Questions tagged [fide]
Questions about FIDE, the international governing body of chess.
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Do FIDE rules ban stimulants? Which ones?
Do FIDE rules ban stimulants? I think they ban 'drugs', but would coffee be okay? What about beer or wine?
I hope they ban smoking somehow now.
And I would think that NADH could help old ...
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4answers
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Are Elo Ratings Zero-Sum?
Are Elo ratings a zero-sum system in chess? In other words, if I gain +9 points from a game, does my opponent necessarily take a -9 point loss? If so, would it make sense to say that Elo points are a ...
3
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1answer
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Timeline of key historical changes to FIDE Laws & WFCC Codex?
A well-answered question here: FIDE Laws of Chess pre-2017 asks for locations of historical sets of FIDE Laws. I am asking for something which partially builds on that.
Is there a timeline of "...
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2answers
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What if you messed up your notation a lot?
While playing in an OTB game where both players take notation, it's not uncommon for people to make a mistake here and there. Is there any rule regarding having a lot of mistakes? Furthermore, what if ...
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What are Silver and Bronze positions for FIDE direct titles?
I refer to https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/B01DirectTitles2017 for the following question:
Direct titles are awarded based on your performance in certain tournaments.
A gold finish is being 1st ...
3
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1answer
367 views
What are the chess time limits used by FIDE?
I was wondering, what time limits does FIDE use for its professional matches?
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1answer
68 views
End of game edge cases
Hello I have a few "edge" cases which I am quite interested what do you think about.
Note that all of those are on my understanding of FIDE chess rules and might be wrong - thank you for the ...
5
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1answer
112 views
Mate with both hands: Result?
Constructed case: In a tournament (LoC Tournament Rules apply, no rapid, no blitz) White plays d7-d8Q by placing the new Queen on d8 with the right hand and removing the pawn d7 with the left. White ...
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Why is there no rule allowing a player to claim a draw in lonely king endgames?
I was wondering, why is there no way for a player, who has sufficient mating material, to claim a draw against a lonely king?
According to Wikipedia:
The rules allow for several types of draws: ...
2
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2answers
116 views
Why the initial rating of FIDE is calculated that strangely?
Let suppose an unrated player plays a FIDE rated swiss tournament where its opponent's ratings are e.g. 1300,2000,2100,2200,2300 and wins all of them, then his initial rating will be 2100 according to ...
2
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331 views
FIDE Rules On Reading DURING Game
Are you allowed to read a book unrelated to chess during a FIDE rated classical tournament game? I myself have done this a few times whilst studying for exams, but was never sure if it was allowed or ...
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Difference between a grandmaster and an international master?
International chess tournaments are played in many cities in the world. What are the criteria that differentiate a chess grandmaster from a chess international master? Dibyendu Barua of Calcutta [...
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Initial FIDE rating below floor, what happens?
I'm curious to know what happens in the following scenario:
I play a Swiss tournament and meet 3 rated players, I score at least half point but do badly overall. Then I play another Swiss tournament ...
19
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1answer
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Is there a “touch-promote” rule?
When a pawn is moved to the promotion square, can one change their mind about what piece to promote to? Say I push a pawn to the promotion square, remove it, grab an additional queen, do not yet place ...
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2answers
273 views
When has the FIDE rule against bringing the game into disrepute been invoked (if ever)?
In the current FIDE Laws of Chess article 11.1 says:
11.1 The players shall take no action that will bring the game of chess into disrepute.
I have heard elderly arbiters fulminating about some ...
4
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1answer
288 views
Initial FIDE rating Question
According to FIDE, if I win half of my games in my first FIDE tournament, then my rating = the average of my opponents ratings.
If a tournament has 10 rounds, and I can only play the first 3 (and in ...
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0answers
30 views
Chess clock non-functional in ongoing game [duplicate]
I would like to know what happens to a game, according to FIDE rules, in the case of a clock becomeing non-functional during ongoing game.
