Gorath wrote on 11/03/11 at 21:21:15:


Stuff your face away from the board, not in front of me, please. That's my point of view. If you allow any sort of  eating you must allow the eating of sardines in mustard sauce and the like, which I do not find particularly repulsive normally, but utterly repulsive when I have to see them eaten while searching for a good chess move.

So disallow eating or I'll swallow live millipedes, or perhaps scoop thr brains out of a living monkey that has had the top of its skull removed. It may not be to your taste, but it's considered delightful in some parts of this world.

P.S. Like raw oysters? I love 'em!  Runny eggs? Yum!!  Truly I do, no joke. Sheep's eyeballs? I draw the line there, but somebody else might not.

I try to make sure I never play without having eaten and drunk freely.

Markovich wrote on 11/03/11 at 20:21:03:

This must be a cultural rule in the USA. I found it first time in a serious psychotherapy manual by M. Linehan, where she wrote it would be unpolite to offer a tea and something to eat while being in a session. This astonished me deeply and as she didn't write no obvious nonsense I took it serious. (It would be understandable if she wrote on an psycholanalytical base - but else????)

Later I found this in several other contexts, mostly by US citizens. Drinking and eating on the board doesn't disturb me if normal manners are kept. Botvinnik recommended to take a coffee in the 5th hour before adjournment and I would claim an opponent unpolite, who would complain about me drinking some non-alcoholic drink or eating a piece of bread.

If my opponent should come freshly from the USA I would shortly talk with him and explain that there's no unpoliteness intended. (But I have to admit: If he would be incapable to accept that, I would send him to the tournament office and saying he may hold me for a swine.) If I were in the USA I would accept his different opinion.

When in Rome behave like a Roman.

Why? Games can take 7 hours, and on club level there are often no other rooms (within the arbiter's reach) in which the player can eat.

I find it absolutely normal that a player takes out his sandwiches or an apple during the game. I expect him to do it silently and on his own time though.

It gave his opponent the option of being hit in the face and winning the match (due to forfeit) or continuing on and not being able to continue eating. Depends on how the match was going I suppose.

I remember an incident in one of the dutch championships.
I think Knoppert was involved.
His opponent ate something very loudly.
Knoppert clearly showed his displeasure:
"If you do that one more time, i will punch youre face".

Thanks for all the replies !
      The most commonly played chess in my area is league chess where there is no arbiter or tournament director but there are rules and not distrubing other players is certainly one of them. My point is really that some poor behaviour becomes ignored. Following trw's point, I have no issue with people eating or drinking in the playing area or at the board. I find it hard to accept though when experienced players chose to crunch crisps or nuts, causing unnecessary noise and disturbance. Far more significant and common though is the belief that when their own game is over, it suddenly becomes acceptable to talk at whatever volume takes their fancy. This is almost explicitly saying "my game demands quiet, good conditions but your games are unimportant !". It just needs a little attention from everyone involved to ensure that poor behaviour, maybe even poor manners, are challenged and not accepted. Fortunately our club has been able to attract several yougsters this season. It must be borne in mind the kind of example that is shown to newcomers to the game.

Yeah, Counterplay is excellent; I was really impressed. I felt like it ran a little out of steam at the end, and there were a couple of odd typos (e.g., "the Slave Defense"), but those are my only complaints. In particular, it is essential reading for chessplayers' spouses.