Clocks

We place clocks on games that go too long. Bringing a clock guarantees that the player can use it for every game. We explain to new players how clocks work before placing them on the game, but any player is welcome and encouraged to ask how they work during the tournament, and parents are encouraged to email us ahead of time if they have questions about clocks. I have received lots of questions from parents, during tournaments, asking me to explain clocks. It is a bit technical and hard to explain. 

Overall, clocks aren’t really a big deal, but here is some explanation.

Just remember:

1. Press the button after you move. 

2. If you lose on time, you lose the game.

3. Out of 300 tournaments with 40-60 players, I am guessing that I’ve seen about 10 people lose on time. Most of these players were losing "on the board” already. Maybe twice I’ve seen beginners forget to press the clock button, but I encourage young players to remind their opponents to press the clock (this is in the spirit of good sportsmanship but it is technically optional). 

The main point: Clocks really aren’t a big deal. 

Advanced Tip: You are supposed to press the button with the same hand you used to move the piece. If you move the Rook with your right hand, use your right hand to press the button. This is often known as the “same hand” rule. This rule prevents players from accidentally pressing the clock button before they move, when in fact, they are supposed to press the clock button after they move. It really doesn’t matter much in tournament games, but it’s officially the USCF and International (FIDE) rule and it matters more for the top players. 

Very Advanced: When capturing, or castling, you can press the clock with either hand. This is getting really nit-picky I know… but I know of two adults arguing about this a few years ago.

Avoid accidentally cheating: Spectators: When watching another game, never whisper commentary about the clock, never remind players to press the clock, and never mention to the players that someone lost on time. When watching a game, you might secretly be excited by the fact that someone is about to lose on time… but by bringing any attention to the clock, it will effect the game. A spectator that effects the outcome of a game is technically cheating (but we know it usually happens by accident). 

Players who make this mistake usually have good intentions, but it leads to what appears to be an overreaction from tournament staff, players, sometimes parents, and the USCF. It gets them kicked out of tournaments, and maybe in trouble with the USCF. Sometimes the player that “benefited” from this advice can get in trouble, even if they didn’t ask for it. USCF resolves these disputes on a case by case basis, but it is not fun! Overall, it’s very important that a spectator never “helps” players or interacts with the players. 

Can my child miss part of the tournament?

Yes. At any USCF tournament you can request a "bye" for any round. Usually players do this for scheduling reasons like if a player has a piano recital at 7pm and the tournament begins at 4:30pm, they can schedule it so they don't have to play the last round. Just make sure to let the tournament director know before the tournament starts. Also once you request the bye and the tournament has started you can't change your mind.

When are Panda Chess Academy tournaments rated? Are ratings important? Why are kids underrated?

I usually submit the tournaments to the USCF for rating immediately after the tournament is finished, and the ratings are almost always published in under 24 hours.

Sometimes there are delays. They are usually caused when there is a tournament with several people joining the USCF (and this usually happens at the beginning of semesters only).

This also happens when players forget to renew their membership but I try hard to prevent these players from playing.

If the tournament is rated a few days late, it is no big deal at all (except in the one case I list below). USCF always rates the tournament once to provide a "Weekly Updated Rating" and then at the end of the month they rerate all of the tournaments just to make sure there are no errors and that everything is rated in order. 

If you ever think there is an incorrect result published, notify the tournament director or organizer. They will then forward the required information to the USCF. They USCF makes corrections very quickly. 

The USCF does an excellent job of rating tournaments and adjusting them properly. So even if there is a mistake made, they will add the points later. 

Ratings are rarely important. They are only important for kids who are the top players in the country for their age group and they are trying to qualify for a special event and there is a deadline involved.

Also note that kids are usually very underrated. One reason this happens is because so many young players join the USCF. For example, a Kindergartner joins the USCF and gets a rating of 100. He stays around 100 for 20 tournaments. Then when he is in 1st grade, he is MUCH better at chess because he is so much more mature. And his rating is still 100. This is just an example of how kids can be very underrated and you should not treat ratings too seriously.

The USCF has a FAQ section about ratings: http://www.uschess.org/msa/FAQ.php 

How do I look up ratings, tournament results, and USCF membership information?

For information about how to look up a player's rating or USCF information, we have a Tournament Results link at the bottom of the www.chesspanda.com website that explains how to look up ratings and USCF information.

USCF members should be aware of their expiration date and not wait until the last minute to renew. You can check the expiration dates at http://www.uschess.org/msa.

If you wish to renew your USCF membership, please do so at Jim Liptrap's website. Use this link: http://chess.jliptrap.us/enter.htm and use the membership only options. 

If you wish to refer a friend to any USCF tournament, it is very helpful if you ask them to purchase their USCF membership ahead of time using Jim Liptrap's website. Jim Liptrap gets a group discount rate of $11 per year instead of having to pay the usual $17 (but also he gets things processed very efficiently). 

What is the USCF and why do I need a membership?

All Panda Chess Academy tournaments are official United States Chess Federation events. Players who participate in them require a United States Chess Federation (USCF) membership. A USCF membership is required to enter almost every chess tournament in the United States. For more information visit: http://www.uschess.org. 

How can my child become a USCF member or renew the membership?

If you would like to purchase a discounted United States Chess Federation membership, visit Jim Liptrap's website. Click on the options for "membership only". 

http://www.chess.jliptrap.us/enter.htm