61
votes
Accepted
Why is chess failing to attract big name sponsors?
It's frankly quite boring to watch chess, unless you understand what is going on - it's not like football, basketball or hockey, where there is dynamic, action, fast-paced play - for us, chess players,...
- 1,172
58
votes
Accepted
Is rotating a pawn so that it faces a different direction and then moves in that direction technically permitted according to the 2018 FIDE Laws?
This sort of thing is what the Preface of the Laws of Chess is for:
PREFACE
The Laws of Chess cannot cover all possible situations that may arise
during a game, nor can they regulate all ...
- 27.7k
49
votes
Accepted
Why is coffee provided during big chess events when it contains a banned substance?
According to FIDE's Anti-Doping Policy:
The 2018 WADA Prohibited List and Monitoring Program can be found at:
http://list.wada-ama.org/
The most relevant banned substances for chess are:
...
- 94.5k
46
votes
Accepted
When was it possible for a player's king to be attacked by 3 of the opponent's pieces?
In my thread on the English Chess Forum, which seemed to make the world go crazy on the subject, I gave all the major and minor events in the history of the “legal” triple check that my extensive ...
- 17.1k
35
votes
Is there a specific penalty for intentionally damaging chess pieces or the board?
First of all I would consider the Preface:
The Laws of Chess cannot cover all possible situations that may arise
during a game, nor can they regulate all administrative questions.
Where cases ...
- 10.5k
35
votes
Accepted
Running out of time before playing a forced move that would draw the game
In the final position where white's only legal move is Kxg8 leaving bare kings the position is a draw if white's flag falls before playing the move. The FIDE Laws of Chess are quite explicit:
6.9 ...
- 94.5k
34
votes
Accepted
Should a player be forced to move a piece that he has picked up after a spectator knocked it off the board?
I am not an arbiter, but here's what the rules say:
Rule 4.3 (emphasis added)
if the player having the move touches on the chessboard, with the intention of moving or capturing
I think it should ...
- 10.5k
33
votes
Why is chess failing to attract big name sponsors?
Sponsorship is more like an investment. For example in video game competitions, companies like 'Sony' and 'Redbull' may invest money, of course, in the hopes that their audience will be more likely to ...
- 331
31
votes
Accepted
Are banter blitz players who draw arrows on the board during the game breaking the FIDE Laws of Chess?
I agree that it would break the FIDE rules against note taking, but this is not a FIDE tournament; it is online blitz on Lichess, so FIDE rules need not apply. You'd have to look at the Lichess terms ...
- 10.5k
30
votes
Accepted
How do you register a FIDE rating?
how do I register an official FIDE rating?
You don't register a FIDE rating because you have no authority to assign yourself a FIDE rating. Only FIDE can do that.
What you need to do is play in one ...
- 94.5k
29
votes
Accepted
Is there a "touch-promote" rule?
So I grab a rook instead. Did I break a rule?
No, the FIDE Laws of Chess are very clear. The choice of piece is not decided until it touches the promotion square.
In so far as touch move applies to ...
- 94.5k
28
votes
Accepted
FIDE Laws: what exactly does 'colours reversed' in 7.3 mean?
I'm not sure what 'colours reversed' means in this rule.
It is really very simple. Suppose you and I are playing in a Swiss tournament. The draw shows that you are to play white against me in the ...
- 94.5k
27
votes
What are pros and cons around banning castling?
It would certainly allow for more attacks due to kings being stuck in the center, but fundamentally changing the game, which in a way dumbs it down, is not good. It would be less complex.
I also do ...
- 32.4k
27
votes
Is it legal to take a piece to the bathroom during a tournament?
There are a number of serious things wrong with what you describe:
While they are thinking and holding the piece
You may hold a captured piece while you think but you may not hold a piece that is ...
- 94.5k
26
votes
Why is there no rule allowing a player to claim a draw in lonely king endgames?
Why is there no rule allowing a player to claim a draw in lonely king
endgames?
For the simple reason that there is no need. If you are the player with the extra material you can offer a draw and be ...
