What do you think?
Rate this book
My Opponent Is Eating a Doughnut: Tall Tales, Legends, Gossip, and Rumors from the World of Tournament Chess
Bobby Fischer is not alone in creating antics away from the chess board. His understudies, the royal game’s masters, players, fans, coaches, parents, tournament officials, and hangers-on, have created their own “tales from the wild side” escapades. This book chronicles those tales. Over the board chess experience takes a back seat to these ancedotes of human interest, human follies and quirky behavior. Lean back and enjoy this peek at human conduct on the sidelines of the chess universe.
- GenresChess
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2015
8 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 9, 2022
My Opponent Is Eating a Doughnut, Tim Just (1948- ) and Wayne Clark (1953-2021), 2015, 95 pages. ISBN 9781530385003
A player who habitually quit tournaments early without notifying the tournament directors--leaving his next-round opponent waiting for a player who would never show up--was fined an "appearance fee" of $50 to enter a tournament. He would get the $50 back if and only if he completed the schedule, or withdrew properly. This cured his bad habit. p. 89
The grandmaster who owned the off-brand clock set it for 40 moves in 25 hours, instead of the 40 in 2.5 required. It wasn't noticed until late in the game. "I don't know how to set it. I just bought it." The tournament director didn't know how to set it. "I have an old analog clock in my office. I'll go get it." He was back in 60 seconds with the old clock̇--by which time the grandmaster's clock was set correctly. p. 54.
Garry Kasparov (world champion 1985 to about 1996, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... ) spoke at the 2009 Super Nationals in Nashville (combined High School, Junior High, Middle School, and Elementary, K-12, K-9, K-8, K-6, K-5, K-3, K-1: 5,247 players that year http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.p... )--and he made the ceremonial first move for White on a top board. Kasparov asked the player with white what move he wanted to make, the idea being that Kasparov would make the move for him. White said he wanted to play Knight to f3, the King's Indian Attack. "You should have given that opening up in junior high," Kasparov replied. "Why don't you play 1. d4 or 1. e4?" Here was a recent world champion coaching a high-school player on his move to start the tournament! The section chief asked the chief tournament director the academic question, "What if there were a complaint? What would you do?" "You're section chief. I'd direct the complaint to you." "What if there were an appeal?" "I'd say, 'Suck it up. It's Kasparov.'"
"No one should eat at the board!" The offending player was keeping the doughnut in his lap; no crumbs were getting on the table. Grievance denied. Tournament staff didn't have the heart to tell the complainant that the organizer had ordered doughnuts for every player to be delivered to the playing room shortly. p. 33
There's only one copy in a worldcat library anywhere, in Wheeling, IL: https://www.worldcat.org/title/my-opp...
It's available from USCF https://www.uscfsales.com/my-opponent...
and amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1530385008/
Tim Just edited the 5th, 6th, and 7th editions of USCF's Official Rules of Chess.
Tim Just http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmt...
Wayne Clark http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmt...
Tim's short obituary of Wayne: https://new.uschess.org/news/iantd-wa...
A player who habitually quit tournaments early without notifying the tournament directors--leaving his next-round opponent waiting for a player who would never show up--was fined an "appearance fee" of $50 to enter a tournament. He would get the $50 back if and only if he completed the schedule, or withdrew properly. This cured his bad habit. p. 89
The grandmaster who owned the off-brand clock set it for 40 moves in 25 hours, instead of the 40 in 2.5 required. It wasn't noticed until late in the game. "I don't know how to set it. I just bought it." The tournament director didn't know how to set it. "I have an old analog clock in my office. I'll go get it." He was back in 60 seconds with the old clock̇--by which time the grandmaster's clock was set correctly. p. 54.
Garry Kasparov (world champion 1985 to about 1996, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of... ) spoke at the 2009 Super Nationals in Nashville (combined High School, Junior High, Middle School, and Elementary, K-12, K-9, K-8, K-6, K-5, K-3, K-1: 5,247 players that year http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.p... )--and he made the ceremonial first move for White on a top board. Kasparov asked the player with white what move he wanted to make, the idea being that Kasparov would make the move for him. White said he wanted to play Knight to f3, the King's Indian Attack. "You should have given that opening up in junior high," Kasparov replied. "Why don't you play 1. d4 or 1. e4?" Here was a recent world champion coaching a high-school player on his move to start the tournament! The section chief asked the chief tournament director the academic question, "What if there were a complaint? What would you do?" "You're section chief. I'd direct the complaint to you." "What if there were an appeal?" "I'd say, 'Suck it up. It's Kasparov.'"
"No one should eat at the board!" The offending player was keeping the doughnut in his lap; no crumbs were getting on the table. Grievance denied. Tournament staff didn't have the heart to tell the complainant that the organizer had ordered doughnuts for every player to be delivered to the playing room shortly. p. 33
There's only one copy in a worldcat library anywhere, in Wheeling, IL: https://www.worldcat.org/title/my-opp...
