Promoting chess for younger players in chess clubs

[Jon Mahony]

Another time, I watched a kid pick up his pieces, move them, change his mind, say 'adjust' and put it back. Young kids get so intimidated by this and often let it go. What chance do arbiters have when kids will blatantly lie to them about what has happened?

I had a kid do this at a congress last year, he was blatantly going to snap off a Bishop with his Queen then realised if he did my knight forked his King and Queen on the next move, so he swiped the Queen back onto the starting square in mid air and shouted "Adjust!!". Luckily for him he'd not actually picked up the Bishop to take it, so I was only able to insist that he moved the Queen - it did win a pawn and ultimately the game, but made things a lot more drawn out.

I'm all for juniors playing, some of them are really nice kids, but others need to learn some etiquette - My most uncomfortable moment in Chess was a kid bursting into floods of tears when he saw a lost position in front of him and his father giving me the evils from the sidelines - I really felt pressured to offer a draw as it was disturbing other games, as it turned out I found a forced mate so I was able to get it over with quickly.

[matt_ward]

I am personally hoping to organize, some club junior competitions within the club depending on if the club secretary allows it. I will personally fun it with my own money also.

What do people think of this as a idea?

I am trying to do my upmost to encourage young players to take up chess.

Matt.

[Stewart Reuben]

The main problem is that many clubs have players who do not welcome youngsters. This is very serious as many people give up the game after leaving primary school, or if not, at the time of GCSE study and so on.

You may like this little story the late Eddie Gufel GM told me.
A little girl was playing in a tournament. She approached the arbiter Kotov and said, 'My opponent has just left her Queen en prise and burst into tears. What should I do?' Kotov said, 'It isnt for me to tell you waht to do. You must play your own game.' So tghe little girl returned to her board where the other girl was still crying and took the Queen. The other girl dried her eyes, made her move and said, 'Checkmate!'

In my experience there is very little cheating in adult chess. Even then it is mainly collusion between the two players.

Stewart Reuben

[Neill Cooper]

I am personally hoping to organize, some club junior competitions within the club depending on if the club secretary allows it. I will personally fun it with my own money also.

Matt. Sounds a good idea. Depending on the club it might be worth finding out whether running it before the main club would be better than during it. Also, what do you need to spend money on? Whilst some goodies can encourage junior players, often they need nothing more than an enjoyable experience as their reward.

[matt_ward]

Neill, Hello yes the money would be for prizes etc. I want to do my upmost and the club is Sandhurst which have many promising players.

Also maybe Guildford.

matt

[Ian Thompson]

Neill, Hello yes the money would be for prizes etc. I want to do my upmost and the club is Sandhurst which have many promising players.

Also maybe Guildford.

matt

With Sandhurst spending several thousand pounds a year paying titled players to win the local leagues for it, I would have thought it could afford to fund a few junior tournaments, or is the club's benefactor only prepared to support titled players helping it to win leagues, and not junior development?

[Alex Holowczak]

The main problem is that many clubs have players who do not welcome youngsters. This is very serious as many people give up the game after leaving primary school, or if not, at the time of GCSE study and so on.

I keep hearing from some players "Ooh, I don't like playing kids. I always lose!" That's sure to make them feel welcome...

[Neill Cooper]

Neill, Hello yes the money would be for prizes etc. I want to do my upmost and the club is Sandhurst which have many promising players.

Also maybe Guildford.

matt

I thought Guildford already had a junior club, so it would be best to check what happens there already before suggesting anything new. Also, having played there a few times I know that space at Guildford can be tight.

[Richard James]

15-20 years ago we were able to run two mostly junior teams in the Thames Valley League. But here in Richmond it's no longer possible to get anyone out in the evenings, such is the level of academic pressure. If you so much as ask parents if their child can play in a Thames Valley match during term time they take offence.

Where Richmond leads, will the rest of the country follow? Other areas don't seem to have the same problem that we do.

[Alex Holowczak]

But here in Richmond it's no longer possible to get anyone out in the evenings, such is the level of academic pressure.

The stereotypical chess-player tends to be academically strong too. As a result, they spend all their time working on things for school/college, and put chess to the side.

