How do I offer my opponent a draw?
After making your move and before starting your opponent's clock. You shouldn't talk to your opponent except to offer a draw in the correct manner, and offering them a draw during their thinking time is a bad idea. Your opponent can then accept the draw at any time before replying to your move. They can refuse the draw offer verbally or by replying to your move.
What does [insert chess term here] mean?
membership: if you have a grade, and a grading code like this - 117650L - it does not mean that you are a member of the English Chess Federation! It means you have an ECF grade and can enjoy the benefits of the ECF grading database. We would like everyone who plays to support chess in England by joining the ECF, and from September 2012 it will be universally expected by all graded events.
bye: if you ask for a 'bye' in a tournament, it is normally because you want to arrive later than the start time, or because you need to go home early, or just because you need a break! You normally get half a point in lieu of the game. However, if you are getting a bye because you are on zero points and in a swiss tournament with an odd number of participants, you usually get a full point because you didn't get a game with someone in your section. The organiser would normally find someone for you to play a graded game with if possible.
rapidplay OR quickplay: Either a. each player must have a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 60 minutes for all of his moves. This includes both the initial time control and any subsequent time controls or quickplay finish. OR b. when Fischer (time added per move, only used with digital chess clocks) mode is used then, using the assumption that the duration of the game is 60 moves, each player must have a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 60 minutes. Anything else is Standard Play.
swiss: see above
knockout: a tournament where, if you lose, you exit the competition immediately. Like Wimbledon. In chess, there aren't so many knockout events except at Grandmaster level.
senior: as defined by the ECF, a senior is a player over 60, born before 1 September 19XX.
junior: as defined by the ECF, a junior is a player UNDER 18, born after 31/08/XX.