It's available from USCF https://www.uscfsales.com/my-opponent...
and amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1530385008/
Tim Just edited the 5th, 6th, and 7th editions of USCF's Official Rules of Chess.
Tim Just http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmt...
Wayne Clark http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlTnmt...
Tim's short obituary of Wayne: https://new.uschess.org/news/iantd-wa...
December 16, 2015
This book was initially disappointing, because it is not what I was expecting it to be from the title - from that, I was expecting it to be the "inside scoop" and behind the scenes tales involving famous and notable chess players who play in international tournaments. In fact, it is not that at all - except for one of the authors (Tim Just, who edited the US Chess Federation Official Rules of Chess), no one discussed in the book was anyone I'd ever heard of.
The good news is - unless you are one of the aforementioned famous and notable "chess elite", this book is about your peers - maybe even you, if you were ever in the right place at the right time - as seen through the eyes of tournament directors with years of experience directing large and small chess events in the US. It's about the people you encounter every time you play in a local tournament. In short, it's not about the chess elite at all - it's about (and written for) "the rest of us"....
This is probably the most entertaining chess book I've ever read - though to get the most entertainment value out of it, it helps if you're a USCF-certified tournament director, just because you'll have a better understanding about why some of the stories in the book are funny. But you don't need to be a TD to appreciate it - if you play in chess tournaments, you've run into these people - or at least, people very much like the ones described in this book - countless times. You'll understand....
The good news is - unless you are one of the aforementioned famous and notable "chess elite", this book is about your peers - maybe even you, if you were ever in the right place at the right time - as seen through the eyes of tournament directors with years of experience directing large and small chess events in the US. It's about the people you encounter every time you play in a local tournament. In short, it's not about the chess elite at all - it's about (and written for) "the rest of us"....
This is probably the most entertaining chess book I've ever read - though to get the most entertainment value out of it, it helps if you're a USCF-certified tournament director, just because you'll have a better understanding about why some of the stories in the book are funny. But you don't need to be a TD to appreciate it - if you play in chess tournaments, you've run into these people - or at least, people very much like the ones described in this book - countless times. You'll understand....
March 18, 2017
Good primer for TDs and chess parents
I really liked this book. It has a little something for everyone. I highly recommend it to all chess players, chess parents and of course tournament directors. This was a simple way to learn about the rules of chess while reading great stories at the same time.
I really liked this book. It has a little something for everyone. I highly recommend it to all chess players, chess parents and of course tournament directors. This was a simple way to learn about the rules of chess while reading great stories at the same time.
October 6, 2015
Insightful
Read
April 18, 2024I found this entertaining for the most part - although I do think the stories contained here could be elevated if they were recounted verbally instead of reading them in your head. I heard a podcast interview with the author and I think he would do great if they tried this as an audiobook.
Otherwise, this gives you some interesting insights and information about the game of chess itself as well as some of the unique challenges faced by organizers at chess tournaments. Give it a read. Maybe next time you’re competing you’ll have a little more empathy for the amount of stress and headaches an average TD has to deal with.
Otherwise, this gives you some interesting insights and information about the game of chess itself as well as some of the unique challenges faced by organizers at chess tournaments. Give it a read. Maybe next time you’re competing you’ll have a little more empathy for the amount of stress and headaches an average TD has to deal with.
July 29, 2025
Book Review - My Opponent is Eating A Donut, by Tim Just
My Journey through my chess club’s book collection leads me to the story of the Man Behind the Curtain.
By Miles McCoy Jul 12, 2025
Some of the greatest moments in chess history have happened at the chess tournament.
It’s the regimen through which the world’s greatest chess players have been forged, and the stage on which they prove their mettle and leave their names in the legacy that is the game’s history.
So much attention is placed on the competitors, the innovators, and the titans of the chess sphere, but these moments would not be possible without the efforts of one person: the tournament director.
They are not a bedazzled financier; if they play chess at all, many would marginally admit to being of mediocre skill at best - and certainly not at the strength of the likes of Magnus or Kasparov. Yet they are the conductors, the arbiters, and the managers who keep a tournament running smoothly and fairly from its opening ceremony to the winners' podium. These directors, and all of the other men and women who help adjudicate, often do so without recognition, and rarely receive the spotlight. Luckily, all that has changed with the publishing of the short and anecdotal book by Tim Just, US Chess National Tournament Director and chief editor of the 5th and 7th editions of the Official Chess Rulebook.
That’s right - this gentleman wrote the book on the rules of tournament chess, as well as the regularly recognized code of conduct for tournament play. Tim credits his arbitration of the National Open for twenty years to his efficacy as a TD (as heard on a very interesting interview that he performed with Mr. Neal Bellon on the latter’s Chess Angle Podcast).
And after all that time, he’s seen a thing or two.
