Having fun at the Tournnaments?

Chess tournaments =

intense competition,

testing your (latest) mastered skills,

excitement of ratings increase,

rush of tactics,

tiebreaks,

strategy run,

trophies,

prizes,

awards,

 pairings

 etc etc etc and etc.

Do you have fun at the Tournaments?

What kind of fun?

What if you were a player?

What if you are a coach or a parent?

If you are a player, what do you do in between games?

Do you tour places if you are playing a multiday tournament?


Kids have lot of fun at the tournament. See photo below, it is a common sight that kids want to play with chess pieces building towers. It is a joy to watch the kids play chess seriously. It is a joy to watch kids running around at the tournament venue playing with each other. Kids who go to higher ratings miss this kind of fun. As the ratings go higher, they move into adult/ open tournaments where they cannot mingle with kids anymore. That kind of sucks the fun out of their tournaments. It is our responsibility as parents and coaches to find fun for them in multiple ways = take them to movies they like, take them to places like Disneyland for tournaments, bribe them with goodies etc. Ofcourse, these kids with good ratings do deserve bribes. :)) 

Sometimes it does get boring if  the games are scheduled at a specific time instead of asap. Sometimes chess tournaments are outdoor events, especially when they are in summer and when they are at a sports festival. Parents do talk about what is going on with their kids at schools. Coaches talk about the latest, exciting and new rise of talented players. Sometimes players do use chess tournaments as social gatherings, usually at club levels.




Chess is a serious game. But, it all boils down to saying that we should have fun no matter what type of sport we are playing. Have fun irrespective of the results.....!


p.s: What chess piece do you see the above 1st paragraph as? :D