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FAQ
 
What chess books would you recommend for my son/daughter who has started to play the game?

There are a number of excellent books available including Chess Tactics for Students by John Bain, How to Beat Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chandler, Chess Tactics for Kids by Murray Chandler.

 
I haven't played in a S.A.C.A. competition before. How do I go about entering one and what else do I need to know?

Competitions are usually held at the Chess Centre, Ranelagh Street, Adelaide 5000.The S.A.C.A. calendar and events pages give details of tournaments. Introduce yourself as a new player when you arrive and you will be made welcome. You can enter events on the day or online and pay the entry fee when you arrive. Chess clocks are used; when you've made your move you simply press the button to start your opponent's time. Time controls often include increments eg. the clock might automatically give each player an extra 10 seconds every time they move. Touch move applies; you can't change your mind about a move. The Rapid or Allegro tournaments have quicker time controls and recording moves is optional. In the longer matches players are expected to record game moves on provided scoresheets. At the end of the game the result is recorded and you will be paired for the next round with an opponent on a similar score.

 
I would like to play in a Pennant or Interclub team competition. How do I join a team?

InterClub has finished for 2010 and the next teams competition is Pennant. This begins on 7th September. There are A and B grade sections and it is played with teams of 4 at the Chess Centre on Tuesday evenings. The time control is 60 minutes with a 30 second increment. If you are not aligned to a club we can put you in a team! Both events provide a really good opportunity for high school students to take the next step in their chess development. Older players who are returning to chess find the team atmosphere very supportive too. For details or to leave an expression of interest contact match secretary Peter Hughes ph81795694.

 
I'm a details person. Are the official SACA Interclub rules available?

We're glad you asked. You can download them here.

 
How do I go about starting up a Chess Club in my locality?

Check out the Starting a Chess Club page. SACA is happy to assist in the formation of new clubs.

 
What is a chess database?

A chess database allows you to enter, organise and then play through your own or others' games using your computer. Apple Mac users can try the free Exachess lite, while Windows' users can try the free ChessBase Light. You can organise your games into separate databases eg. openings, Australian games, annotated games, Kasparov's games etc. Commercial databases of millions of games are available from online chess retailers. You can also collect pgns from sites such as TWIC, Ozbase or 365 Chess.

 
How do I get a rating?

A chess rating is an estimate of your playing strength based on prior results. Australian (ACF) ratings operate separately to the FIDE rating system.

ACF Ratings are updated four times per year. Standard ratings are calculated from ACF tournaments with a time of 60 minutes or more for each player. To get an initial standard rating nine games need to be played against rated opponents. Rapid ratings are calculated from ACF tournaments with a time of at least 15 minutes but less than 60 minutes for each player. To get an initial rapid rating nine games need to be played against rated opponents.

FIDE ratings are updated six times per year. To get a FIDE rating you need play at least nine rated games against FIDE rated players in FIDE registered tournaments. FIDE rated tournaments such as the 'City of Adelaide Open' will be advertised as such. These games don't need to be in the same tournament or the same rating period. Games against non-FIDE rated players don't count towards this. Your games must also be in "blocks" of at least three games in the same tournament. If you play fewer than three then those games are disregarded. You also need to score a full point in your very first block for it to count and start the ball rolling. Games to establish a rating (nine or more games in blocks) must be made over the space of twelve rating lists (two years), older games expire.

 
What is the correct way to claim a draw by repetition?

You may claim a draw if an identical position has just occurred for the third time with the same player to move, or will occur after the player on turn makes his move. To claim, write the move on your scoresheet but do not make the move on the board, then contact the arbiter. A position is considered identical to another if the same player is on move, the same types of pieces of the same colors occupy the same squares, and the same moves are available to each player eg castling. A claim of a draw is also considered to be an offer of a draw.