Where to Play Chess in Singapore 2021 (COVID times)

It's probably been a year since I updated this chess blog. Due to the current global pandemic, over the board (OTB) chess has been so badly affected. This time round, I will only share the chess sites I am aware of which are still functioning well during this COVID period. If any reader is aware of any other chess sites in Singapore where it is possible to play OTB chess, please let me know, so that I can update the page from time to time.

Thank you.

CC-Based Chess Clubs
(Largely open to public, but Registration still required)

Tuesdays

Kudos to the Club running effectively Business-As-Usual since Pre-Covid times!

Time: 6:30pm to 9:30pm
Lecture Room 2 (Level 3)

How to Join

You can first join the Bishan Chess Club Public Facebook Group to see periodic news and updates. Prior to each weekly session, there will be a "shoutout" to ask people interested to attend to register. 

Based on collated responses for your Meetup preference, the organiser, Mr Tan Boon Tham, will organise something (e.g. a mini tournament played on a single day, or across a few weeks time). For members who registered and attended such OTB sessions, they would also be added to a What's App group facilitating further chit chats and exchange of information among fellow members.

What I really like about this Chess Club, is the huge number of online events and activities arranged -- even for those who are unable or disinterested to play OTB chess (though for those who are disinterested in OTB chess, you don't know what you are missing out!), you can participate in the various online team matches on chess.com. In fact, I was surprised to see even a titled local player, who did not want to be identified, playing as a team member in some of these online events =) 

And I quite like the location of the chess club (Star Bucks just downstairs at Bishan CC, Junction 8 within walking distance), and it happens to be near my workplace. 

Thursdays

A new chess club greatly welcomed with the growing demand for OTB chess!

How to join

Other than the details already on the poster (1-time registration), I'd just add that the venue is at ground floor, just beside the basketball court. 

I managed to attend its maiden session, and I love the spacious room with its internal artwork and design (presumably used for tea appreciation). The chess club is also fully supplied with boards and clocks, as well as recording sheets! Very conducive to play. 

Saturdays

What I believe, is a sustainable model of running chess clubs in Singapore!

Time: 1:30pm - 3:20pm (session 1) 3:30pm - 5:30pm (session 2)

Room: AVA #03-08

How to join

First, you need to do a 1-time online registration. If you are successfully registered, your mobile number will be added to the What's App group created for the Chess Club. Then, prior to each week's session, members have to fill up their names on a first-come-first-served basis (typically up to 16 members per session, unless otherwise stated). Due to the overwhelming participation, we have to limit participation to 1 of the 2 sessions only.

What I love most about this Chess Club is the huge pool of facilitators, referred to as "Interest Group Leaders", who are effectively volunteers who facilitate each session. We have a steady and growing pool of volunteers (currently 14 of us), including some of the active local titled players. Even for someone like me living in the Eastern part of Singapore, making a trip down approximately once every month is not too much of a demand. As a form of Quality Control in a bid to do even better over time, we even conduct weekly post-session reviews to discuss how we can make subsequent weekly sessions more fun and educational to best serve the diverse profile of participants.

For those who are interested to see what we do, you can refer to our public facebook page. Internally, we even have a discord channel for members to chit chat and discuss about their games, puzzle positions and the likes.

Sundays

Probably the longest-running chess club in Singapore!

Time: 3pm - 7pm (limited to 8 players due to COVID)

I have to admit, it's been years since I visited this chess club (because Sundays are my designated rest days before the work week ahead). Nevertheless, it must be good enough for some of my chess friends to keep re-visiting the club and play in its tournaments! For readers who are interested, you can find out more on Queenstown CC Chess Club Website.

Membership-Based Chess Initiatives

PubXChess

The most novel, interesting local chess initiative in Singapore!

Sundays 3pm - 6pm

Essentially, this is a weekly blitz tournament event held on Sunday afternoons. To offer a conducive, fresh playing atmosphere, the venue is held at different pub locations.  Over time, a notable pool of regular players have emerged, and with membership growing as more chess enthusiasts become aware of this initiative. 

There are 2 tiers of membership available on Patreon. For me, I have gotten the Kibitzer one as I am not available to play on Sundays.

Even without membership, some of the weekly games have been made published on youtube, which allow even non-players to have a taste of the weekly intense battles taking place. I would strongly encourage players who are interested in OTB blitz to give it a go.

SGChessSocial

A chess membership I'm more than happy to pay for!

Weekdays, 3pm onwards, fully open on weekends / public holidays

How does it sound to have a chess site which you can visit at almost anytime you'd like to play otb chess? Play with wooden chess sets in an air-conditioned environment, read chess books and other materials donated by fellow members, be given priority signing up for guest lectures? 

Anytime you'd like to take a break? No problem! With Wifi access, large screen TV, fridge (stocked with drinks, of course!), and even shower facilities, things should not go wrong.

The owner of the club would push down alerts and updates through What's App, so that members can know ahead if there are other members at the chess site before heading down.

And best of all, you can even request for a free trial session before deciding whether to proceed to pay for the membership. Visit the website for more information.

Yours sincerely

Ong Yujing (Eugene)

Where to Play Chess in Singapore 2020

Finally, I am able to find some time to update this blog post during this Chinese New Year long break!

