No considered disrespectful in chess one observer/s watching very closely while you play?. Picture

I am a simple amateur and bad chess player. I have no experience of competition, so I speak from my ignorance (although I read a lot of chess history).

I have wondered very often if it could be considered disrespectful, annoying, gossip, hassle, provocative, intention to deconcentrate ..... approaching to look closely at a game that is not the one you play.

And I also mean the tournaments that are not of high level. To those of children too.

I have approached few children competitions and I felt bad about myself thinking "I'm interested in watching, but it's a discomfort for the players".

A player may think: "Why do not you go away and leave me alone, will you see it on Internet?"

Do you know any case of a player "harassed" that has been enraged?

Nor do I know how I would react if I have a voyeur next to me while I play.

Although no image is needed, I leave one that reflects very well what I mean.

In a video of funny moments in chess a confrontation Short-Kasparov and a gentleman approaching to watch and the reaction of Kasparov always makes me smile.

And I have great respect and affection for the player who watches (picture).

imgur.com/a/rcoOmfv

I wouldn't it find it disrespectful. It's just some other person watching a game. The top rated players face the same thing all the time. You eventually get used to it as a player.

Nah, I think it's cool when someone else cares enough to have a vested interest in my game.

If a player really does not want to be watched then they should arrange to play somewhere more private. By choosing to play in an accessible place, they are implicitly accepting the possibility of people watching them.

On the other hand, there is a big difference between passive viewing and active distraction. For a serious game, spectators should be courteous and promptly leave if a player makes a fuss and says that their presence is a distraction - and if they don't leave, then the organizers should have measures in place to address that.

What is most funny about that short-Kasparov game you talk about is that the person that approaches the board is the arbiter! Kasparov is basically telling the arbiter to gtfo! It's really funny.
I only enjoy being watched if I am in a chess playing mood. Otherwise, I want people to look in another direction.

If you play in Bundesliga or in any league set-up (local or national), then all members of your team (8 or 10 members strong mostly) and the opposing team too will constantly use their "off time" to just get away from their own game and to try to assess how the team's chances are looking in general.

The key games and fights will then automatically attract a lot of spectator interest. Just normal and natural stuff. Seemingly less interesting games on face-value might eventually also become pivotal too, in a suddenly tense endgame fight - with other boards already long decided.

I would take it as a matter of affording good Chess respect if some very many observers do lurk unobtrusively next to your board for quite some time, throughout your game. Of course, you should try to not be too obvious to the 2 players involved, but if that condition is met, then no harm at all, surely.

It's actually quite a compliment that your game is so interesting, as to attract some serious kibitzers. Imagine from the other viewpoint too. Your own Chess game might not be so exciting or so critical, but you want to know how your teammates are standing - are you as a team winning or maybe losing. Not always clear and so many chess positions are close to 50/50.

Even in normal Tournament play and you can for sure legitimately take a glance at your main contenders positions. If these positions are ultra-complex, then a very long look is often warranted too. Just Chess enthusiasts appreciating the beauty and complexity of this wonderful game.

Myself and I always take it as an unspoken compliment if my own game is sufficiently interesting to attract a small posse of onlookers. Not any real distraction either and most Chess folk don't ever crowd the board to such an extent that you can't think anymore.

You also have another aspect. Say in Bundesliga you play board 8 and win first within 20 moves. Your own game is over and done, but the rest of the team will battle on until final seconds. The bus or the train back is then 3 hours away, so you must either twiddle your thumbs or else just get invested in your own teammates chances. Then you just kibbitz these games, try to assess them, imagine outcomes or scenarios etc. All good reasons to just follow other games. Same in many FIDE tournaments too. Just look at potential next opponents. Absorb their styles and playing strengths and game choices. I do believe that most Chess players are quite OK, with good spectator interest in their own games.