Tunnelvision

We've got you covered.  The Columbia Chess Club provides all of its own equipment for the Tunnelvision tournaments, including chess sets, clocks, notation sheets, and pens.  Some players do bring their own equipment for casual play or analyzing games outside the tournament hall between rounds, but it is not necessary.  

That is up to you, but there is no requirement to arrive early.  When the first round is scheduled to start, you will be paired and your clock will start whether or not you are present, so even running a few minutes late is not a catastrophe.  For those who prefer to arrive early, tournament directors are generally on site two hours before the start of the first round and can answer any questions you might have.  

The schedule includes a 45 minute break for lunch between the first two rounds, and there are ample food options very close to the tournament hall.  If your game finishes early, you'll have more time.  If it finishes later, you might have less, though this is not typically the case.

During registration you can request a bye for any round you are unable to attend. A bye counts as a half-point toward standings. You can miss as many rounds as you wish, but additional rounds missed beyond the first bye will be counted as zero points. Byes do not affect your rating. Your rating is only affected when a game is actually played.  

The Columbia Chess Club has regular members who are under 10 years of age and are very successful at chess--some starting as early as four years old.  If your child understands the rules and is able to play quietly, they fit right in to a tournament setting regardless of their strength or experience.  Chess is a great developmental tool for kids, and we are very supportive of the next generation of chess players and excited about youth participation. 

To quote Charlotte, one of our 8-year-old members: "The people at Tunnelvision are very nice and welcoming, so do not be worried.  You might get to know some of those people." 

If you've ever read your moves off of popular chess websites such as chess.com or lichess.org, you are probably already familiar with chess notation even if you haven't notated a game yourself. Essentially you just write a letter such as K, Q, B, N, R (representing each type of piece) and the square it's moving to, e.g. "Nf3" would indicate the Knight is moving to the f3 square. The boards used at our tournaments have the coordinates on them. For a detailed explanation, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6PR885Rgb8  

Yep. Having a record of your own game is not only required under the USCF rules, it's also helpful to keep a record so you can review your games and find improvements in your play afterward. However, beginners, particularly children can be excused from notating if they are unable.  Just see a tournament director if you have any questions.

If either you OR your opponent has less than five minutes on your clock, you are excused from notating. But if you do not feel you are in danger from losing on time, you would be well served to continue notating. Tournament directors require a scoresheet in order to address certain claims, such as a three-fold repetition, and may not be able to award a draw if your scoresheet is incomplete. 

If you feel like your opponent is refusing to follow the rules, you should pause the clock and raise your hand for a tournament director. We'll get things back on track.

Yes. We ask that spectators keep a comfortable distance from the players and not communicate in any way with the players. Also, we broadcast the positions of the top boards to screens in the lobby and to the internet, so we've tried to make it as easy on spectators as possible.

During our tournaments, we publish live results, pairings, and standings to the internet. Just click on the "Live" link in the site menu.

Consider a scenario where two players tie with perfect "4.0" scores.  With a two-way tie for first, the prize money for first and second is combined and split between the two players.  Third place prize money would be awarded to the player (or players tied) with the next highest score.