I'm still playing in local gatherings. I'm noticing when playing with the same player in multiple games (consecutively, not shifting from player to player), there seems to be some rule or etiquette or manner that you rotate the board between games. So, I start as white, then after the game finishes, rotate the board so that I then play black (regardless of who wins/loses? I'm not sure since I usually am the loser).

This seems fair. However, it's a but cumbersome when using the flexible boards. Wood boards are easy to rotate but the flexible boards generally need the pieces removed from the board first.

Is there some easier way to facilitate this? I tried to look from some hard, thin, light backing on which to place the flex board but couldn't find anything. And that kind of defeats the purpose of using a flexible board.

If it's standard practice to just remove the pieces and then rotate, that's fine. It's just a bit noisy and may disturb / annoy other players.

Is there a better method?

I'm actually okay not rotating since I'm not taking notes (yet). But there are players that strictly want to rotate (because the boards have a legend - if there is no legend, then it wouldn't matter).

I have never heard of any rule regarding board rotation, but I do know that to set up the board properly, the nearest and right-most square is to be white. Of course, the player with the white pieces always moves first. And, of course, in matches of multiple games the players alternate colors.

I can see how rotating the board 180° between games might make it quicker to set up the pieces for the next game, especially in shorter games where fewer pieces have been moved from their initial positions.

Lazy Susan? Rotating table? Get up and swap seats?

quote:

Originally posted by Expert308:
Lazy Susan? Rotating table? Get up and swap seats?

Considered that but then might as well get a wood board. The whole point of getting the flex mat is compact / light and easy to transport.

Seems like buying a legendless flex mat may be the solution.

Couldn't you just let black go first?

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Considered that but then might as well get a wood board. The whole point of getting the flex mat is compact / light and easy to transport.

Yeah, I was thinking if you're playing in the same venue, the rotating device (table or lazy susan) could be built into the facility, so you wouldn't have to carry it around with you. If you play in different locations then of course that wouldn't work.

Yup, I play about 2-3 different venues during the week. None of them have permanent space. In fact, one is either in the local park picnic area during the summer or the bakery/coffee area in the supermarket nearby during the winter.

Different people in each venue.

Swap seats

Since you have to put captured pieces back on the board anyway for the rotating board to make sense, why not just slide them across the table so you don't have to rotate the board?

I'm open but some of the 'good' players seem like a stickler for rotating the board (when they have notations? i still don't understand what difference it would make, if any, for boards w/o notations). Only boards w/ notations need to be rotated?

I'm okay w/ white on the 8th rank and h file on the left. I don't take notes. But wondering about rules and etiquette since other, better players seem to insist on rotating the board. Maybe they are taking mental notes?

quote:

Maybe they are taking mental notes?

More like they want to see the same profile for every game. Might help with recognizing previously-seen positions and remembering the outcomes.

Are squares on the board marked with chess notation? E.g., e4, a1, g7.

Seems to me that is why you’d rotate a board when switching between black and white.

A decent board won’t need to be rotated. A decent board won’t have any notation on the squares. You should ask why they rotate the boards. Then come back and let us know.

Starting off totally unrelated, while quickly scanning the topics in the lounge I thought this was talking about the etiquette of rotating a cheese board. Hey you had the Vermont sharp cheddar on your side all night, spin that charcuterie board around.

Back to the topic it seems this is more of a tradition or custom as I cannot see how it would affect game play.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
A decent board won’t need to be rotated. A decent board won’t have any notation on the squares. You should ask why they rotate the boards. Then come back and let us know.

This. I'm not familiar with rotating a chess board and now you’ve got me curious.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
Since you have to put captured pieces back on the board anyway for the rotating board to make sense, why not just slide them across the table so you don't have to rotate the board?

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!

Jeez, it doesn't matter if the edge of the board shows the notation. If you are playing Black and the game is over, just slide the Black pieces over to your opponent while he slides the remaining White pieces to your side of the board.

How many people does it take to rotate a chess board?

That's what I think. But the other players rotate the board. I don't understand why other than the notation. But if you aren't taking notes, why does it matter?

Doesn't make sense to me so checking what is the norm.

Notationless boards - no rotation. Notation boards - rotation. Why if no one is taking notes?

I play with someone who minds the notation on the board. I don't even paying attention to it. When the games end, I just start shoving the pieces over to switch sides.