His collection of essays, My Opponent is Eating A Donut: Tall Tales, Legends, Gossip and Rumors from the World of Tournament Chess, chronicles around five dozen stories of the sights and arguments that one could only see while refereeing the world of classical chess: from breaches in etiquette, to cheating accusations, players being late to the board, knocking over the board, or - you guessed it - eating a soft, icing-washed pastry over the board.
Tim shares these tall tales as if they are happening in front of him again, while also taking the time to share game notes and rules that help provide better context for the stories. However, don’t be fooled - this collection is more than a retelling. To me, it is a note of admiration, not only to the men, women. Students, mothers, fathers, chaperones, guardians, support groups, one-party cheer sections, chess coaches, teammates, and fans that color these competitions with such life across the world, but also to the legacy of the game itself. It is not a reference book or a biography; it does not mention anyone famous (by name, anyway). But it does shine a light on the people of the tournament scene and ensures that they, too, have their spot in chess history. And as the author himself might humbly put it, he might call it a footnote, an asterisk along the long march of time that says, 'Ahem, excuse me - that’s great and all, but these folks were here, too. And they make chess the game that it is, just as much as these great players.”
***
I had no idea that a chess book with such a unique perspective was available at my local club library! Overall, I would give this gem of a chess book a 4 out of 5. Any reader-chess player, or otherwise, who is interested in the ins and outs of tournaments will likely find this book to be satisfying (perhaps some readers have had similar experiences?). It is a fairly niche title, so I doubt that many public libraries would have this one, but it can never hurt to check!
Share & follow!
For any inquiries, please contact:
Miles McCoy
Originally Posted to My Substack
Check Out My Instagram
I Also Have A Medium :)
As Seen on Goodreads, Maybe
My Journey through my chess club’s book collection leads me to the story of the Man Behind the Curtain.
By Miles McCoy Jul 12, 2025
Some of the greatest moments in chess history have happened at the chess tournament.
It’s the regimen through which the world’s greatest chess players have been forged, and the stage on which they prove their mettle and leave their names in the legacy that is the game’s history.
So much attention is placed on the competitors, the innovators, and the titans of the chess sphere, but these moments would not be possible without the efforts of one person: the tournament director.
They are not a bedazzled financier; if they play chess at all, many would marginally admit to being of mediocre skill at best - and certainly not at the strength of the likes of Magnus or Kasparov. Yet they are the conductors, the arbiters, and the managers who keep a tournament running smoothly and fairly from its opening ceremony to the winners' podium. These directors, and all of the other men and women who help adjudicate, often do so without recognition, and rarely receive the spotlight. Luckily, all that has changed with the publishing of the short and anecdotal book by Tim Just, US Chess National Tournament Director and chief editor of the 5th and 7th editions of the Official Chess Rulebook.
That’s right - this gentleman wrote the book on the rules of tournament chess, as well as the regularly recognized code of conduct for tournament play. Tim credits his arbitration of the National Open for twenty years to his efficacy as a TD (as heard on a very interesting interview that he performed with Mr. Neal Bellon on the latter’s Chess Angle Podcast).
And after all that time, he’s seen a thing or two.
His collection of essays, My Opponent is Eating A Donut: Tall Tales, Legends, Gossip and Rumors from the World of Tournament Chess, chronicles around five dozen stories of the sights and arguments that one could only see while refereeing the world of classical chess: from breaches in etiquette, to cheating accusations, players being late to the board, knocking over the board, or - you guessed it - eating a soft, icing-washed pastry over the board.
Tim shares these tall tales as if they are happening in front of him again, while also taking the time to share game notes and rules that help provide better context for the stories. However, don’t be fooled - this collection is more than a retelling. To me, it is a note of admiration, not only to the men, women. Students, mothers, fathers, chaperones, guardians, support groups, one-party cheer sections, chess coaches, teammates, and fans that color these competitions with such life across the world, but also to the legacy of the game itself. It is not a reference book or a biography; it does not mention anyone famous (by name, anyway). But it does shine a light on the people of the tournament scene and ensures that they, too, have their spot in chess history. And as the author himself might humbly put it, he might call it a footnote, an asterisk along the long march of time that says, 'Ahem, excuse me - that’s great and all, but these folks were here, too. And they make chess the game that it is, just as much as these great players.”
***
I had no idea that a chess book with such a unique perspective was available at my local club library! Overall, I would give this gem of a chess book a 4 out of 5. Any reader-chess player, or otherwise, who is interested in the ins and outs of tournaments will likely find this book to be satisfying (perhaps some readers have had similar experiences?). It is a fairly niche title, so I doubt that many public libraries would have this one, but it can never hurt to check!
Share & follow!
For any inquiries, please contact:
Miles McCoy
Originally Posted to My Substack
Check Out My Instagram
I Also Have A Medium :)
As Seen on Goodreads, Maybe
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews