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I am often asked by parents and coaches at various chess tournaments about chess etiquette, especially at tournaments. Here are some of the things parents and coaches should know:

• Once the game has started, you may not interrupt, interfere, or talk to your player.

• You may never directly assist any player during a game. If a player raises a hand for assistance, you should immediately summon a tournament director.

• If you witness an illegal move or position, say nothing. It is the responsibility of the players to bring any complaint to the attention of a tournament director.

• You are not permitted to say anything if a player oversteps the time limit on his chess clock. Only the players themselves can claim a win on time.

• When a player loses a game, you must refrain from getting upset or angry or showing negative emotions. Young players need support and encouragement more than ever after a loss. They do not need scolding. Help your player stay calm and relaxed for the rest of the tournament.

• You may help your player find their correct table and board before each round.

• You should supervise your player between rounds. It is not the responsibility of the tournament director or organizer to mind your children between rounds. (more…)

The 2009 US Chess Championship was held, this year for the first time, in St. Louis, Missouri, at the brand new St. Louis Chess Club and Scholastic Center, which is located at 4657 Maryland Avenue, just east of the intersection of Euclid and Maryland. The Championship dates back to 1845 and this year offered a purse of more than $130,000 in prize money. It was a nine-round Swiss, with one round per day and a rest day between rounds seven and eight. Time controls were the classical 40 moves in two hours, with one hour allowed for all remaining moves and a five second increment for all move.

Round eight – Hikaru Nakamura 2009 US Champion

Hikaru Nakamura, 21, won the the 2009 US Chess Championship, after winning in the ninth and final round of the event. Second-seeded Nakamura, who also won the title in 2004, when he was just 16, took the venerable 164-year-old title and the first prize of $40,000 ($35,000, plus a $5,000 outright winner’s bonus) after beating Josh Friedel of New Hampshire. Nakamura finished with seven points over nine games, and never lost a game. (more…)

Use the red arrows to scroll through the game.  Leave a comment – predict a winner.
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Very exciting finish to a well played tournament. GM Nakamura will be at least co-champion. At this time there is one game going that could impact the standings. Nakamura said he prepared this line the night before and didn’t get much sleep. He planned to play for the win and not risk a playoff.

A chess set thrown out as rubbish by one of north Wales’s biggest landowners could fetch £5,000 for relatives of the butler who saved it from the bonfire.

The French carved ivory figures which once belonged to Lord Mostyn are due to be auctioned by Christie’s in London.

They are being sold by the great grandchildren of James Baxter, who served the third Baron Mostyn at Mostyn Hall, Flintshire, in the late 1800s.

The auction house said chess sets from the era are “rarely” found complete.

Through Mostyn Estates Ltd, the Mostyn family own large areas of Llandudno, Conwy, and their connection with the resort and its development dates back 500 years.

The chess set, made in Dieppe in the late 18th to early 19th Century, is estimated to fetch between £3,000 to £5,000 when it is auctioned on Tuesday.

According to Christie’s, James Baxter was the butler at Mostyn Hall around the 1880s-1890s. Read More

Nice win for GM Joshua Friedel against GM Jaan Ehlvest in the 2009 U.S. Chess Championships. GM Friedel may be vying for a bigger platform.