Education – Page 3 – Puddletown Chess

Why Didn’t My Kid Get a Trophy? Understanding Tiebreaks in Chess

If you’re new to scholastic chess tournaments, you’ve probably experienced this moment: your child finishes with the same score as another player—but doesn’t get the same trophy or placement. It feels confusing, maybe even unfair. What’s going on? Let’s talk about tiebreaks. In chess tournaments, players earn points: 1 point for…

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05/20/2025

Education / Musings

Why You Should Want to Play with Adult Chess Players

When we first started hosting tournaments, we focused exclusively on scholastic players—kids up to grade 12. It was all about creating a space for young players to compete, learn, and improve their game. But as our tournaments grew in size and reputation, something interesting happened: many adults wanted to join in…

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05/07/2025

Education / Learnings

Swissys Explained: How do we Determine Tournament Pairings

Hey Puddletown gang! If you’ve ever played in a Puddletown Chess tournament, you’ve probably heard us say, “Pairings are up!” before each round. But have you ever wondered how those pairings are made? Why do you sometimes play someone way stronger or way weaker than you? And why don’t you get…

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04/30/2025