2001-02-23 - 23:59:35

ANOTHER Tournament

I know that I just got back from a tournament, but I'm starting another one today. I still have a mountain of work to do: I'm not even close to being halfway through with putting all the games in and I really need to get working on my taxes, too.

However, I really can't pass up this tournament because instead of the usual situation where money goes out and none come in, this tournament I'm being paid to attend. See, I'm not playing, I'm acting as a floor director. Actually, I couldn't play in this tournament even if I wanted to. I'm still really tired after last weekend, but the money is too good to pass up.

It's the 2001 New York State Scholastic Championships, and it's open to kids grades K to 12. This may surprise a lot of you, but scholastic chess is experiencing a huge boom in this country. The last time this tournament was held in my area there were a little over 500 kids competing in the six sections. That huge turnout made the 1999 Scholastic Championships the biggest chess tournament even held in my area, almost by a power of two. Last year's event, held down on Long Island, I think, drew over 1,000 youngsters.

Sad to say, though, chess in this country is kind of like soccer. Kids play it a lot, but none of them are choosing it as a career path. Like soccer it seems to be mainly confined to the world of parents and kids. Oh well. From little acorns mighty oaks grow, etc.

By the way, there have been studies to show that children that play chess do better in school and several schools are adding it to their curriculum. In fact, I'm going to be teaching a chess class to a small group of students in a few weeks.

The 2001 NYS Scholastics is a two-day event, but there was a preliminary even this evening, a "quick chess" event played at a faster time control. Only about 50 kids participated, but I could see the hotel filling up with parents and kids - it looks very likely that we'll easily break 1999's tally.

Basically the job of a floor director is to be there in the tournament room to answer any questions and take care of any problems that arise there. It's tiring work - you have to be on your feet constantly, and you have to be constantly alert, helpful and polite.

Here's an example of what I mean.

Shortly after the first round began, I noticed one of the players on one of the higher boards clasping both hands to his mouth, with his jaw moving. Was he eating a candy bar or something? When I got closer, I could see more clearly - he was whispering into a cell phone - something that is utterly illegal while playing a tournament game. I told him to hang up immediately and put the phone on the table behind him.

Was he cheating? I don't know. He looked all of seven years old. I have a feeling this is going to be a long, long tournament.