Which chess sites are listed:

• The ones I know! So please let me know if there are great chess sites that I am not currently aware of, and I would love to update my list. I will also try my best to visit it at least once. Good things are meant to be shared ^o^
• I will only list down chess sites or meetups that are generally receptive to the public as well as new members. (And yes, there are indeed at least 1 chess site I know which falls under this category).
• Current chess sites I know typically includes meetups as well as chess clubs in Community Clubs or Centres (CCs). The membership are either free of charge, or comes with a very nominal fee. For CCs that charge a nominal membership fee, they usually also allows you to have a trial session to see if you like the club activities before joining.
• Specifically excluded are chess schools or chess institutions for obvious reasons -- I (still) do not wish to compare one against another, neither am I qualified to do so.
• To minimise bias, I will avoid making personal comments regarding these chess sites. But for those which I comment on, you can be assured I know these sites well enough, and I am only trying to help you make an informed decision =)

Mondays
No chess site known at present.


Tuesdays
*new* Bishan Chess Club

This is a new meetup I have come across recently. It is completely free of charge, and rapid tournaments (informal, unrated) are organised regularly. It is quite a new club with mostly adult players. I think I know more than half of them in person, and I actually met an old friend who left the Siglap South CC Chess Club after moving house!

By the way, do NOT mix up this one with the Thomson CC Chess Club on Friday Nights.


Senja-Cashew CC Chess Club

Wednesdays
The Singapore Chess Meetup
Where: Asia Square Tower One (nearest MRT station is downtown station, downtown "blue" line)
When: 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Still the best chess site in Singapore right now, boasting the biggest number of active players each week. So far, our record is > 60 players during the school holidays. And the worst turnout session fills up > 20 players. Not to mention that meetup sessions continued even over Christmas and New Year too! You simply cannot find any other chess site in Singapore with such a high, regular turnout. (Let me know if I am wrong on this as I would love to be corrected!)

Turnout numbers aside, all players, regardless of age, gender and playing strength, (including complete beginners) will feel welcomed.

• Winner stays blitz table would be a good self-gauge of how you fare within the meetup group.
• So far, I have found players to play in all 3 time controls (standard, rapid and blitz).
• Other than "serious"chess, quite a number of interesting formats have been experimented (e.g. make each move within 10-second countdown, "hand and brain", relay chess) Personally hourglass time format is my favourite, but unfortunately, it hasn't been widely picked up.
• While we have around 10 sets of chess equipment (chess sets and clocks), do consider bringing your own to avoid waiting time. Also, you can continue your game(s) after 9:30pm if you are using your own chess equipment.
• The founder, Mr Bradley Loh, strongly encourages everyone to RSVP on the meetup page, so that people new to the meetup group is assured that this is an "active" group to consider joining.
• The meetup has been featured in the news! Can you identify me from the picture? ^o^
• You can check the photo updates on the facebook page to see how well the meetup is doing =)

Thursdays
Senja-Cashew CC Chess Club
(as stated above on "Tuesday")

NUS Intellectual Games Club (NUS IGC) *Do note the change of schedule from Tue to Thu*
Where: National University of Singapore (NUS), Kent Ridge Campus, Multi Purpose Sports Hall (MPSH4)
When: 6:30pm to 9pm
Follow their latest updates on Instagram
For queries, you may contact NUS IGC (igcDOTnusATgmailDOTcom).


Fridays
Thomson CC Chess Club
Where: Bishan CC, Classroom 4 (at level 1)
When: 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Note: Due to renovations, the Thomson CC Chess Club is currently holding its chess club activities at Bishan CC.

This meetup consists of a balanced group of kids (most of them are being coach) and adults (most familiar with tournament play). Personally, I feel the kids here as a group overall are the most serious about improving - they bother to record their games and often ask their opponents about where their play went wrong, how they could've improved their play etc.

Because of location (near enough from my office) and good company (again, most adult players are close friends, and some kids are so keen to challenge me repeatedly), this is 1 of my regular chess sites.


Cashew Chess Club
Where: Cashew RC Zone 5 (opposite Bukit Panjang Plaza McDonald's)
When: 8pm onwards


Saturdays
Chess Interest Group

Where: Kent Ridge Guild House, Lobby / Activity Room

When: 1st Saturday of each month

Sundays

Cafe X Chess *Newly introduced since 15 Dec 2019*

As a spin-off from PubXChess to cater to a different target group (kids and casual players who are early risers),

Where: Cafe location location announced on the meetup page
When: 10am - 1pm

Pub X Chess

Where: Different Pub locations across Singapore. The venue is determined only the week / days before. There are also some varying formats and challenges, so as to keep the experience fresh and interesting for everyone. Updates can be read on PubXchess' facebook page or Instagram. ).
When: The weekly blitz tournament usually starts at 3:30pm sharp. Please RSVP on the meetup page to facilitate organising.

New: With effect from 15 Dec 2019, the session is specially catered for adults and minors with FIDE or in-house rating above 1700.

Nanyang CC Chess Club
Where: Nanyang CC, ground floor, "glass room"
When: 3pm to 5pm

This chess club always holds a special place in my heart. That is why I always organise "special events" with them, with the most recent being IM Anna Rudolf's visit and Guest Lecture! (I need time to make a separate post about it.) The chess club T-shirts autographed by Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen, I believe they can still be seen in public display ^o^

Queenstown CC Chess Club
Where: Queenstown CC (nearest MRT station is Queenstown, East-West "green" line)
When: 3pm to 7pm

Siglap South CC Chess Club
Where: Siglap South CC, Room #02-07
When: 3pm to 6pm, or until whatever time newbie_learner or the Siglap South CC Chess Quartet can stay to

This is the chess club which I serve as the primary facilitator. So you can be assured I am constantly trying to make it as enjoyable for everyone including myself as possible.