At A Level, you often have to spend 2-3 hours per night working on school work in order to do well. So where do you squeeze in a game of chess? You're usually mentally fatigued after all that anyway. I'm dead against the amount of homework given to students; how many professional jobs expect you to put that much time in outside of your contracted hours? Even teachers now have time set aside for PPA, so they don't have to prepare lessons/mark books etc. at home. At University, I'm expected to do 100 hours of study per module, six modules per 11-week term, including 36 hours of contact time with the lecturer. So 600 hours of study in 11 weeks means you're supposed to be working a 54-hour week, unless you're expected to work in holiday time too. How is that even legal?

[Gavin Strachan]

i seem to buck the trend then on that looking at my a levels and studying!

[Kevin Thurlow]

"how many professional jobs expect you to put that much time in outside of your contracted hours?"

Too many - but you are right to be unhappy about it...

[matt_ward]

I would Ian like to point out what you had mentioned. I somehow believe you might of forgotten however Sandhurst Chess Club probably have more juniors than any other chess club locally in addition to this probably more than most put together.

I therefore find it hard to comprehend how you can say the following: "With Sandhurst spending several thousand pounds a year paying titled players to win the local leagues for it, I would have thought it could afford to fund a few junior tournaments, or is the club's benefactor only prepared to support titled players helping it to win leagues, and not junior development?"

Ian I therefore think you have got this wrong especially about the Junior development. Also how much do your club do in organising or even preparing competitions for the juniors.

Also we are back on this old chessnut about "Professional chess players being paid". From what I am aware It does not stop the people wanting to play the titled players, therefore why are they complaining about it.

Is it not a privilege to play a IM or GM?

Also I am sure their are some other clubs which give free memberships or something for the title players Like Crownthorne or Camberley otherwise why would the title players waste time by possibly playing a 130 or whatever.

Neill also regarding your point Guildford do have a junior club, but it does not organize competitions for the juniors.

Matt.

[Ian Thompson]

I therefore find it hard to comprehend how you can say the following: "With Sandhurst spending several thousand pounds a year paying titled players to win the local leagues for it, I would have thought it could afford to fund a few junior tournaments, or is the club's benefactor only prepared to support titled players helping it to win leagues, and not junior development?"

My comment was aimed at you thinking you needed to support it financially, and was therefore a comment on whether Sandhurst is spending its money in the best way it can.

Ian I therefore think you have got this wrong especially about the Junior development. Also how much do your club do in organising or even preparing competitions for the juniors.

Crowthorne's junior club is doing well enough that it needs more adult helpers than it currently has.

Also we are back on this old chessnut about "Professional chess players being paid". From what I am aware It does not stop the people wanting to play the titled players, therefore why are they complaining about it.

Who's complaining? Definitely not me. I would strongly oppose any attempt to ban the best players from competing in local leagues, or any attempt by leagues to interfere in what should be club's internal matters, such as membership fees, appearance fees, etc.

Is it not a privilege to play a IM or GM?

No.

Also I am sure their are some other clubs which give free memberships or something for the title players Like Crownthorne or Camberley otherwise why would the title players waste time by possibly playing a 130 or whatever.

The titled player who plays for Crowthorne can obviously speak for himself, but I was told he wanted to play because he enjoys playing chess.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Incidently, my partner, Syringa Turvey-Cross, who some of you may know is currently writing a book that deals with chess ettiquette for Junior.

Excellent idea. Perhaps might want to take into account that what passes as OK in junior tournaments is often not acceptable when playing in adult events. E.g. adjusting the pieces while your opponent is thinking.

My personal bugbear is the common junior practice of offering draws in clearly worse or even obviously lost positions. Well that's common if my experience is anything to go by. I once receieved an offer of a draw from a young lad who was a pawn down with the worse position in a rook ending. Instead of moving he offered a draw and even held his hand out waiting for me to acccept (which naturally I did not). This happened in the well run Richmond Juniors a few years ago and I've had similar experiences many other times.

Stupid draw offers aren't cheating but they are rude - and good etiquette isn't just about cheating. No reason why somebody should automatically know good chess manners unless somebody tells them. I was taught good cricket manners (e.g. we were explicitly told by our club coach that we should walk if we knew we were out) and good golfing manners when I was young. Chess education should include being taught good manners at the board.


That said ... while discussing etiquette for the young folk is definitely a legit subject, junior players are not usally the worst offenders in my experience. The worst behaved players are usually men over 60 and <= 100 ECF.