underlined items have answers below. The answer to other questions are in progress. Would you like to have a question entered on this list? Just EMAIL me one !! Every time I update the site, I try to add to this list. Eventually, it will be quite complete.
What are tiebreaks and how do they work?
What is the order for Ribbon Awards?
The list of questions to be answered.
What software is used and when?
Where can I buy a set, book, software, etc.?
How do I get a T-Shirt?
How do I enter a tournament?
What's so good about chess, anyway?
What are the official Rules of Chess?
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Who runs the Newberg club? (go back to top)
The started after CPRD put on chess lesson in summer of 2005. Some of us just kept playing. The CPRD list Bruce Cheney 503 625 5747 as a contact.
New question (go back to top)
New answer
Who can join? (go back to top)
The club is open to all. Children are weolcome. Parents or guardian should stay.
How do you join? (go back to top)
Just show up with a chess set (USCF strongly preferred) and a clock if you have one.
When & Where do we meet ? (go back top)
We meet WEEKLY on Thursday mornings at 7:00 pm in the Senior Center.
What should I bring ? (go back top)
You should bring a board, set, and clock if you have them.
What should you wear? (go back top)
Dress comfortably.
What does is cost ? (go back top)
There are no dues or fee's this year.
Who to contact ? (go back top)
Bruce Cheney 503 625 5747 is the Webmaster, etc. EMAIL address below.
What is a weekly meeting like? (go back top)
At 7:00 PM, we arrive and play. Its is very informal.. The house rules include most USCF procedures. Touch-move is a standard. A clock is always a good idea. It is really the only way to play fair. Most folks play g/45 (each person gets 45 min.), but some play faster. Often, after a long game folks will play some faster chess. Keeping game score isn't required, but again, it is a very good thing to do. Many players keep score using a lined shee to paper on up to a special notebook.
When are the lessons? (go back top)
CPRD is not doing lessons this summer. They did last summer. Chris Lauinger was the teacher. She comes Thursday nights at the Senior Center.
What is a quad? (go back top)
A quad is form of a tournament that divides up players into groups of 4. It is short for "quadrangular". Within that group of 4, each player plays every other player. When each plays each, that is called a "Round Robin", so the word quad is short for saying "A Round Robin tournament between 4 players." OK, now its quiz time. If you are in a quad, HOW MANY GAMES OF CHESS WILL YOU PLAY? The answer is e-e-r-h-t spelled backwards. There are four people sitting at a table in quad. How many chessboards are there at the table? The answer is the same as the number of eyes you have. We use the quad format because you only have to wait for the game next to you to be finished after you have finished yours to be able to start the next round. This is different than a Swiss.
What is a Swiss? (go back top)
A Swiss is a form of tournament that tries to figure out in a limited number of rounds, who is the best player out of everybody that enters. This isn't easy! Here is how it works. (For the moment ignore draws and consider only wins and losses.) Say we have 32 people entered, and we know roughly their strength or rating. First we list them in rated order. Then we pair player #1 with player #17 (the player just below the middle of the pack), and player #2 with player #18, etc. Player #16 will play #32. That's Round #1. After that round, we put the winners in one group and the loser in another. Within those groups we do the same thing as we did in round #1. List the players in order and have the top half play the bottom half. Winners of round #1 will be playing other winners, and loser will play other losers. We do this each round, grouping people by the number of games they have won. Each round will cut the top group in half. In the top group there are first 32 players, then 16, then 8, then 4 , then 2. The winner of that last round is clearly the winner overall. Everybody plays 5 rounds and all games in a round must be finished before you can set up (pair) the next round. (That's what makes a Swiss slower than a Quad, each round is as long as the slowest game in the whole field) Other rules include that you must not play the same person twice and that you should not play White (or Black) more than 3 times in 5 round event, 4 in a 7 round event , etc. But the order get the colors in may not necessarily alternate.