Hope you will find this useful!


Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (newbie_learner)
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet
(the rest of the Quartet are Seng Chin, William and Eric)

Overlooked FIDE Laws of Chess

This is just my personal thoughts and experience so far. Other than serving in a number of informal events, the only official event I have served as an arbiter so far was the National Rapid Chess Championship 2019. While re-reading the very latest version of the FIDE laws of chess under Arbiter's Manual 2019 (updated 1 July 2019), several Articles and the wording of these laws of chess (and the execution) echoed experiences as both a player and a rookie arbiter.

I think to become completely proficient with the FIDE laws of chess, the above FIDE Arbiter's Manual, coupled by UK Chess Arbiter's Association added notes and interpretations, should be a good starting point for rookie arbiters like myself in terms of equipping ourselves with the most fundamental references to make decisions over actual games.

The following are incidents / infringements I think chess arbiters should be more strict with, as well as incidents or scenarios which I thought were interesting enough to highlight, as well as what I consider as good/bad habits for chess players.

• 4.2.1 Only  the  player  having  the  move  may  adjust  one  or  more  pieces  on  their squares,  provided  that  he  first  expresses  his  intention  (for  example  by  saying “j‟adoube” or “I adjust”).
  
  (in Arbiter's Manual)
  Article  4.2.1  may  only  be  used  to  correct  displaced  pieces.  Where  the  opponent  is not  present  at  the  board,  a  player  should  inform  the  arbiter- if  there  is  an  arbiter present –before he starts to adjust the pieces on the chess board.
  
  newbie's thoughts: I have personally come across players who use "adjust" as a means to de-stress during a game, touching and spinning each and every properly placed pieces on the board. I have even heard of stories that a player say adjust on every move (so that he/she is not obliged to observe touch move, LOL).
  
  If the opponent claims, I think these should come under Article 12.9 (Options available to the arbiter concerning penalties).
  
  But as a player, I disagree with the need to inform adjust to the arbiter in an open tournament, when the opponent is not present (too troublesome). I will just say "adjust" loud enough so that neighbouring boards can hear it and serve as witness if necessary. I do find it necessary to say adjust loud enough, especially if the opponent is around, and ideally, even hope the opponent can make a simple gesture acknowledging my request before I perform the actual act of adjustment.
• 5.1.1 The  game is won by  the player who has checkmated his opponent's king. This immediately ends the game, provided that the move producing the checkmate position was in accordance with Article 3 and Articles 4.2 –4.7.
  
  5.1.2 The  game  is  won  by  the  player  whose  opponent  declares  he  resigns.  This immediately ends the game.
  
  newbie's thoughts: There is this common issue in kids tournaments, whereby a beginner thought he/she was checkmated and offers a handshake, only to subsequently realise the position is not a checkmate afterwards.
  
  Personally, I disagree with the views of the UK Chess Arbiters' Association on the following:
  
  "Particularly in junior tournaments it can be discovered that one player accepts he was mated to discover later that he could prevent the mate.  If a result is reported by both players that can be accepted.  Where a player announces mate and immediately shakes hands only for it to be discovered seconds later that the move played was not mate he should not be given the win despite any handshake. "
  
  To me, the win should still be valid to the opponent, even if the opponent declared checkmate inaccurately. This is because the gesture of handshake, in response to a checkmate declaration, can logically only be deemed as a genuine resignation gesture at that point in time. Why else would any player shake hands in response?
  
  If there is no taking back of moves, I see no reason a player can be allowed to take back his/her resignation! From a player's point of view, if you are weak enough to not realise you are not genuinely in a checkmate, I think you deserve to lose the game =)
  
  Had it been another gesture, such as the player pausing the clock in response to the checkmate declaration, there could still be some ambiguity in that the player could be seeking arbiters' assistance over the punishment for opponent's wrong checkmate declaration. But not with a handshake response to a false checkmate declaration.
  
  (Yes, I am totally not a "yes-man" when it comes to chess arbitrating. Even though I find the UK Chess Arbiters' Association a really good reference, there are interpretations which I disagree, this being 1 of the few instances.)
• 6.2.3 A player must press his clock with the same hand with which he made his move. It is forbidden for a player to keep his finger on the clock or to "hover" over it.
  (In Arbiter's Manual)
  If a player makes a move with one hand and presses the clock with the other, it is not considered as an illegal move, but it is penalized according to the article 12.
  
  newbie's thoughts: Quite a notable number of players keep making the same wrong claim (usually those are "technical" players wanting their opponent to register an illegal move), and at times, there may be arbiters ruling it incorrectly as an illegal move. Within the FIDE laws of chess, there is a distinction between making/made a move (i.e. moving pieces over the board) as compared to completing/completed the move (i.e. pressing/pressed the clock). For players, you should know this to defend yourself against a wrong claim and hopefully, the arbiter observing your game get it right!
• 6.2.4  The  players  must  handle  the  chessclock  properly.  It  is  forbidden  to  press  it forcibly, to pick it up, to press the clock before moving or to knock it over. Improper clock handling shall be penalised in accordance with Article 12.
  
  newbie's thoughts: I have not actually seen any arbiter deal with players abusing (banging) the clocks. While I can understand banging in blitz / rapid games, especially when facing time pressure, I cannot understand for standard games. Shall I be the first (unpopular) arbiter to issue formal warning to players for banging the clocks at each and every move? =)
  
  More interesting to me is that the same is never said about capturing a piece, or making a move with a thunderous thud. I even heard some coaches introduce it to their students as a habit for (legal) means of intimidation LOL. Not something I would encourage, of course, since it could be distracting or irritating to the opponent.
  