Is the chess game abandoned and declared a draw match? Is the ...
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1answer
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Worst grandmaster by rating
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/fun-with-chess/worlds-lowest-rated-grandmaster
This is a joke thread about the 'world's worst grandmaster', Panko Smoobachuk. Seeing this post, I wondered, what is the ...
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1answer
465 views
Why are the requirements for becoming a GM so complicated?
Wikipedia's article on chess grandmasters indicates that the requirements to become a GM is complicated, and has always been complicated. For example right now, to become a GM, one needs to have had a ...
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1answer
153 views
Who was the first modern grandmaster?
According to Wikipedia, the modern system for awarding FIDE titles evolved from the "Dorazil" proposals, presented to the 1970 Siegen Chess Olympiad FIDE Congress. On the same Wikipedia page ...
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2answers
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What is the process for amending the rules of chess?
I read the whole document issued by FIDE containing the Laws of Chess, but nowhere does it say how (or even if) the rules of chess can be amended.
Is every change to the rules supposed to yield a new ...
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1answer
86 views
East and West German Chess
Interested in chess history, I wonder if there is an accessible data set that lists all players from East and West Germany in the 80's, ideally with information like the FIDE website (name, national ...
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1answer
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As we come out of lockdown, how much FIDE rated chess was played in June 2020?
I asked a similar question about chess during lockdown. Now that some countries are coming out of lockdown and chess is resuming FIDE has published data for June.
NB I looked at May data and as far as ...
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Resignation when a draw is offered
In a recent online game, I offered a draw when the endgame is clearly drawing. To my surprise, instead of replying to my draw offer, my opponent resigned. I have no idea why they did so and my best ...
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2answers
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Is shuffling aimlessly for hundreds of moves permissible?
As I write this, game 73 of the TCEC Season 18 superfinal has just ended. What was most "interesting" about this game is the sheer amount of shuffling both sides did: starting from around ...
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Does a loophole still exist in the defintion of castling?
Castling on the e-file with a promoted rook, an idea immortalized by Tim Krabbe and Max Pam, is no longer legal since FIDE amended the wording to state that castling is an actionn on the first/eigth ...
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1answer
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When was it possible for a player's king to be attacked by 3 of the opponent's pieces?
According to the current FIDE Laws of Chess:
3.9.1 The king is said to be 'in check' if it is attacked by one or more of the opponent's pieces, even if such pieces are constrained
from moving to ...
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1answer
704 views
Who were the first GMs, and how did they become GMs?
In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster, a player must achieve three Grandmaster norms. This is not the place to go into detail about what those are; the pertinent point is that norms can ...
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1answer
133 views
Why does FIDE recommends using German numbers and piece names for blind and visually impaired?
While reading FIDE version of the rules, I stumbled upon Appendix E: Rules for play with Blind and Visually Handicapped.
There, in E2.1:
The moves shall be announced clearly, repeated by the ...
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2answers
666 views
Unknown Women International Masters
I am interested in the history of chess and, looking at the old FIDE rankings, I am a little puzzled by the lack of information about some strong Women International Masters, with a FIDE rating above ...
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2answers
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Why does the FIDE rating table go beyond 400?
The FIDE rating regulations say:
8.5 Determining the rating change for a rated player
8.51 For each game played against a rated player, determine the difference in rating between the player and his ...
3
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1answer
77 views
Will FIDE extend time limits on certain qualifications given the suspension of chess during Covid-19?
We already know that there has been very little FIDE rated chess played in April. There are a number of areas where FIDE has time limits. For example:
Unrated players have 26 months to get results ...
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2answers
378 views
How much FIDE rated chess was played in April 2020?
FIDE has just published the May 2020 rating list which brings the ratings up to date for games played in April. The rating file can be downloaded from the FIDE download page.
Many countries have ...
