Are you ready to play in your first tournament? Here are some things you’ll need to know.

The best way to improve your chess game is to play as many games as possible. Casual club play is a great start, but playing in a tournament is another way to level up your game.

Chess tournaments are rated or non-rated. Casual tournaments, like the Maple Ridge Invitational, are a great way to pack in a full day of chess (we usually play five rounds or games per tournament) with the formality of playing with a chess clock, but without rating points on the line. Rated tournaments contribute to a CFC (Chess Federation of Canada) rating, either a quick rating or a regular rating, depending on the time controls.

Browse the calendar of events on the BC Chess Federation’s website (scroll down to the Events Calendar at the bottom). The Chess Federation of Canada also lists events happening across the country on their website.

Each event listed on either website will have its own event website – it details who is hosting the event, when and where it is being held, the number of rounds, as well as the time controls. Each tournament usually has an early bird deadline, where the registration fee is discounted, but registration is usually open until a day or two before the event. Most tournaments require online registration in advance.