1. Key Points at a Glance
School chess competitions include individual and team events. Individual competitions are played by grade, with boys and girls in separate groups, while the team event is played on six boards. Chess clocks are mandatory, competitors must check in no later than 30 minutes before the start, results are published publicly, and a report is submitted to the responsible coordinator and School Administration.
2. Purpose and Types of Competition
The purpose of school competitions is to popularize chess and develop logical thinking, concentration, patience, sportsmanship and a healthy competitive spirit among students.
- It is organized for each grade.
- Boys and girls play in separate groups.
- A student may compete in both the individual and team events.
- It is played on 6 boards.
- A team may have up to 3 reserves.
- A match may begin if at least 3 team members are present.
3. Preparation and Organization of the Competition
- Select the host school in cooperation with the relevant federation and school administration.
- Appoint a coordinator and collect data from the previous competition level.
- Inform schools, teachers and competitors by email and through the website.
- Publish the regulations at least 7 days before the competition, and at school level at least 4 days before the start.
- Provide arbiters, pairing software, a notice board, tables, chairs, chessboards, pieces, clocks, scoresheets and pens.
- Display the regulations, official instructions, starting lists, pairings and results in a clearly visible place.
4. Playing Regulations
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Rules of Play | Games are played under the FIDE Laws for Rapid Chess. |
| Chess clocks | They are mandatory when the organizer has them available. |
| Time Control | 15 minutes per player, 7 rounds. |
| Alternative Time Control | 10 minutes + 5 seconds per move, 7 rounds, when digital clocks are available. |
| Illegal Move | In rapid and blitz with clocks, the first completed illegal move gives the opponent one extra minute; a second illegal move by the same player loses the game. |
| Pairing Software | Swiss-Manager or another program approved by the coordinator. |
Tie-Break Criteria
- Median Buchholz -1
- Direct encounter
- Greater number of wins
- Sonneborn-Berger
- AROC
- Team win: 3 match points.
- Draw: 1 match point.
- Criteria: points, direct encounter and two additional criteria specified in the regulations.
5. Competition Levels
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| School | Organized by the school for students interested in chess. |
| Municipal | Students who qualified from the school competition take part. |
| District / City | Competitors qualified from the municipal level take part. In Belgrade, a city competition is organized. |
| National | Competitors and teams qualified from district or city level take part. |
Direct Qualification
- The winner of the previous district or city competition has the right to enter the district competition directly in the following school year.
- The winner of the previous national competition has the right to enter the national competition directly in the following school year.
- The second- and third-placed players from the previous national competition have the right to enter the district or city competition directly.
- Directly qualified competitors do not participate in the preceding levels.
6. Team Competition
A team consists of boys and girls from the school and plays on six boards. The first two boards are played by boys, the last two by girls, while boards three and four are open choice. A team must have at least two boys and two girls and may have up to three reserves.
7. Arbiter Guide for School Competitions
An assistant arbiter does not play the game for the players. The task is to observe play, maintain order, calm situations, record important moments and inform the chief arbiter in time if a problem arises.
- observe the games, clocks and players’ behavior,
- help reconstruct a position,
- monitor illegal moves and flag falls,
- act calmly, clearly and neutrally.
- give advice or comment on the position,
- show a move,
- warn a player that the clock has not been pressed, except when the rules allow it,
- make a ruling by guesswork when unsure.
8. Most Important Rules at the Board
Before the Game
- The board must be oriented correctly: a white square on White’s right-hand side.
- The pieces must be set up correctly, with each queen on her own color.
- White moves first, and the clock is started at the scheduled starting time.
Touch-Move
If a player deliberately touches one of their own pieces, they must move it if a legal move exists. If they touch an opponent’s piece, they must capture it if the capture is legal. To adjust a piece, the player must clearly say “I adjust” or “j’adoube” before touching it.
Clock
- A move is completed when the player makes the move and presses the clock with the same hand.
- It is forbidden to press the clock before moving, hit the clock, or keep a finger hovering over the button.
- A player may stop the clock only for a justified reason, for example to call the arbiter.
Illegal Move
An illegal move is completed only when the player presses the clock. In rapid and blitz, the first completed illegal move gives the opponent one extra minute; a second completed illegal move by the same player loses the game, unless the opponent cannot possibly checkmate by any series of legal moves–in that case the game is drawn. In a standard game, the first completed illegal move gives the opponent two extra minutes.
9. End of the Game, Draws and Conduct
| Result | When it occurs |
|---|---|
| Win by Checkmate | When the opponent’s king is legally checkmated. |
| Win by Resignation | When the opponent clearly resigns the game. |
| Draw by Stalemate | The player to move is not in check but has no legal move. |
| Draw by Dead Position | Neither side can checkmate by any series of legal moves. |
| Flag Fall | A player loses on time unless the opponent cannot possibly give checkmate–in that case the game is drawn. |
Draw
A draw may be offered after making a move and before pressing the clock. The offer cannot be withdrawn. A draw may be claimed for threefold repetition or under the 50-move rule when the conditions are met.
Conduct
- Advice, notes, unauthorized electronic devices and disturbing the opponent are prohibited.
- Players who finish their game become spectators and must not interfere in other games.
- Spectators who notice a problem may inform only the arbiter.
10. Report and Practical Checklist
The chief arbiter prepares the competition report and submits it to the coordinator and School Administration within 15 days after the competition.
The report should include:
- competition name, organizer, venue and time,
- number of participants and number of award recipients,
- a table of award recipients: full name, grade, school and town,
- an analysis of the competition: strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement.
- ☐ Publish the announcement and regulations.
- ☐ Collect entries.
- ☐ Provide arbiters and equipment.
- ☐ Prepare the playing hall and notice board.
- ☐ Check-in 30 minutes early.
- ☐ Verify identities.
- ☐ Post the starting list.
- ☐ Publish pairings and results.
- ☐ Publish final results.
- ☐ Award certificates and prizes.
- ☐ Prepare the report.
- ☐ Forward results to the next level.
- ☐ White square on the right.
- ☐ Queens on their own color.
- ☐ Clocks set correctly.
- ☐ Extra queens available.
- ☐ Results signed/checked.