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How to Become a FIDE Master
I was wondering what skills, abilities, and knowledge is needed to reach consistent 2300 FIDE elo and therefore become a FIDE Master. Now, I'm not asking about the innate abilities, but those which ...
5
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1answer
213 views
The Evolution of the K-Factor
The change in Elo ratings depends, among other things, on the K-factor (or development coefficient).
Current rules
FIDE Rating Regulations effective from 1 July 2017 give the following values:
K = ...
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Do any national chess bodies not strictly follow FIDE rules?
There are some subtle differences in the rules of chess used in different un/rated competitions. For example, chess.com never considers King + Bishop sufficient mating material (specific example here)....
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Do the rules of chess state that a Bishop+King can be sufficient mating material?
A famous recent example of this ending happened last year between Carlsen and Firouzja.
Here, Firouzja time ran out, so Carlsen won
[Title "Alireza Firouzja-Magnus Carlsen, World Blitz Championship,...
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1answer
486 views
How many Grandmasters have been stripped of their titles?
How many Grandmasters have been stripped of there titles? I heard about that GM in the bathroom.
Thanks!
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2answers
397 views
What happens if a player dies at the board? What is the ruling?
What happens if a player dies at the board? What is the ruling? I am interested in both FIDE and/or USCF rules.
I seem to recall about 40 years ago, when reading my first copy of the USCF rule book, ...
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1answer
120 views
Does USCF still pay for the FIDE Master application fee?
There is not much to add to the question. Quite simply, does USCF still pay for the FIDE Master application fee?
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1answer
325 views
Does FIDE or USCF allow ICCF type numerical notation instead of the so called algebraic?
ICCF uses pure numerical notation counting each square by row and column eg 11 to 88. So Pd4 often written just d4 - would be 2224 so there can never be any confusion should two pieces be able to ...
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What happens should a clock fail during the game?
There are a number of ways a clock can fail during a game.
Battery runs out, player pushes button by mistake and resets it, falls on floor and breaks, kiddie smashes toggle button hard with captured ...
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1answer
117 views
Now that FIDE has just announced BIDDING winners to be the official FIDE clock does that mean we have to buy those to play in their tournaments?
It seems odd , except maybe not for FIDE, that they announced the winners who BID to be the official clock.
Now they they have selected them do we need to buy those to play in FIDE tournaments?
...
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1answer
81 views
What locations in the USA have FIDE approved tournaments frequently?
USA does not have a lot of FIDE tournaments.
Are there any locations that have them more often than some small areas that may only hold one and never do another one?
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How often does FIDE review clocks to update their approved list?
The approved list seems to be rather old:
5.5. The electronic chess clocks endorsed by the FIDE
5.5.1. DGT XL (year 2007)
5.5.2. DGT 2010 (year 2010)
5.5.3. Silver Timer (year 2007)
5.5.4. Sistemco (...
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1answer
51 views
Just where is the list of FIDE approved clocks?
I see many sellers selling dozens of clocks that claim to be FIDE certified/approved.
Reading FIDE info I see what is required , and it mentions approved clocks, but I cannot find an actual list ...
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Does chess need promoting at all?
Chess has survived for thousands of years. Do we need to make special efforts to promote it?
Should anyone bother to promote chess other than FIDE?
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Old versions of FIDE laws of chess? [duplicate]
Is it possible to view or obtain old versions of the FIDE Laws of Chess? I would like to trace the history of when various rules were added or modified.
The FIDE handbook only goes back as far as ...
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1answer
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What exactly happened in the Open World Blitz Championship in game Carlsen-Alireza?
In the 19th round of the World Chess Blitz Championship in Moscow, Russia, Magnus Carlsen faced Alireza Firouzja with black. Alireza lost on time while he was trying to restore a piece he dropped.
It'...
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Is it OK to adjust your opponent's pieces, and what if he objects?
With all the questions lately about pieces being knocked off the board, being forced to adjust a fallen piece, etc., it made me think of this common scenario.
Players often adjust more than their own ...
