New to chess?

Whether you've never played in a club before or you're used to playing online, this page covers what you need to know.

Your first club night

We meet on Wednesdays from 7pm. You're welcome to just turn up, but if you let us know you're coming, we can line up an opponent or two for you. We provide boards, sets and clocks, so you only need to bring yourself.

If there's no match on, the evening is very casual. You can play other members without a clock, or with one at any time control you like. Sometimes we run small tournaments, with games of about 10 minutes on each clock.

If there's a league match on, it's much quieter while the match is being played. There will still be people around to play, and you can go downstairs if you want to chat.

League games in Sheffield are played at 75 minutes on each clock, with no increment. If your time runs out, you normally lose, even if you're winning on the board, so keep an eye on your clock. If you want to play in a match, just ask and we'll find you a place in a team. New players usually play on the lower boards, against opponents of similar strength.

Over-the-board rules

Over-the-board (OTB) chess has some rules that you won't meet online. These are the important ones:

Touch-move is enforced. If you deliberately touch one of your pieces, you must move it if you legally can. If you touch one of your opponent's pieces, you must capture it if you legally can. To straighten a piece on its square, say "I adjust" (or j'adoube) before you touch it.
When castling, move the king first, then move the rook with the same hand.
Press your clock after every move, with the same hand that you used to move the piece.
Making an illegal move (for example, leaving your king in check) gives your opponent extra time: two minutes in a standard game, or one minute in rapid and blitz. A second illegal move loses the game.
To offer a draw, make your move, offer the draw, then press your clock.
In league games, switch your phone off and put it away. This rule is strictly enforced: if your phone rings during a game, you can lose. On casual club nights, nobody minds.

In longer games, such as league matches, you must write down every move in chess notation. The organisers usually provide scoresheets and pens, and in league games you keep your scoresheet afterwards. Write each move down after it is made, never before. You can reply to your opponent's move straight away and write it down afterwards, but you must write down your own move before you make your next one.

➡ The full rules are in the official Laws of Chess, published by the World Chess Federation (FIDE).

Match etiquette

League matches are a little more formal than club nights. None of this applies when you're playing casually, so don't worry about it until you play in a match.

Shake hands with your opponent before and after the game.
Don't talk to your opponent during the game, except to offer a draw or to say "I adjust".
To resign, stop the clock and offer your hand.
When your game finishes, give the result to your captain. If you want to go over the game with your opponent, do it away from the games that are still being played.

Getting an official rating

A rating is a number, calculated from your results, that roughly represents your playing strength. You might hear older hands call it a 'grade'. You don't need one to join the club or to play in a match; you'll get one by playing league games.

Games in the Sheffield league count towards an ECF rating. Your first three league games are free. After that, you'll need to join the English Chess Federation (ECF), or pay a fee for every game. Bronze membership covers club and league chess. If you want to play in congresses (weekend tournaments), you'll need Gold.

Playing and learning online

To play or practise between club nights, we recommend:

⭐ lichess.org is our favourite. It's a great place to play, has plenty of other features, and is completely free.
chesstempo.com has a great selection of tactics and endgame puzzles.