- 94.5k
26
votes
Accepted
Am I allowed to call the arbiter on my opponent's turn?
You are absolutely allowed to call the arbiter when it is your opponent's turn. There are any number of reasons why this would be necessary.
To start with the most prosaic, you have filled your ...
- 94.5k
26
votes
Accepted
How can I let my opponent know that I'm touching a piece to adjust it?
If you are just going to re-center a piece on its square, without intention to play it, the typical way is to inform your opponent beforehand with the traditionnal, worldwide used sentence:
J'adoube.
...
- 15.8k
25
votes
Accepted
Distracted by opponent's habit of spinning captured pieces
Article 11.5 of the FIDE Laws of Chess covers this:
It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner
whatsoever. This includes unreasonable claims, unreasonable offers of
a draw ...
- 94.5k
25
votes
Why did Bobby Fischer resign his title?
Bobby Fischer did not resign the title, although it may have looked that way.
As the New York Times reported at the time:
The International Chess Federation stripped Mr. Fischer of his title and gave ...
- 94.5k
24
votes
Wrong ELO calculation
The first thing to note is that FIDE make the rating calculations not Chess Stack Exchange. We can try and explain their calculations but we cannot change them or influence them in any way.
Here is ...
- 94.5k
23
votes
Accepted
Ambiguity in notation resolved by +
Would it be sufficient here to write Ne4+ (meaning Nce4) only (i.e.
without the "c" but with "+"), as Nfe4 would not be check?
It depends on exactly what you mean by "sufficient". By "normal" ...
- 94.5k
23
votes
Accepted
Was playing with both hands ever allowed in chess?
Was playing with both hands ever allowed in chess?
Yes, before 1997. Hence in 1995 Kasparov was not breaking the rules.
The key article in the the FIDE Laws of Chess is:
Article 4: The act of ...
- 94.5k
23
votes
Accepted
Are Elo Ratings Zero-Sum?
Between most players, Elo ratings are zero-sum.
The formula for updating an Elo rating looks like this. Suppose player 1 and player 2 are playing a game. First, their ratings are used to generate a ...
- 346
23
votes
What do you do when an opponent asks for a score sheet after a game in which recording is not compulsory?
You did the right thing! I would definitely allow my opponent to take a picture of the scoresheet. There is no need to be sour, as it is very unlikely you had or will have any disadvantages from his ...
- 5,975
22
votes
Accepted
Is it illegal to write clock time in the score sheet during tournaments?
According to the FIDE rules, it is not forbidden; clock times are actually explicitly stated as one of the items that a scoresheet may contain. See the following excerpt (emphasis mine):
Article 8: ...
- 3,796
22
votes
Accepted
Has the 75 move draw rule ever been invoked in a FIDE rated standard game involving a GM?
Yes.
[Event "Northumbria Masters"]
[Site "Newcastle"]
[Date "2018.02.18"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Britton, Richard L"]
[Black "Hebden GM, Mark L"]
[ECO "C89"]
[WhiteElo "2255"]
[BlackElo "2454"]
[Result "...
- 94.5k
22
votes
Accepted
Why is this position drawn?
In these rook-pawn endgames the key rule is that if the defending king reaches the queening square (h8 in this case) then the game is a draw. If the attacking king manages to control it (but not ...
- 26.1k
22
votes
Running out of time before playing a forced move that would draw the game
Draw by dead position
Once Black plays 2...Qxg8 the game is a draw. At once, and whatever the clock situation. White doesn't even have to play 3.Kxg8 - it is irrelevant, but actually s/he shouldn't do ...
- 15.8k
22
votes
Accepted
Do I have the right to resign on my first move or within 10 moves?
FIDE Handbook's Laws of Chess (Section 5.1.2) states
The game is won by the player whose opponent declares he resigns. This immediately ends the game. (source)
Players may resign at any time, ...
- 3,696
22
votes
Do I have the right to resign on my first move or within 10 moves?
I am curious if I can resign immediately on my first move
You may but the game will not be rated. Both players must make at least one move for the game to be FIDE rated. If the arbiter thought your ...
- 94.5k
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