  Maybe I can apply Article 11.5 to playing each and every move over the board with a bang. Again, I foresee myself becoming a rather unpopular arbiter to the players ^o^
  
  11.5 It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever. This includes  unreasonable  claims,  unreasonable offers  of  a  draw  or  the  introduction  of  a source of noise into the playing area
• 6.5  Before  the  start  of  the  game  the  arbiter  shall  decide  where  the  chessclock  is placed.
  
  (In Arbiter's manual):
  In  individual  tournaments  the  chess-clock  is  normally  placed  on  the  right  of  the player  who  has  the  black  pieces.  The  chess  boards  shall  be  placed  so  that  the arbiter is able to check as many clocks as possible at the same time. In  the  case  of  a  left-handed  player  with black  pieces,  the  board,  rather  than  the clock, can be turned
  
  newbie's thoughts: Interestingly, I have seen this (turning of the board) implemented in club-level, unofficial tourneys, but not large-scale ones at the national level. Since this is specifically stated in the manual, shouldn't this be permitted and implemented more regularly for the benefit of left-handed players playing the Black pieces?
• 7.5.3 If the player presses the clock without making a move, it shall be considered and penalized as if an illegal move.
  
  (In Arbiter's manual):
  During the game if the arbiter is confident that the clock was accidentally pressed or  it  is  because  of  some  misunderstanding,  he  should  not use  strong  penalties against  the  player.  There  can  be  many  situations  when  it  is  obvious,  so  in  such situation, the arbiter should accurately assess the motive of those actions and find the possible fair solution. For  example:  Player  B  makes  an  illegal  move. Player  A,  instead  of  pausing  the clock, restarts the opponent‟s clock. Is this an infringement of Article 7.5.3? In this case Player A had not deliberately started Player B‟s clock.  Where an opponent's clock may have  been started  in  error  the  arbiter  must  decide  if  this action constitutes an illegal move or a distraction.
  
  
  newbie's thoughts: This (pressing the clock instead of pausing) happens more often than you would think. I *think* most arbiters would only consider treating this as an illegal move if / when the opponent complains. More importantly, I think players need to know this in order to protect themselves from any claims -- remember to pause the clock when there is any irregularity / when seeking arbiter's assistance instead of pressing the clock (to restart opponent's time counting down). 
• 7.5.4 If  a  player  uses  two  hands  to  make  a  single  move  (for  example  in  case  of castling,  capturing  or  promotion)  and  pressed  the  clock, it  shall  be  considered  and penalized as if an illegal move.
  newbie's thoughts: Here, I love the additional notes from both the Arbiter's manual and the from UK Chess Arbiters' Association:
  (In Arbiter's manual):
  Article 7.5.4 is not applicable if the move ends the game according to articles 5.1.1, 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 9.6.1 or 9.6.2.
  (newbie: in other words, if the move results in a checkmate, stalemate, a 'dead' position which there is no legal continuation of moves for either side to deliver checkmate, or when arbiter interferes for the same position arising for at least the 5th time, or at least 75 moves made with no capture and no pawn moves, the game ends there and then, before this becomes an issue. This is actually consistent with articles 4.1 and article 5)
  
  
  4.1 Each move must be played with one hand only.
  5 ...provided  that  the  move  producing  the  (checkmate/stalemate) position  was  in  accordance  with Article 3 and Articles 4.2 –4.7.
  (newbie: For the game-ending move, it counts as long as the actual move over the board is legal, and touch move / release of pieces etc. are all observed. It is okay that the move producing the end of the game be made with 2 hands.)
  
  (By UK Chess Arbiter's Association):
  A player who, for example, castles using both hands but realises this before pressing the clock is entitled to ‘uncastle’ and then do so legally without incurring a penalty.
  
  (newbie: This is similar, if not the same as the situation whereby a player has made, but not completed, an illegal move, i.e. made a move over the board but without pressing the clock. Touch move still applies when the player undo the illegal move.)
• 9.1.2.1 A player wishing to offer a draw shall do so after having made a move on the chessboard  and  before  pressing  his  clock.  An  offer  at  any  other  time  during  play  is still  valid  but  Article  11.5  must  be  considered.  No  conditions  can  be  attached  to  the offer.  In  both  cases  the  offer  cannot  be  withdrawn  and  remains  valid  until  the opponent accepts it, rejects it orally, rejects it by touching a piece with the intention of moving or capturing it, or the game is concluded in some other way.
  (In Arbiter's manual):
  The correct sequence of a draw offer is clear:  
  1. make a move
  2. offer of a draw
  3. press the clock. 
  
  If a player deviates from this order, the offer still stands though it has been offered in an incorrect manner. The arbiter in this case has to penalise the player, according to the Article 12.9. 
  
  No conditions can be attached to a draw offer.
  Some  examples  of  unacceptable  conditions: The  player  requires  the  opponent  to accept the offer within 2 minutes.
  In a team competition: a draw is offered under the condition that another game in the match shall be resigned or shall be drawn as well.
  In both cases the offer of a draw is valid, but not the attached condition...
  
  newbie's thoughts: it seems that the arbiter is obliged to impose a penalty to the player making the draw offer incorrectly (so long as the opponent does not accept the offer to end the game immediately). Again, I haven't seen it being implemented by arbiters much. Maybe I will start ^o^ This penalty seems fair enough, I'd say.
  
