35
votes
Accepted
A player falls asleep during the game and his friend wakes him -- illegal?
A player falls asleep during the game and his friend wakes him -- illegal?
No.
In fact article 12.2.6 of the FIDE Laws of Chess suggests that the arbiter should do so if they see a player asleep:
12....
- 94.5k
33
votes
Can a pawn move 2 spaces if doing so would cause en passant mate?
Can a pawn move 2 spaces if doing so would cause en passant mate?
Of course! There are no rules which forbid blundering mate in 1, even forced mate in one.
- 94.5k
27
votes
Accepted
Nonstandard game results
A 1/2:1 or 1:1 is very wacky (while not directly ruled out) and I doubt we ever see one.
1:1 has occurred, apparently, in English chess.
Check out the obituary for Steve Boniface on the Chess ...
- 94.5k
23
votes
Can a pawn move 2 spaces if doing so would cause en passant mate?
Yes - Magnus Carlsen did exactly this in a game against Jon Ludwig Hammer. You can see the game: www.chess.com/game/live/66685869281
According to GothamChess' analysis at www.youtube.com/watch?v=...
- 331
23
votes
Accepted
How is white allowed to castle 0-0-0 in this position?
You can not castle if your king would start, move through or end in check. For short castling that amounts to the same, since the corresponding squares e1, f1 and g1 include all the squares between ...
- 3,401
20
votes
What are the main changes in the latest (January 2023) version of the FIDE Laws of Chess?
There are three main differences:
FIDE has finally adopted inclusive pronouns. "He" is replaced by "He/She". "Him" is replaced by "Him/Her", etc.
The normal ...
- 94.5k
14
votes
Accepted
Does 'dead position' consider the 75 moves rule?
In section 3.10.1, the laws define what legal moves are:
3.10.1 A move is legal when all the relevant requirements of Articles 3.1 – 3.9 have been fulfilled.
The mentioned sections 3.1 to 3.9 only ...
- 156
14
votes
Accepted
How do arbiters handle touch move complains where players deny?
How do arbiters handle touch move complains where players deny?
There is a very simple principle arbiters follow: "Claims must be supported by evidence"
So, for instance, if you claim a ...
- 94.5k
11
votes
Accepted
Can Loss by Checkmate be Avoided by Invoking the 50-Move Rule Immediately After the 100th Half-Move?
Can player B invoke 9.3.2 to avoid the loss by checkmate?
No.
A player can only invoke the 50 move rule if the game is still being played. Checkmate ends the game. Once the checkmate is on the board ...
- 94.5k
10
votes
Does the touch move rule apply in Blitz?
TL;DR: He is playing "clock-move" which is an alternative to "touch-move." Players should agree to the "move rules" at the start of a casual game.
Alternatively, "...
- 3,695
10
votes
"Premove" in OTB game
What should the arbiter do when a player not having the move touches a piece with the intention of counter blitzing?
Working out somebody else's intentions when they do something is only possible for ...
- 94.5k
9
votes
What are the main changes in the latest (January 2023) version of the FIDE Laws of Chess?
The answer by @Brian Towers is correct, in their news statement FIDE highlighted the same points. Moroever, they released a “comprehensive table showing all changes and corrections“.
- 616
9
votes
Accepted
Can someone press the clock without making a move to avoid getting flagged in 2022?
Is it counted as an illegal move (I believe 2nd illegal is lost)?
The FIDE Laws of Chess are very clear on this:
7.5.3 If the player presses the clock without making a move, it shall be ...
- 94.5k
8
votes
Can Nepo and Ding receive computer analysis from teammates between tiebreak rounds?
Very likely no, notwithstanding any fairness issues of allowing communication after the round starts, the regulations of the 2023 FIDE World Championship state:
4. 10. 2. Except with the permission ...
8
votes
Accepted
Is it ethical to take a draw in a winning position, if a draw is good enough?
1. Is opponent's draw offer unethical?
Offering a draw in positions that are much worse is frequently regarded as bad etiquette.
However, bad etiquette does not always equate to unethical behaviour.
...
- 6,010
7
votes
Accepted
What are FIDE really hoping to achieve by the proposed rating changes from January 2024?
The justification is that lower rated player are outperforming their rating when playing higher-rated players. When a 1000-ish player played an 1800-ish player, the rating system expects the lower-...
- 18.4k
7
votes
Accepted
FIDE and USCF: If an arbiter is watching a chess game and observes that a rule has been violated, should the arbiter intervene?
The arbiter must intervene
In a Fide event, the arbiter is supposed to intervene and make sure that the rules are respected.
From FIDE Handbook :
Article 12: The Role of the Arbiter (see Preface)
12....
- 15.8k
7
votes
Does Fide/Elo rating fade over time?
The current FIDE rules for calculating ratings are given here for standard play and here for rapid and blitz. As you can see your rating only changes when you play. If you stop playing your elo ...
- 94.5k
6
votes
6
votes
"Premove" in OTB game
There is a clear difference in the FIDE rules between a move being made and being completed. It's made once you let go of the piece, completed when you have pressed the clock. There are various ...
- 27.8k
6
votes
Is wearing headphones during chess games against the rules in FIDE and Chess.com?
According to https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/OnlineChessRegulations.pdf
Rule 9.7 states that "Players are not allowed to have headphones in or over their ears during play."
I think ...
- 61
5
votes
Accepted
Why did I lose -> I thought I can swap king and castle to avoid checkmate?
According to the FIDE Laws of Chess:
3.8.2.2 Castling is prevented temporarily:
If the square on which the king stands, or the square which it must cross, or the square which it is to occupy, is ...
- 94.5k
5
votes
Accepted
FIDE and USCF: What do the rules say when a player insults an arbiter?
He taught us that FIDE rules do not want to cover all possible situations.
Like 100% of laws anywhere in the world, there are always edge-cases and trying to cover all edge cases may introduce ...
5
votes
How early can you resign a game?
Can you resign the game before it even starts, or can you resign after the first move of the game is played?
Strictly speaking you can resign at any time the game is in progress. The practical ...
- 94.5k
4
votes
Does 'dead position' consider the 75 moves rule?
My feeling is that it should consider the 75 move rule. The current wording strictly speaking doesn't say that, as benediktwerner's answer explains (considering it only mentions "legal moves"...
- 27.8k
4
votes
Does 'dead position' consider the 75 moves rule?
First, there are positions where white can force a mate but with perfect defense by black it takes more than 75 moves to do (Ant referenced this reddit post) and that do not involve captures or pawn ...
- 255
4
votes
Time control for casual clock simul at home
The normal way of running a simul is that the players only play their move when you come to the board. They then make their move. You then make your move and move on to the next board.
If it is a ...
- 94.5k
4
votes
Accepted
How is this a draw?
Three-fold repetition. The position facing Black for their 61st, 63rd, and 65th moves was exactly the same.
- 156
4
votes
Accepted
Minimum break between rounds
I couldn't find anything in the FIDE handbook either.
The USCF has rule 17A:
All games must be played in the tournament rooms at the times designated by the organizers unless the director specifies ...
- 18.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible