FAQs

By joining the ACF, you are becoming an official member of the Alaskan chess community and supporting our mission to grow and support chess in Alaska.

Take advantage of our members only discounts at tournaments and events, compete for the top prizes in our annual Grand Prix system, have the ability to qualify for the State Championship, and more! 

Our Vice President, Benjamin Eibert, and our Board Member/Women's Chess Coordinator, Staci Eibert, own AK Chess Lessons, LLC. For all coaching and lessons inquiries, please visit https://akchesslessons.com/ for more information.

USCF stands for United States Chess Federation, which is the governing body for chess in the United States. The USCF is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. 

The USCF is responsible for:

• National championships: Overseeing and awarding titles in over 20 national championships annually

• Rating system: Administering the national rating system for standard, rapid, and blitz time controls 

• International representation: Representing the United States in the World Chess Federation (FIDE) 

• Tournaments: Overseeing all officially recognized over-the-board (OTB) chess tournaments in the United States 

• Magazines: Publishing Chess Life and Chess Life Kids 

USCF Membership- Do you need one?

You do not need a USCF membership to play in unrated tournaments. However, for rated tournaments, you do need a current USCF membership. This is a requirement of the USCF, not the Alaska Chess Federation.

For more information on USCF memberships, pricing, and to sign up, please visit: https://new.uschess.org/join-us-chess

Unrated tournament: Anyone!

Rated tournament: USCF Certified Tournament Director(s). Alaska currently has the following TDs:

• Reilly O'Hara Anchorage

• Benjamin Eibert Anchorage

• Staci Eibert Anchorage

• Weston Howard Fairbanks

• Jeremiah Youmans Fairbanks

If you need a TD for an event, please reach out to admin@alaskachessfederation.org and we will get you in contact!

Chess tournaments are typically conducted in three formats: Swiss, round robin, and knockout.

• The Swiss tournament, abbreviated SS in bulletins, is the most common chess tournament format. In a Swiss, you won’t necessarily play every other player in your section or the entire tournament. At first, you’ll be paired with someone according to your rating. If you win that round 1 game, you’ll usually face someone who won their game in round 1. If you lose that game, you’ll play someone who lost their round 1 game. And if you draw, you’ll either face someone else who drew or be randomly paired with a winner or loser.  

• A more common format is the round robin, abbreviated RR in bulletins. In a round robin, every player at the tournament or in the section will play every other player in the tournament or the section. A related variant is the double round robin, where each player will play every other player twice – once as White and once as Black. A close ‘cousin’ of the round robin is the quad. In quad tournaments, players are grouped into groups of 4 based on playing strength, and those 4 players all take turns playing each other for a set number of rounds (usually 3). 

• The knockout format (abbreviated KO) is the least common form of a chess tournament. In a knockout tournament, players will be grouped into brackets, similar to sporting tournaments or March Madness. In an 8-person knockout tournament, there would most likely be 3 rounds: 8 people the first round, 4 people in the second round, and 2 people in the third round, who would compete for 1st place. Because draws can also occur and a clear winner might not be decided, most chess knockout tournament rounds are composed of matches between two contenders. In a match, the two players play a set number of games, and the player with more points wins. 

Chess time controls refer to how much time each player receives to complete a game. There are several time control options.

• Game ("G"): This refers to the length of time (minutes) each player receives to complete a game.

  • • G25: Each player receives 25 minutes for that game

    • G5: Each player receives 5 minutes for that game

• Delay ("d"): This refers to the length of time (seconds) that counts down before the game time begins for the next player. Delays allow for the next player to think of their next move before their time begins.

  • • d5: The clock has a 5 second delay between players.

Chess.com time controls are displayed in an "X | Y" format, while the "X+Y" format is also common. The first number refers to the number of minutes, while the second number refers to the seconds of increment per move. Increment is how many seconds are added to the clock for each move that is played. 

For example, a 3|0 time control (or 3+0) refers to a game where each player receives three minutes to complete the game with no increment (delay) per move, while a 5|5 (or 5+5) time control refers to a game where each player receives five minutes and gains five seconds per move for the increment.

A bye in a chess tournament is when a player receives a point without playing a game in a round. Byes can occur for a number of reasons, including:

1. Odd number of players- When there are an odd number of players in a round, the unmatched player receives a bye.

2. Lowest rated player- The lowest rated player in a group with the lowest score may receive a bye.

3. Player request- A player may request a bye if they need to skip a round, but some tournaments limit the number of requests and when they can be made.

4. No-show opponent- A player may receive a free point if their opponent doesn't show up, but this is technically a forfeit win.

Chess notation is a system of recording the moves and positions of pieces in a chess game. It's used by players to keep score of a game and in chess literature. The most common system of chess notation is algebraic notation, which uses letters and numbers to describe the moves.  

Scoresheet notations are typically required for rated tournaments. If you do know know how to notate or choose not to during the match, you will lose 25% time on your overall game to compensate for . 

• Piece abbreviations: Each piece has an uppercase letter abbreviation, except for the pawn. For example, K is the king, Q is the queen, R is the rook, B is the bishop, and N is the knight. 

• Square coordinates: The destination square is indicated by a lowercase letter for the file and a number from 1 to 8 for the rank. For example, the square e4 is indicated by the coordinates e4. 

• Pawn moves: For pawn moves, only the destination square is given. For example, c5 indicates a pawn move to c5. 

• Captures: To indicate a capture, an "x" is placed before the destination square. For example, Bxe5 means the bishop captures the piece on e5. 

• Castling: Castling is indicated by O's. For example, O-O indicates castling kingside, and O-O-O indicates castling queenside.

Here is a great video that explains notations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbCKgjYh8So 

The Open Section is open to all players, regardless of their rating. Typically, this section will be more competitive as high rated players may be paired with lower rated players. 

The U1400 (Under 1400) Section is open to players with a rating under 1400 or are unrated. This section will allow players with similar ratings or unrated players to play against one another.

There are some official and unofficial rules of etiquette in the game of chess. The general theme of chess etiquette is to be a good sport and to be respectful. Some of the more common official rules of etiquette are as follows: 

1. Every game must begin and end with the players shaking hands. 

2. Between the two handshakes, no talking is permitted. "Check" need not be said. Players are responsible for noticing where all of the pieces on the board are located, and what threats are pending. 

3. Never do anything to distract any other player in the tournament, especially your opponent.

4. Always use the "touch move" rule. If you touch a piece, you have to move that piece.

5. If an illegal move is made, the tournament director should be summoned. In a tournament using a "Sudden Death" time control, the other player receives an extra two minutes when one player makes an illegal move.

6. Never gloat over a victory, or become despondent or hostile following a defeat. It is always best to analyze the game with your opponent, after the game ends, and in a different room from where you played. Leave the playing room quietly when you finish so as not to distract the other people who are still playing.

7. Never comment on a game that is in progress, whether the game is yours or one that you are just watching.

8. The tournament director has the authority to punish breaches of etiquette, and may add or subtract time as a sanction. In extreme cases, players may be forfeited for violating the rules and spectators may be requested to leave.