I just wanted to clarify the following incident:
When touching a piece without expressing the intend to adjust its position (cf. 4.2.1 FIDE Laws of Chess), such that it has to be moved because there is at least one legal move with this piece (cf. 4.3.1), one moves another piece (in an otherwise legal way), presses the clock, and the arbiter observes this; how should the arbiter decide?
Clearly, the move must be taken back and the clocks adjusted, but does this count as if an illegal move also? In my opinion, this is the case, but the (possible) reasonings I came up with had some holes:
- A player must make a move every time it is their turn, and press the clock if their move didn't end the game. Failing to move a piece is as if an illegal move (cf. 7.5.3). The player must move the first touched piece, but failed to do so; the move of the other piece is irrelevant (?).
- A player must move the first touched piece, but moved a second one; two moves consecutively is not allowed (cf. 1.2). Violating this is as if an illegal move (?).
I'm happy for any definitive take on that, preferably with an official source backing it up.