Chess Simul

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A Chess Simul - or "Simul", for short - is a show-piece event where a single, high-ranking Chess player competes against multiple other players in a single session.

The exhibitor - the main player who is up against the assembled group - takes their place in the center of either a square, a circular, or a triangular arrangement of tables.

When the event begins, the exhibitor will walk, in a fixed sequence, from board to board.

As the exhibitor approaches a board, the sitting participant will make their move, with the exhibitor watching ... and then the exhibitor will move to the next table and so repeats the procedure.

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Also known as a Simultaneous Exhibition, there are two types of Simul that can be played:

1. Regular Simul
   
   These types of Simul event are played without a Chess Timer / Clock.
   
   The competitors are usually made up of "average Chess Club plagers and there can be as many as 30 of them against the exhibitor.
   
   As a result, the exhibitor will try and avoid spending too long at any one board, as the risk of the event taking excessive hours to play could jeopardize their victory margin, due to fatigue-induced mistakes.Regular Simul"



2. Clock Simul
   
   This type of Simul is usually played under normal tournament rules, involving a pre-set time control.
   
   However, the number of participants will often be limited to only a handful and their skill level is likely to be at or near that of the qualified FIDE Master.

I'm sure, by now, you're already itching to see a Simul or two in action, so we've gone and raided YouTube for some of their better clips ...

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GM Judit Polgar, as of January 2010, is still the current Number 1 in the Women's World Chess Rankings.

In this clip, she is seen playing as the sole master against 30 "average club players", in a Chess Simul, which took place in Lampertheim, Germany, on July 24^th 1999.

Apparently, Polgar Won 23 games, only Lost 1 game, with the remaining 6 games ending in Draws ...

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British GM Nigel Davis is seen here conducting an informal Chess Simul outside St. George's Hall, Liverpool, England, on July 27^th 2008, prior to the British Chess Championships ...

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This clip shows Chess legend, GM Garry Kasparov, taking part in a Simul in Harlem, USA, on September 28^th 2008.

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Here, GM Alexander Ivanov is about to begin a Simul Exhibition.

While this clip doesn't feature actual game play, we've included it because, while he waits for extra players to file into the room, Ivanov touches briefly on some Rules relating to Simuls.

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Also known as a Simultaneous Exhibition, Click Here To Watch More Chess Simul Videos

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