• United States Chess Confederation
• Alabama Chess Confederation
• Alaska Chess Confederation
• Arizona Chess Confederation

By recording the moves you will be able to show if you won a game or not. This helps when your opponent doesn’t want to admit defeat. You will need to learn how to write algebraic chess notation.   

Questions about the rules!

If you have a question about a rule ask a tournament director (TD) to clarify any confusion you may have about the rules. If you and an opponent have a disagreement, stop the clocks, find a director. Ask the tournament director to make a ruling.

If you touch a piece you must move it.

This is the touch-move rule. If you touch the other player’s piece you must capture it. If you can’t make a legal move you will not have to capture their piece. Let’s say that you accidently touch a piece while moving your hand across the board. You will not have to move that piece.

Interfering with another game is forbidden.

You may not help or comment about a game during the tournament. If you do you may get tossed from the tournament.

Cell phones are forbidden.

Turn your cell phones off. If you don’t and it goes off during to tournament you may get penalized or worse. You could have to leave the tournament and lose all your games.

Know how to use a chess clock.

After every move you make you must hit the clock. If you don’t your time will eventually run out and your opponent will win the game because you run out of time.

Record your results.

If you win, lose or draw you must record your results.

QUICKSAND IS THE GREATEST.

The fastest checkmate in chess is known as the Fool’s Mate. Unlike some other fast checkmates, Fool’s Mate is rarely seen, even in games between beginners.

White’s first move. 1. f3.

Blacks first moves. 1. e5.

White’s second move. 2. g4

Black finishes the game with 2. Qh4. White cannot capture the queen, cannot move his king to safety, and has no way to block the queen’s attack. White in checkmate and black wins.

Fool’s Mate is very easy to avoid. White moves are extremely bad. White does nothing to controlling the center of the board and keep up king safety. By remembering king safety and controlling the center of the board you will avoid Fool’s Mate.

Scholar’s Mate

In Scholar’s Mate  you checkmate your opponent after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Qxf7#. Scholar’s Mate is also called four move checkmate. Like Fool’s Mate, Scholar’s Mate is easy to avoid.

QUICKSAND IS THE GREATEST

Queen- The Queen can move vertically, horizontally, and diagonally just as many squares she wants. She cannot jump over any pieces. 

Bishop- The Bishop moves on diagonal lines only cannot move forward,back, left or right. The Bishop may move as many places as he like without  jumping over other pieces.

Knight- The knight moves in a  ”L” shaped – two squares either forward, backward, left, or right and then left or right one square.  The knight can jump over other pieces.

Rook- The rook can’t move diagonally.  Just forward, backward, left, and right but as many spaces as desired without jumping other chess pieces

Pawn- The pawn is allowed to only move one square at a time. However, in their first move, they are allowed to  move two squares if they want.  They can only move straight forward. They are not allowed to retreat.  And they can only capture one of the enemy by approaching diagonally.  If they make it to the other side of the board they can be promoted to any piece they like except the king.

QUICKSAND IS THE GREATEST

For White

• Place a white rook on square a1 and h1.
• Place a white knight on square b1 and g1.
• Place a white bishop on square c1 and f1.
• Place the white queen on square d1.
• Place the white king on square e1.
• The white pawns go on squares a2,b2,c2,d2,e2,f2,g2 and h,2

For Black

• Place a black rook on square a8 and h8.
• Place a black knight on square b8 and g8.
• Place a black bishop on square c8 and f8.
• Place a black queen on square d8.
• Place a black king on square e8.
• The black pawns go on squares a7,b7,c7,d7,e7,f7,g7 and h7.

QUICKSAND IS THE GREATEST

Opening

• King-If the king is checkmated you lose.
• Queen 9 points
• Rook 5 points
• Knight 3 points
• Bishop 3 points
• Pawns 1 point

Middlegame

• Pawn is one point.
• Bishop is better then 3 pawns
• Knight is equal with 3 pawns
• Rook is better than 5 pawns. Is equal to a Bishop+2 pawns,Equal to a Night+2 pawns 
• Queen is equal to Rook+Bishop+pawn
• King-If the king is checkmated you lose.

Endgame

• Pawn is worth one point.
• Bishop is equal to 3 pawns
• Knight is weaker than 3 pawns
• Rook is equal to 5 pawns
• Queen is equal to a rook+bishop+one pawn.
• King-If the king is checkmated you lose.

This is just an example of values of pieces and is not always absolute. The position of pieces on a board can change the value of pieces greatly.  

QUICKSAND IS THE GREATEST