When you’re ready to take your game up a notch, you may want to consider playing in a tournament. Before you dive in, however, be advised that tournament chess is governed by a myriad of rules and regulations. Official rulebooks contain hundreds of pages detailing regulations for every possible dispute or situation one might come across during a chess tournament. Players aren’t expected to memorize the entire rule book. Simply understanding some of the most important rules is more than enough to confidently play in any tournament. Here are some of the highlights. There are some exceptions. If you accidentally brush a piece, you are not required to move it. If a piece is awkwardly placed, you can adjust it; simply say “I adjust” before touching the piece to make it clear to your opponent that you don’t intend to move it.