  
• 11.9A  player  shall  have  the  right  to  request  from  the  arbiter  an  explanation  of particular points in the Laws of Chess.
  
  (In Arbiter's Manual):
  For example:A player might ask whether, with Black‟s bishop on a2, White‟s rook on a1 and King  on  e1,  0-0-0  is  legal.  Or  what  the  rate  of  play  is.  It  is  important  that  the arbiter  does  not  mislead  the  player,  nor  advise  him,  nor  advance  any  further.
  (By UK Chess Arbiter's Association):Arbiters should note that whilst it is acceptable to tell a player how to capture en passant, for example, it is not acceptable to answer “Can I take this pawn?”
  
  newbie's thoughts: I have not actually seen many players exercise their right on this. I think what the Arbiter's Manual and the UK Chess Arbiter's Association is trying to bring across, is what the arbiter can do and what the arbiter should not do.
  
  Can do:
  Clarify the FIDE laws of chess (e.g. correct way and sequence to offer a draw, correct way to claim a draw)
  Should not do:
  Tell a player his/her options, or even worse, offer any form of advice which may over-privilege the player who sought clarification).
  
  Personally, I won't even reply if 0-0-0 is legal (as per example in Arbiter's Manual). Rather, I will reply the player who asked, "how to castle" (legally). That's why I think my current habit of holding a copy of the Laws of Chess useful. I think I can just show the requestor the relevant section on castling (Article 3.8).
  
  Drawing back on a past experience -- a junior player was trying to ask if she was in checkmate as she cannot see a legal move (no, she is not in checkmate but she failed to see a legal move), I should have just replied the definitions of checkmate. Instead, I deferred that decision / query to the chief arbiter -- yes, there are all moments we are scared of making a wrong judgement, especially when we start off as newbies.
  
  But of course, I don't think it's fair to pause the clock while making this request. The player shall make this request to the arbiter while his/her own clock is running down, to be fair to the opponent.
• A.2  (Under Rapid Chess) Players  do  not  need  to  record  the  moves,  but  do  not  lose  their  rights  to  claims normally based on a scoresheet. The player can, at any time, ask the arbiter to provide him with a scoresheet, in order to write the moves
  
  (In Arbiter's Manual): Players are allowed to record the moves, but they may stop recording any time they wish. Players may  claim a draw without scoresheet when they are playing on electronic boards.  The  arbiter  also  has  the  right  to  accept  or  refuse  a  claim  without scoresheet based on his observation.
  
  newbie's thoughts: This is where I see value-add as an arbiter in a game. Especially when there are very few games remaining, and when we have no luxury of electronic equipment to rely on, other than observing for potential infringements / flag fall, a good arbiter should also help to count moves (for rapid / blitz games) in anticipation of a claim.
• Scenario:A player resigned, only to subsequently realise that his opponent flag fell. The player who resigned claims that the flag fall happened before his resignation.
  
  newbie's thoughts: First and foremost, I think it is unfortunate that the flag fall happened (if it happened) without arbiter observing so. (That is why the arbiter should come in once the flag fall is observed, to prevent escalation / complication of matters.)
  
  Second, we need to try and establish whether we can confirm the sequence of events (i.e. whether the flag fall happened before or after the resignation). The tricky part of things, is that a resignation can be declared at any time in the game, not just during a player's own turn.
  
  If we cannot establish what came first, by default, I'd say that the player has resigned, so the opponent wins.
  
  Advice for players: When you are contemplating resignation, other than checking out all possibilities remaining over the chess board, also check the time situation before you throw in the towel. That is why some people recommend to never resign! =)

If you have the patience to finish reading this whole post, you probably have some interest in serving as an arbiter, I guess? Keen to join me? =)

Do you agree or disagree with my newbie's views? Feel free to share your thoughts so that we can all learn together! Thanks ahead.


Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
a.k.a. newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet

Rookie Arbiters Consolidated Thoughts

Most chess arbiters I know don't seem to publicise their experience, their ruling on cases and the likes. I'm totally unlike those!

I love to share, discuss and even debate about how I make a call, the references and considerations I have leading to my judgement. While I may not be always right, I seek to learn and improve. Having recently served as a Rookie arbiter for 1 of the large scale local tournaments (not naming it here in case I'm not supposed to, but my own chess friends would probably know what I am referring to), this is my self-evaluation:

I have little to no knowledge gap when it comes to the current FIDE laws of chess (which I feel is the most fundamental thing chess arbiters need to adequately equip themselves with). I do feel that I lack some experience, which may or may not be a good thing. Arguably, an experienced / seasoned arbiter also runs the risk of becoming complacent or jaded. Whereas a Rookie like myself is still fresh and passionate about my role as an arbiter.

Despite my limited experience serving as an arbiter in formal / official tournaments, there are role model arbiters I seek to learn from. Without a doubt, the 2 local arbiters I currently look up to the most are Mr Christopher Lim, President of the Singapore Chess Federation, Arbiter of the ongoing QCD Team League for Adults, and Mr Tan Tian Wah, who is also a guru in handling DGT chess equipment!

How newbie_learner serves as an arbiter

• Always carry a copy of the current FIDE Laws of Chess. Specifically, I use the version published by UK Chess Arbiter's Association. What is good about this version is that it included interpretations and explanatory notes from the UK Chess Arbiter's Association for different clauses in FIDE Laws of Chess. Things like using different hands to make a move and press the clock is considered an illegal action but not an illegal move (it is only an illegal move to make a move using 2 hands) is clearly explained in this document.
  
