“I beat that guy, but the Pairing Sheet
says I lost!”
Situation:
Sammy and Sarah played during Round 2 in the K-3 section of a
tournament. The Game Result Slip, initialed by both players and a
Tournament Director (TD), shows Sammy won the game. Sarah had recorded
her moves, but Sammy didn’t. Later, Sarah’s parent informs one of the
TDs, “Sarah and I went over her game, she checkmated her opponent on
move 19. Why is her game recorded as a loss?”
How is this case handled?
The first step a TD will take to look into this matter is to check the
Game Result Slip and the Round 2 Pairing Sheets to determine what
"result" was recorded. This is where we find most of the mistakes.
When the Result Slip says something different than what is claimed by
Sarah's mother -- or if the Pairing Sheet initialed by the players has a
different result than the Result Slip -- the TD will find both players
and ask them about the game result. Two potential outcomes are the most
common result of this situation.
· If the
two players agree that they incorrectly recorded the result on the Game
Result Slip or the Pairing Sheet, then the result is corrected.
Hopefully this occurs BEFORE Round 3 pairings are posted and the TD can
adjust and re-post the pairings. However, if play for Round 3 has
already started, then the only course of action is to adjust Sarah's and
Sammy's Round 2 results later and allow the Round 3 games to continue.
· If the
two players disagree about the results of their game,
the case becomes more complicated. The fact that Sarah recorded her
moves may become a significant factor. To review the case, the TD is
likely to set up a board and go through all moves by both players as
recorded in Sarah's chess notebook. If Sarah clearly won, then the TD
is almost certain to rule in favor of Sarah and direct that the
erroneously recorded result be corrected. If, however, Sarah’s game
notation fraught with mistakes, then the TD may not be able to
reconstruct the game … which is more likely to result in the TD ruling
that Sarah’s loss stands despite her plea to the contrary.
Lessons Learned:
1. The chess
game is between the two players. They are responsible correctly
recording the results (win, loss, draw) of their game.
The VSCA (and the USCF too), as a matter of standard procedure in
scholastic-level tournaments, requires both players to initial their
results on the Game Result Slip. A Tournament Director initials the
Game Result Slip to signify that the two players have agreed to the
result as recorded on the Slip. To help eliminate mistakes, VSCA
procedures go one more step at the time players turn in their Game
Result Slip at the Scorer’s Table -- both players must initial the
result beside their names on the Pairings Sheet. We feel this extra
step minimizes the number of mistakes. Still, one or two happen.
2. When an error in game result
occurs, the VSCA will “go the extra mile" by looking into the matter and
trying to determine what really happened … and to fix mistakes.
3. All players,
regardless of age, need to be taught how to properly record their games.
We have seen K-3 players in VSCA events (even some pre-K players) taking
chess notation, so it can be done!
4. After the
Tournament Director (TD) makes a ruling, both players still have the
right to appeal the ruling under procedures covered in the USCF
Rule Book (5th Edition, Rule 21-H, page 91). Any TD can inform parent
or coaches on the procedures for making an appeal, or the parent/coach
can consult the USCF Rule Book.
Still have a Question about this
Scenario?? Click here to email Mike Hoffpauir
