Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

Considerations Before Competing

by Joanna Nesbit1/25/2008 9:38:28 AM

Do you have a child who loves to play chess? For our family, tournaments have been a positive experience—they offer our son a chance to build his game skills, but more than that, they link him to a community of kids who love chess. If you’re thinking about a tournament, here are some considerations.

Judges answer questions and keep the tournaments running.

It’s an all-day endeavor.
Kids play five games throughout the day, no elimination. Check-in is around 9:00am and awards are given around 4:30pm. Younger kids’ games don’t take long—sometimes only fifteen minutes—so there’s plenty of waiting around. Between rounds, kids read, play more chess with a set brought from home, run around with friends, and eat snacks. Parents, don’t forget your own book or laptop.

How well does your child know the rules of chess?
Kids need to feel reasonably comfortable with chess rules such as “touch move” (you touch a piece, you must move it). But the tournament organizers always announce tournament rules prior to the first round, and during games judges stroll among the tables if kids have questions.

Is your child ready for hanging out in a crowd (especially a younger child)?
Many tournaments draw upwards of 100-200 kids. At his first tournament as a first-grader, Ty was intimidated by the number of kids and chess sets and rows of tables. But after his first game, he settled in and relaxed. As new chess parents, we’ve found that everyone is friendly, parents and kids alike, and with plenty of chit-chat time, you’ll get to know people outside your regular social circle.

Parents watch as kids play chess.

How does your child handle competition (how do you?)?
Personally, I think this is the biggest consideration. Chess is a one-on-one game, and someone loses and someone wins and kids know this. (Yes, games can end in a draw.) Competition can be hard on kids, especially younger ones because they don’t have the maturity to put it in perspective. While some kids aren’t focused on the outcome, others are. You can help your child understand that winning isn’t the end goal, and that both winning and losing can help your child learn. The beauty of chess is it’s a skill game—no luck involved—so if kids work at it, they’ll improve.

Remember to keep it fun.
Yes, you’ll find us parents hovering at the edge of the chess arena during a match, but I’ve noticed we seem to have a sense of humor about it all. Chess is a great game, and studies show that it benefits kids academically and boosts their brains by enhancing critical thinking, pattern recognition, logic, concentration, and creativity. In the tournament setting, kids also learn sportsmanship, self-confidence, and respect for others. But if kids feel pressured to win, internally or externally, they may lose interest. Help them keep it light, and everyone will want to come back the next time.

If you'd like to find out more about getting your child involved in the Whatcom County chess scene, visit Northwest Washington Scholastic Chess, maintained by Randy Kaech. This site will give you a list of tournaments and dates, directions for registration, and much more.

Read about how Joanna's family discovered local chess tournaments in Chess Season in the Northwest.

A Note About the Author: Joanna Nesbit

Joanna Nesbit is a home-based freelance writer. She thinks she can write and parent at the same time. She and her husband, Curt, are developing new interests through their two kids, including chess, Girl Scouts, soccer, and horses. In her limited spare time, she enjoys reading, running, and good beer.