What are tibreaks and how do they work? (go back top)
In a Swiss, it is not uncommon to have several players end up with same score. This is especially true if the number of players is greater that 2 raised to power of the number of rounds. For example, in a 5 round event, if you have more than 32 players, you will likely have ties. For purposes of awarding the trophies, USCF uses a system of tiebreaks. The official order is: Modied Median (MM), Solkoff(S), Cumulative(C), and Cumulative of Opposition(CO).. If a tie isn't resolved with MM, you go to S, if not with S go to C, etc. The basic concept through all these systems is that, since both players have the same score, who played the stronger field? Although MM is the primary method, let me explain S first.
With Solkoff tibreaks , you add up and compare the scores of the opponents of the two tied players.The theory is that if Player A has more Solkoff tiebreak points, he/she played stiffer competition.
MM is similar to S, except you eliminate the highest and lowest opponent scores. The idea is not to overly penalize a player for being matched up with a really weak player or overly reward one for playing a really strong player.
Cumulative means that you sum up your point score from each round. The idea is that if you scored more points earlier, you played stronger competition. With Cumulative of Opposition, you calculate the cumulative score for the tied players opponents and then add them up.
There are rules for handling byes and forfeits. It is possible for a player that has a bye or a forfeit to still win on tiebreaks.
Tiebreaks rarely lead to happiness. The loser usually feels that they were cheated. Such is life.
What's a tournament like? (go back top)
Our quad tournaments last for about 3 hours total. That's a pretty quick tournament. Each person in each game gets 20 minutes for all their moves. So, 20 minutes x 2 equals 40 minutes per game x three games equals 120 minutes or 2 hours. Plus you have to get there a little early and there is still some extra time between rounds.
Our Swiss is Game in 30. Pairing are usually announced and then checked before you start each round. The 5 round swiss goes about 5 hours.
We use the official tournament rules. Those rules include "Touch Move" and being quiet. to allow your opponent to think. You cannot get help from anyone. If you have any kind of a problem (especially if your opponent says "You must do this or that.") Don't do it. Don't touch the pieces. RAISE YOUR HAND. When the TD (Tournament Director) gets there, still DON'T TOUCH THE PIECES !! The TD will allow you to explain the problem and want to hear both sides. Then he will rule on the issue.
What is "Touch Move"? (go back top)
In all your chess games, you should NOT take back moves. It only leads to bad feelings, disrupted games, and disagreements. Once you make a move, LIVE WITH IT! In a tournament, its ILLEGAL, but even in friendly games, it should be a rule you follow. "Touch Move" is actually a way of enforcing "no take backs." Simply stated, the rule is, if its your move and you touch one of your pieces, you MUST move that piece. If you touch one of your opponents pieces, you must capture that piece. If you want to adjust the position of a piece withour moving it, you must say "Adjust" or "j'adube" BEFORE you touch the piece.
New Question(go back top)
INew answer
What is Bughouse? (go back top)
Bughouse is a chess variant that is played with 4 players, 2 boards, and 2 clocks. Teams of 2 players sit on one side of the table opposite the opposing team. Player A has white, his buddy Player B has black. When Player A captures a pieces, what color is it? Right. So he gives the piece to his buddy Player B. Player B has a choice on his turn. He can play a normal move or he can place a piece he has been given by A on a vacant square. There are some restrictions. This link has lots of information: bughouse
Bughouse (aka: Mad Mate, Siamese, Double Put Back) is controversial among scholastic coaches. On the negative side: it teaches cheap, bad chess. On the positive side: its fun, it teaches mating tactics. My opinion is that it is kind of like "junk food", it isn't healthy for you, and you don't want to make a steady diet of it, but it tastes good. Also positive is that kids will play bughouse for a long time, longer than normal chess.
What is the order for Ribbon Awards at Quads? (go back top)
In our quads, ribbons are awarded using the following. First = Blue; Second = Red; Third = White; and fourth = Green. If have a Swiss instead of a Quad, places fourth and lower all get Green