  Some friends or observers who don't know me well enough thought that carrying the Laws of Chess with me shows my lack of confidence. This assumption can't be further from the truth. Not only do I carry it with me for quick reference of my own, but it is also intended to (i) show it to any player(s) who are unfamiliar with the current laws of chess, or to players who misquote or misunderstood the laws of chess; and (ii) fellow arbiters who are not familiar with the specifics of the amended laws of chess (this is why in my opinion, being a Rookie arbiter doesn't necessarily put me at a disadvantage compared to a seasoned one-- I need not unlearn or "un-remember" old laws of chess that are no longer in place)

• Always carry 2 extra Queens, 1 of each colour in my pocket. This is to facilitate pawn promotion needs, which is especially important when extra Queens are not available to each set. While some fellow arbiters dismissed it as being redundant (they feel that Queens are usually only needed in the late stage of the game during endgame, when most games would have ended and the player can just grab a Queen from the neighbouring board), it really became important in some of the games I served. From whom did I pick up this good habit from? No other than Mr Christopher Lim himself =)

• Always make yourself useful when observing a game. While it takes experience to decide whether to observe a game in-depth and lose sight of other games in progress, or to observe several games simultaneously to look out for players' claims and to respond to claims in the quickest time possible, I make it an effort to always be doing something, even counting moves to facilitate arbiters' interference for things like 75 moves or repetition of the same position for the 5th time without players need to initiate a claim. I think the problem of some chess players-turned-arbiter is that they care too much about the quality of play and get engrossed in watching the game like a spectator but not serving as an arbiter. The quality of play is entirely none of our business as arbiters. This is something that I need to caution myself from time to time as well.

Pre-move 'equivalent' in OTB chess
One of the most repeated invalid claims I have received from kiddos is that "The opponent started moving before I completed my move". Just to explain things a little, under the FIDE Laws of Chess, there is a difference between having made a move (over the Board) and having completed a move (made the move + pressed the clock). The laws are clear on this:

1.3 A player is said to ‘have the move’ when his opponent’s move has been‘made’.

So a player can initiate his move when the opponent has made his move, and is in the process of pressing the clock.

Personally, I think this (initiating your own move while opponent is taking time to press the clock) is only useful when playing Blitz, where every second counts. But similar to making pre-move for online chess, this is not without risk:

1. If you (accidentally) start touching the pieces before the opponent has made his move, technically the opponent has the right to complain (because you are not having the move, and you cannot adjust when you do not have the move). Personally, as an arbiter, I would rule this as an illegal action if there is a complaint.
2. Touch-move applies the moment the move is made by the opponent, since once opponent has made the move, you have the move.
3. Also, a stated in Article 4.8,
   
   "A player forfeits his right to claim against his opponent’s violation of Articles 4.1 —4.7 (referring to touch move and release piece obligations) once the player touches a piece with the intention of moving or capturing it."
   
   So if you were holding on to a piece before the opponent has made his move, and the opponent quickly changes move and makes his move while you still hold onto the piece, the opponent may claim that you forfeited the right to claim his change of move based on Article 4.8, LOL

The way I see it, "pre-move" is not necessarily beneficial at all. It may be useful for blitz games or under extremely severe time trouble as a desperate measure, but against a well-informed opponent, it can cause a player more harm than good as well.

Case study: Offering a draw when opponent is holding on to a piece
This actually happened in the final round of a tournament, where prizes and placements are at stake. While this piece of information is irrelevant to how I resolved the case, it is interesting to know that the 2 players know each other (i.e. they are at least acquaintances if not friends), and I happen to know both players (both kids) in person. A fateful encounter with me as the arbiter, perhaps!

Player A (White pieces) has just been penalised for the first illegal move by me as the arbiter. (This was a rapid tournament with 10 seconds increment per move, and the 2nd illegal move would result in forfeiture.)  I just walked away from the board after issuing the penalty, when almost immediately, both Player A and Player B (Black pieces) seem agitated and raised their hands seeking to make a claim against each other.

I don't know if I recall the exact position correctly. The exact position is inconsequential to the incident, but I just want to point out something interesting to me (now as a player). Here, White to move, the assessment of this position should be, that only Black has any winning chance -- White still has some chances to misplay and lose the game. Hence, the easiest move is to play Qxg6+ to exchange Queens immediately and hold an easy draw. But instead, Player A made some other move and all hell broke loose!

What happened is as follows: After White and Black made another move each, it is now White (Player A) to move again. At (almost) the same time when Player A grabbed his White Queen (it was his turn to move), Player B mouthed "draw?". Being down on clock time, on 1 illegal, White was relieved to accept Player's B draw offer. (By the way, whoever claims that there is no element of psychology in competitive chess is either ignorant or lying.)

However, Player B now claims, "Since you touched your White Queen (with the intention to move), you have declined my draw offer and can no longer accept my draw offer.". Both players become visibly upset and both raised their hands for arbiter's assistance. Of course, I rushed back to attend to the game I just left off from. While this was somewhat a not-so-straightforward case, and something was at stake, I did not shun away and defer to the Chief Arbiter. Instead, I tried my best to calm both players down, to establish what exactly happened, and make a ruling.

