This notice can be found at the website of the Georgia Chess Association
(georgiachess.org/):
Adults Only: Over 21 Tournament #1
January 07, 2017 9:00 AM • 1775 Montreal Rd, Tucker, GA 30084
Discussion?
After a quick check on Google Maps I see no issue. The Elks Lodge can dictate who enters their property.
Not the only state to do this. I believe Wisconsin does, or did, run a similar event.
Larry S. Cohen
There are events close to that here in IL, Larry - certainly events with lower age (or low age combined with low rating) limits.
I wonder if they really mean ‘21 or older’?
Montreal Rd. in GA is interesting. How did that happen?
West Virginia is holding its annual Senior Open championship on December 17-18. There are two sections: Senior (age 50 and up) and Young’uns (age 21 to 49 only).
Some events are required by law to ban minors. Especially, when alcohol is served. A friend of mine for a while at least, ran a tournament at a bar. And why not?? I mean, probably not my type of environment, but, hey, to each their own.
Kids, sometimes regardless of rating, simply are clueless as to proper protocol. I recall a game in a Red River Shootout match in which one very well known in USCF circles has just lost a very, very difficult game
to a national master. Right after the match, a high school kid old enough, and with a rating lofty enough, to
know better, went up to the losing gentleman and, unasked, started an analysis of the game and what the loser “could have, or should have done.” This analysis was quite unasked for, and not at all appreciated.
It is incidents such as this which cause many adults to prefer the absence of the youthful player.
Rob Jones
Rob, there are several reasons why young players often are found annoying in a tournament setting. First, they are often noisy before, during, and after games. Some talk to their opponents or others during a game. When talking at any time, they do not exhibit voice modulation. There is no “inside voice” for these kids. Second, some of the kids run around like it is a playground. Squealing, laughing, pushing each other disturbs the other players in the hall. Third, some of the kids like to bang pieces, play with taken pieces between moves, click pieces together, or stack the pieces up leading to noise when the pieces fall. Finally, the kids and their parents often leave debris like bottles, food containers, spills, crumbs, papers, and other garbage which has to be picked up by others. The adults want a quiet, neat environment in which to play.
On the other hand, more than a few adults have equally bad habits at tournament sites so their complaints about kids should be considered in context. As a TD, I have had to tell adults to clean up after themselves, to throw their coffee cups, food wrappers, and bottles away. Some adults have no consideration for others and talk loudly after their game is finished as if they are the only ones in the room. There are the piece bangers, the insulters, the door bangers, the players who come in late and dump their pieces on the table. There are those who talk to friends loudly in the tournament room or analyze at the board even when there have been announcements and signs saying not to do so. Some of these players then complain about the kids’ noise. The kids have a lot of energy, but they emulate what they see adults do. If the kids are taught to be respectful, quiet, and considerate of others they will be. Maybe that would rub off on some adult players.
It does not bother me that much that there are a few adult only tournaments. That used to be the norm when there were few kids around. But today, there are a lot of very well prepared children who take the game seriously and who are working very hard to improve. Those that have graduated from playing low rated scholastic events are playing in open tournaments, to the benefit of themselves and even adults who see that they are going to have to up their games to stay competitive. If respect goes both ways, everyone comes out ahead.
As for the player who would not accept advice from a kid, that is an interesting ego problem that he will have to figure out for himself. It takes kids a while to understand tact and timing. Adults have a problem with understanding that, too. They are called kibitzers. Much worse are the vultures who swoop in after a game to tell you how badly you played. The vultures don’t enter the tournament. They just come to spectate and make as many people as miserable as possible.
i try to play the position, not the opponent. hard to do sometimes, i know. almost every one of my youthful opponents during tournaments have exhibited good manners and proper decorum. maybe that’s because i usually lose to them!
…scot…
I like kids, and I certainly have lost plenty of games to kids. If they misbehave, I just put on my Mom/TD hat and gently correct them.
The main reason I don’t want to play kids is that they seem to be underrated quite often. If I look them up a few months after playing them, they have raised their rating significantly, and they didn’t get all those points from beating me. 
I see this all the time in nice hotels, especially when I’m trying to find a quiet place to relax before the next round. I often wonder what parent would let their kid run around a hotel lobby like it’s a playground.