Pell City Club Chess Ladder

This summer, we're starting a chess ladder that will run throughout the season. A chess ladder is a competition designed to create a fun and spirited atmosphere. The idea of a chess ladder is to make it very easy to climb the ladder but difficult to stay on top. This makes the games more rivalrous and creates higher stakes for the leaders. Those who are lower on the ladder get more points for beating those higher on the ladder. Here's how it works:

Rules

1. 1. A win is worth 1 point, a draw worth 0.5 points, and a loss is 0 points. 

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3. 2. If the difference in the standings between the players is greater than 1 point, the player who is lower in the standings will get 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss.

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5. 3. The player higher in the standings will be scored according to Rule 1.

   
   

6. 4. Points may be awarded for attendance (4 weeks per point), assisting another player (at Ladder director’s discretion), or other good merits. 

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8. 5. The Ladder Director may participate in the Ladder but is not eligible to receive prizes or be included in the standings. You get 3 points for beating the Ladder Director, 1.5 points for a draw, and 0.5 point for a loss. 

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10. 6. Points can be exchanged for prizes but will still count towards the total standings. For example, a player who reaches 10 points may exchange ten points for a regular sized candy bar.  While the player is eligible to spend those 10 points on prizes, those points will still count towards the total standings.

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       Last week marked the start of our Chess Ladder and these are the current standings:

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Name	Points	Games
Ami	5	5
Henry	4.5	5
Oliver	4	6
Luke	3	6
Benji	2	5
Titus	1	3
Angel	1	3
Gideon	1	4
Ladder Director	5	5

So far, we've had some stellar performances with 5/5 from Ami and 4.5/5 from Henry. However, this means those below them can gain 2 points by beating them. This is what makes the ladder so fun; just because you are near the bottom of the ladder doesn't mean you are out of the race. The Ladder Director (Nash) also remains undefeated and has not been held to a draw. As a result, 1 point will be added to the bounty on the Ladder Director.

And don't forget about our prizes!

Prizes:

10 points- Candy bar

25 points-Free drink

30 points- free prize out of the prize box 

50 points- Throw 10 water balloons at Coach Nash after practice

100 points- Ice cream 

150 points- $25 gift card

This is a great time to jump in on the Chess Ladder action or come learn to play chess. Competitive Chess works greatly to help us regulate our emotions, challenge our thinking, and build our patience and persistence.

For this week's club meeting we will also have puzzle challenges to help you hone your chess skills. Feel free to join us on Fridays from 4-5pm for Kids Chess and from 5-7pm for Open Chess.

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