" 9.1.2.1  A player wishing to offer a draw shall do so after having made a move on the chessboard and before pressing his clock. An offer at any other time during play is still valid but Article 11.5 (referring to the use of the draw offer to distract or annoy the opponent illegally) must be considered. No conditions can be attached to the offer. In both cases the offer cannot be withdrawn and remains valid until the opponent accepts it, rejects it orally, rejects it by touching a piece with the intention of moving or capturing it, or the game is concluded in some other way"

My follow-up action and evaluation as the arbiter for this situation as follows:

• After calming down both players, both players agree that the draw offer was made at almost, if not the exact same moment, that Player A grabbed his White Queen.
• Player B clearly did not offer a draw after having made a move on the chessboard and before pressing his clock. However, the draw offer (made at any other time) is still valid.
• Based on the unique circumstances, Player A had no opportunity to react to the draw offer without touching the White Queen.
• My Ruling: Player A did NOT touch the White Queen as a response intended to decline Player B's draw offer through making a Queen move on the board. Hence, the draw offer from Player B is still valid.

Both players accepted my ruling. Player A accepted the draw offer that is still valid. After I updated the case to the Chief Arbiter, he accepted my ruling. In addition, he proposed the following food for thought:

• It may be technically possible to rule differently, that the draw offer from Player B is deemed invalid (Arbiter's discretion and judgement call). However, minimally I would have considered giving Player B an official warning under Article 11.5 (or even escalate it to some immediate penalty under Article 12.9), because this act of "making a draw offer that opponent has no legal means to consider accepting" may be seen as an act of gamesmanship exploiting on technicalities.

I wonder if fellow arbiters and players may have any views on my ruling? Please feel free to share your views, no matter if you agree or disagree. I am happy to learn from you.

Last but not least, these are my thoughts and suggestions for players in situations of dispute:

• If you do not agree with the arbiter's ruling, please APPEAL! To be honest, I do not always agree with the rulings made by (fellow) arbiters all the time =)  Myself included, I may have made bad calls from time to time too, if not now, perhaps in future. If you as a player feel genuinely aggrieved by any arbiters' decision, please make an appeal so that there is at least a chance for corrections to be made.
• (Especially for kids) Please speak up! As an arbiter, I am trying to establish the case so that I can make a judgement call that is fair to both players. If a player makes a claim while the other player does not respond, I can only make a ruling in favour of the claimant. On my end, I hope I do not appear to be too fierce / unapproachable to anyone. I can't change my face, but I will try to work on my tone and mannerisms to be as child-friendly as possible ^o^
• More often than not, justice prevails! We arbiters actually make a mental note of "notorious personalities". I even caught and confronted a couple of players who clearly chose to not observe touch move and were outright trying to deceive. Let's not earn ourselves a bad reputation just to clock 1 or 2 undeserved wins.

Looking forward to any comments  / feedback!


Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
a.k.a. newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet

QCD Chess League 2019: Flash Update

For the first time since the QCD team league's inception in 2017, the results of the final round will be crucial in determining the overall winning team. In fact, I have a strong hunch we will be applying the tiebreakers to determine the final winner.

(Source: https://chess-results.com/tnr424743.aspx?lan=1&art=0&rd=7&turdet=YES)

"The Dreamers" and "Chess Mates" are currently tied with 13 match points (TB1, 2 match points for each team win, 1 match point for each team draw, no match point for each team loss). In terms of game points, The Dreamers is also holding a narrow lead over Chess Mates (TB2, 26.5 against 25.5). Both these teams have also fought to a team draw against each other in their earlier encounter, so we can be assured of a dramatic, nail biting finish in the final round on 16th August 2019.

Also worth mentioning is that the opposing teams of both title-contending teams in the final round are also playing with something at stake -- thanks to the generous prize money sponsored by QCD, top 8 teams will get a cash prize, and the teams will be striving their best for better placing for bigger rewards.

(Source: https://www.singaporechess.org.sg/images/Forms/Tournaments/2019/QCD%20SG%20Chess%20League%202019_v0.1.pdf)

I have chess friends in both The Dreamers and Chess Mates, so I will not be favouring a particular team to win over the other =) May the better team emerge as the overall winner!

Just a recap of the tiebreakers as stated in the rules and regulations of this team tournament:

Last but not least, some interesting statistics:

(Source: https://chess-results.com/tnr424743.aspx?lan=1&art=13&turdet=YES)

Black actually scored slightly more points than White despite White having the first mover advantage, LOL. I don't know if it could be due to (i) burden of expectations on White to play for a win; (ii) Team match strategy -- perhaps some teams prefer their stronger players to play Black to hold opponents White boards); (iii) White entering the game more relaxed while Black being more serious in their preparations, resulting in the latter performing better; or simply (iv) random "luck" factors.

Also interesting is the very low percentage of drawn games, 24 / (87+24+90) X 100% = 11.9%, while decisive games made up 88.1% of all games, excluding forfeits. It is also good to see the number of forfeits staying low.

A huge diversity of Player Pool
(Reference: https://chess-results.com/tnr424743.aspx?lan=1&art=16&turdet=YES)

Out of the 125 players listed, 75 have a FIDE rating. And it ranges from the highest of 2392 to the lowest of 1138. There are also 50 players without a FIDE rating. Pointing this out because during the initial "matchmaking " phase (i.e. me recruiting players for both new and existing teams), there were players who declined to join, citing "I don't know if I am ready".

Well, I would say that the love for the game, the unique experience of playing in an adults only tournament is probably a more important consideration for most of us on board. I have also asked informally and understand that most players / teams, especially the ones I helped to matchmake, were keen to continue playing next year. There are also players who have been asking actively for training matches to improve themselves so as to become a more valuable player for the team. I have also seen some players in the QCD league who become more interested and active in playing official (rated) tournaments.

