When is the club open for casual play?

What is PayPal?

How do I get a rating?

What do I need to play in a tournament?

What is touch-move?

How do I properly set my chess clock?

I've never played in a tournament before.  What do I do?

When is the club open for casual play?

The club is open for casual play Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00pm to 5:00pm and on Friday from 1:00pm to 10:00pm.

What is PayPal?

PayPal is a way of paying for goods and services through the internet with a credit card.  You sign up for a PayPal account, and then use your credit card to transfer funds to your PayPal account.  It's kind of like putting money into an online wallet.  It's not a cash advance, so it will show up as a regular transaction on your credit card statement.  When you have funds in your PayPal account, you can send the money to any other PayPal member.  You can really send the money to anyone with an email address, but they have to sign up with PayPal to collect it.  The St. Petersburg Chess Club website has made it easy for anyone to register online by setting up special forms.  If you don't have a PayPal account, you will be walked through the process step-by-step.  If you already have a PayPal account, you simply need to sign-on when prompted for your email address and password.  If you want to learn more about PayPal, they have an excellent help center that can be accessed by going to www.paypal.com and clicking on "help" at the top right-hand side of your screen.

How do I get a rating?

To get an official USCF rating, first you have to join the USCF.  Then you simply play in USCF-rated tournaments.  After the tournament, the tournament director will send the results to the USCF where your rating will be calculated based on the ratings of your opponents.  You have to play at least four games to get your first rating, and for your first twenty games, your rating will be provisional which means it can change quite a bit from game to game.  When you play your twenty-first game, your rating becomes established and is regarded as an accurate measure of your playing strength.

 

To get a St. Petersburg Chess Club rating, you need to play in one of our non-USCF events, such as our Friday night Speed Tournament.

What do I need to play in a tournament?

To play in our USCF-rated tournaments, you need to be a member of the USCF.  A chess clock is also needed, but usually you can borrow a clock or use your opponent's clock for your first couple of tournaments.  If you are playing in a Florida Chess Association event, such as the State Championship, you must also be a member of the FCA.  Boards, pieces and score sheets are provided by the club.  If you are playing in a larger tournament, such as the state championship, it is recommended that you bring your own clock, pieces and board.

What is touch-move?

Touch move is playing a chess game in accordance with section 10 of the USCF's rules of chess.  If you touch one of your pieces, you must move it.  If you touch one of your opponent's pieces, you must capture it.  Most serious chess players play by this rule even in casual games so as not to develop a habit of touching the pieces, which would cost them in a tournament where this rule is strictly enforced.

How do I properly set my chess clock?

If you have a digital clock, you will have to consult the manual, as digital clocks vary greatly from brand to brand.  Analog clocks, which are the type with two faces and hands like a watch, should be set so that the first time control expires when the clock reads six o'clock.  For example in a G/60 time control, the clocks should be set for five o'clock.  In a time control such as 40/2 SD/1, the clocks should be set at four o'clock.  Analog clocks should also always be set by turning the hands clockwise.  This is so that the flag is positioned properly, and to prevent internal damage to the clock.

I've never played in a tournament before.  What do I do?

When you arrive at the tournament, you need to register.  If you have pre-registered, then you simply need to check-in.  If you are not a USCF member you can join at the tournament.  Once you have confirmed that you will be paired, you need to show up at the start of the first round.  When the pairings are posted, you will see your name next to another player's name.  The player on the left is playing white, the player on the right is playing black.  There will also be a board number.  Write down your opponent's name on your scoresheet and go to the board number you will be playing at.  If you are there first, you can go ahead and setup your equipment.  Remember that the player with the black pieces has choice of equipment, and a digital clock takes precedence over an analog clock.  After the game is played, you post the result on the pairings sheet.  The player who lost gets a "0" next to their name, the player who won gets a "1" next to their name.  If the game was a draw, then "1/2" goes next to both names.  At the start of the next round, you follow the same process.  For a detailed description of the rules of chess and tournament rules, get a copy of "The Official Rules of Chess" available at most bookstores or chess shops.  And remember, feel free to ask questions if you don't know what's going on, or what to do.