Part 4.4: Chess Club Quad Tournaments – Inclusion!

by John Bain

Why Chess Club Quad Tournaments?

Simply put, Quad Tournaments are fun! Quads give everyone an opportunity to win an award or a prize at their ability and experience level. Inclusion! 

After the Chess Club Ladder is established and the rankings are representative of the students’ strength in the club, students are ready for Quad Tournaments. 

From time to time—about once every five or six weeks–run a Quad Tournament.

A Quad Tournament consists of the top four ranked students (#s 1-4) on the Chess Ladder playing each other, then the second top four ranked students (#s 5-8) playing each other, then the third top four ranked students (#s 9-12) playing each other, and so forth. Each group of four chess players is called a Quad.

Each student plays each of the three other members in the player’s Quad, and the player that wins the most games is named the Quad Champion.

The winner of each Quad wins a prize or an award. Therefore, we have a Quad I Champion, a Quad II Champion, a Quad III Champion, a Quad IV Champion and so forth.

Generally in Quad Tournaments, students play a 5/5 Match, where students play three games with 5-minutes on each player’s clock. Good, simple, sturdy chess clocks ($24.95) and chess sets ($14.00) are essential to Chess Club Quad Tournaments!

Advantages of Quad Tournaments

The advantage of Quad Tournaments, and why students enjoy them so much, is that players of the same strength and experience are able to compete against each other.

In addition, the less experienced players in Quads III and IV are able to win the same “First Place” certificates and prizes as their more experienced, stronger counterparts in Quad I and II.

Prizes do not need to be extravagant to hold the students’ interest in this activity–certificates work well, as do healthy and unhealthy snacks! Be creative with the prizes.

As explained in Part 5: Chess Club Promotion, Chess Club Ladder competition is by far the most intense activity that attracts the most attention, most interest and the most students to chess club.

Nothing will improve interest and attendance in a chess club more than a well-constructed and well-displayed Chess Ladder! 

Quad Tournaments, on the other hand, bring FUN, a breath of fresh air and opportunity to the serious intensity of Chess Club Ladder competition. No one loses their position on the prized Chess Club Ladder!

NEXT> Part 4.5: Chess Club Bughouse Chess Tournaments – Blitz! introduces more fun competition into the chess club and–more than any other activity–gives students an opportunity to be part of a “team,” thus sharing the intensity of competition with a teammate!

What Makes “Chess Clubs For Students” Work?

Parts 1-6

by John Bain

Intro: What Makes “Chess Clubs For Students” Work? outlines practices for building a well-attended, successful chess club.

Part 1 – Basic Chess Skills and Psychology For Students emphasizes how learning the Chess Rules and Three Psychological Practices enable students to become stronger players.

Part 2 – Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns For Students covers Four Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns that will yield collateral benefits to all aspects of a student’s games.

Part 3  – Choosing Location, Meeting Times & Equipment demonstrates that the right location, the right meeting times, and quality chess equipment will foster enthusiastic student chess club participation.

Part 4.1 to 4.6 – Chess Club Activities For Students shows that activities that are fun–and that improve chess knowledge and skills–are the lifeblood of a well-run, great chess club!

Part 5 – How to Promote Chess Clubs in Schools presents the very best, promising practices for promoting school chess clubs.

Part 6 – What Chess Teaches Kids About Life notes the virtues, lessons and life skills that chess teaches!

NEXT> Part 4.5: Chess Club Bughouse Chess Tournaments – Blitz! introduces more fun competition into the chess club and–more than any other activity–gives students an opportunity to be part of a “team,” thus sharing the intensity of competition with a teammate!