So long as you enjoy the game, I don't think you can go wrong playing the QCD league. Hope to see more interested adults coming on board and  enjoying themselves in future runs of the QCD league!


Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet

100th Post on International Chess Day!

It's been a while since I did my chess blog, and what better occasion to time it other than International Chess Day (20 July 2019)? Coincidentally, this is also the 100th published post of this chess blog.

I was really fortunate to be given the opportunity to play a role in the 15-player clocked Simul-exhibition by Singapore's #1 rated chess player, Kevin Goh. You can see some pictures taken for the event on his facebook post here.

I am pretty sure the more renowned and professional local chess personalities will do a better report and coverage of this event at a later time. For now, I am in a slight rush in order to publicise this before the day ends ^o^

Key Features of the Event

• Time Control was 60 minutes initial time + 30 seconds increment each move starting from move #1
• While the convention is for the champion to play as White for all boards, Kevin decided to increase his the level of challenge and was playing with 8 Blacks and 7 Whites. Players drew lots to decide who gets White / Black boards.
• I was the only adult player there =) 
• We were playing on wooden DGT chess sets (which allowed for live transmission of moves / broadcasting), and the pieces and board were gorgeous!

 My Personal Takeaway from the Event

• I was privileged enough to be involved in both the equipment set up AND as 1 of the 15 players. Mr Tan Tian Wah is not just a great local chess arbiter, but also an excellent technician in handling the DGT equipment. I was following all the instructions on the DGT manual (like how I try my best to strictly follow FIDE laws of chess word for word as a new arbiter), but he knew so much more with regard to actual applications and considerations! For gamers, the best analogy would be that I am following the recommendations and information in the official game guide, while Mr Tan genuinely knows all the "secrets" in the game inside out. I certainly look forward to learn more from him in future local chess events, both in terms of serving as chess arbiters and also setting up DGT equipment for large scale / prestigious events.   
• While we were whitewashed 15-0 by Kevin, I am glad that my game was the last to finish. More importantly, I really enjoyed the post-game review. Again, I was lucky enough for my game to be picked as 1 of the 3 games he decided to go through after the 15 simul games were completed.
• The funny thing is, while this was a clocked simul, I was the one who fell into time trouble, completing a move with 1 or 2 seconds left on a couple of occasions. I burst out laughing when, in the late stage of the event (only a few boards remain), Kevin walked to me and say, "I'll come back to deal with you later ^o^" He was having close to 17 minutes additional time (19 minutes v.s. 2 minutes) LOL

Game Replay (both Raw and using Chessbase's 1-click Tactical Analysis in the interest of time. For proper review and learning, I will probably revisit it when I have time):
http://view.chessbase.com/cbreader/2019/7/21/Game638800109.html

My Prize from the Simul Event -- Signed by Kevin Goh Wei Ming!

Just to contextualise the last liner a little: Recently, I have come to LOVE Jeon So Min, a South Korean Actress who is also a cast member of the long-running variety show, Running Man. My love for her is strong enough for me to want to pick up the Korean language. Because learning a new language is time consuming and challenging for adults, I have decided to cut down on my weekly time spent on chess. But I will never "quit" chess.

p.s. But So Min is NOT just a Korean girl. I love everything about her. Her quirkiness, her big eyes, her quick wits to react to unexpected, impromptu situations. She's an energizer that can brighten up one's day. My day. So to my chess friends, despite my reducing chess activity, please know that I'm all well and happy. I just have another live besides chess =)


Yours sincerely
Ong Yujing (Eugene)
a.k.a. newbie_learner
Siglap South CC Chess Quartet

Basic Etiquette Overlooked in Chess

The most recent experiences I had (first at Singapore Chess Meetup, followed by Thomson CC Chess Club temporarily located at Bishan CC) makes me answer this question easily: Please do NOT interrupt a player during a clocked (timed) game.

Obviously, nobody had ill intentions. But while playing a game, I am really pissed off when friends (i.e. people I know) approached me with a question or say "hi". It would've been absolutely fine at any other time -- except when the clock is ticking and I'm on serious mode.

I apologise for blowing up, but I think it would be good for an observer (i.e. whoever is not playing a game) to see whether a timed game is going on before approaching. At least, please do NOT do it to me again -- I can apologise afterwards, but be warned that vulgarities may come out from a usually mild soul. I can be much more tolerant towards other types of distractions (e.g. kids being noisy nearby), but I really cannot stand direct interruptions disrupting the normal flow of the game. Now I can truly understand the frustrations of "professionals" at work.

"Jokes" aside, here are some of my badly played games. 3 undeserved wins, although some of them may have learning value replaying. This time round, I will just share my personal thoughts on the game without checking with the engines. Will hope to gather some human input to work on improving my game play.

Thanks ahead.

Games Replay: http://view.chessbase.com/cbreader/2019/6/22/Game11476187.html


Chess-play aside, some other random things I'd like to say:

• Am waiting for this marvellous leather travel set to reach me. Will be bringing this out for all my future chess games (Asia Square on Wednesdays, Thomson CC chess Club at Bishan CC on Fridays and Siglap South CC on Sundays).

• Silicone chess board is not the "best" at all. Yes it has its advantage -- can fold it with no issue laying flat with no "wrinkles". But it has very severe issues including but not limited to:
• Gets dirty very easily -- attracts dust;
• Very difficult to swap sides after each game. Much easier on other type of "solid" chess boards; and
• Cannot slide pieces!

That's all for now.

Yours sincerely

Ong Yujing (Eugene)

a.k.a. newbie_learner

Siglap South CC Chess Quartet