The importance of remembering rule changes

[Kevin Thurlow]

Picture the scene at a recent league match. A player hurriedly plays a move and hits the clock, the flag still up.

"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes", comes the reply, "but you need to make 42 moves. It changed at the start of the season!"
"Oh ****!"

The player manages his next 6 moves in 20 seconds to reach time-control.

As he recovers at the end of the match, a spectator wanders over and says, "I'm surprised you didn't know the time-limit - after all, you proposed the rule change..."

[David Sedgwick]

Picture the scene at a recent league match. A player hurriedly plays a move and hits the clock, the flag still up.

"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes", comes the reply, "but you need to make 42 moves. It changed at the start of the season!"
"Oh ****!"

The player manages his next 6 moves in 20 seconds to reach time-control.

As he recovers at the end of the match, a spectator wanders over and says, "I'm surprised you didn't know the time-limit - after all, you proposed the rule change..."

Brilliant!!

I hope the arbiter, League Controller, or whoever, took pity on the player and didn't penalise him for swearing at the board.

[Alex Holowczak]

If this were me, the conversation would have gone:
"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes"

Then claim the win on time when the flag falls.

[David Sedgwick]

If this were me, the conversation would have gone:
"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes"

Then claim the win on time when the flag falls.

In that case it's unlikely that you'll ever win John Saunders's award.

http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.com/g ... index.html

[Alex Holowczak]

If this were me, the conversation would have gone:
"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes"

Then claim the win on time when the flag falls.

In that case it's unlikely that you'll ever win John Saunders's award.

http://www.gibraltarchesscongress.com/g ... index.html

In my defence, I've declined to accept defaults in the past in order to get matches played. Maybe I'd win the award for that?

[Jonathan Bryant]

If this were me, the conversation would have gone:
"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes"

Then claim the win on time when the flag falls.

Surely better would be:-

"Is that 36 moves?"

"Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmm .... [FLAG FALLS] Who cares. You've lost on time."


J

[Alex Holowczak]

If this were me, the conversation would have gone:
"Is that 36 moves?"
"Yes"

Then claim the win on time when the flag falls.

Surely better would be:-

"Is that 36 moves?"

"Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmm .... [FLAG FALLS] Who cares. You've lost on time."


J

Yes, I could do that.

The other night, I was playing someone who wrote down his first five moves before he played them. I stopped the clock when it was my turn to move, and asked if he could write down the moves after he played them. He looked at me and called me a "pain in the a***".

Someone said that I shouldn't have complained because I would have had advance notice of his move. I replied that I wouldn't because it was written in descriptive...

At least it was better than the guy who wrote down his first three moves, then put lines for every move after that. His opponent knew this and played on for a bit. He was winning materially and positionally, and adjournment time came. He had every intention of claiming a win at this point, but the player resigned.

So you'll forgive my lack of sportsmanship on occasion.

[Paul Cooksey]

I see the ECU have approved a dress code. Can any of the arbiters present explain how I claim a win if my opponent is scruffy?

[Alex McFarlane]

Can any of the arbiters present explain how I claim a win if my opponent is scruffy?

1. Increase grade by 40 points
2. Get selected to represent England
3. Make sure you opponent wears a t-shirt (slogan optional).

[Andrew Varney]

The other night, I was playing someone who wrote down his first five moves before he played them. I stopped the clock when it was my turn to move, and asked if he could write down the moves after he played them. He looked at me and called me a "pain in the a***".

Someone said that I shouldn't have complained because I would have had advance notice of his move. I replied that I wouldn't because it was written in descriptive...

When earlier this year I played my first graded game for 25 years, I found it very hard to remember to not write down my moves before playing them. Playing chess up to the age of 18 at school it was so firmly ingrained in me to always write the move down first. At least the intervening time without playing allowed me to start afresh with algebraic notation!

But I don't think I'd make any fuss about someone writing their moves down first unless there were some indication that they were using it to cheat at all, e.g. by waving the scoresheet in front of team mates. Indeed, in another recent game, my opponent did write all of his moves down first, and in descriptive notation. I just gave a wry smile and tried not to feel nostalgic.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"I hope the arbiter, League Controller, or whoever, took pity on the player and didn't penalise him for swearing at the board."

The League Controller was playing in the match, and trying to laugh silently...

[Alex Holowczak]

When earlier this year I played my first graded game for 25 years, I found it very hard to remember to not write down my moves before playing them. Playing chess up to the age of 18 at school it was so firmly ingrained in me to always write the move down first. At least the intervening time without playing allowed me to start afresh with algebraic notation!

That's fair enough, but the person in my game was "someone who should have known better". Descriptive notation was fine because the league allows it in its rules.

But I don't think I'd make any fuss about someone writing their moves down first unless there were some indication that they were using it to cheat at all, e.g. by waving the scoresheet in front of team mates. Indeed, in another recent game, my opponent did write all of his moves down first, and in descriptive notation. I just gave a wry smile and tried not to feel nostalgic.

I only pointed it out because it was distracting me; that's the problem with "being an arbiter"; if I were an arbiter in that situation I'd be required to do something about it. So you're sitting there realising this is against the rules, and you keep noticing it every move and thinking that he shouldn't do this, and willing him not to keep doing it ... during which time, you're not thinking about the game in progress.

[Sean Hewitt]

The other night, I was playing someone who wrote down his first five moves before he played them.

Happened to me a couple of years ago. I also pointed out that it wasn't allowed after 5 moves. The conversation went

Me "Excuse me, but you're not allowed to write your moves down in advance"
Him "Oh, I didn't know that. When did they change that rule"
Me "1 July 2005!"
Him "Oh. My opponent last week said the same thing but I didn't believe him. What's the penalty?"
Me "Anything from a warning to loss of the game."
Him "Who decides?"
Me "The arbiter."
Him "Well, there's no arbiter here so there's nothing you can do about it is there?"

At which point I said I stopped the clocks and said that I wasn't going to play someone who wasn't prepared to play in accordance with the rules. The facts were reported to the league in question who awarded my opponent a win time. I was further told that I had no right of appeal. Needless to say that was my last game in that league!

[Roger de Coverly]

At which point I said I stopped the clocks and said that I wasn't going to play someone who wasn't prepared to play in accordance with the rules.

It would be still be legal in the Berks league.

Exceptions to the FIDE/ECF Rules

(b) Recording Moves The recording of a move on a scoresheet or in a score book , before the move is played, will not result in a loss. A scorebook must not be used as a database of moves during the game

The Berks AGM, included it around 2005 as a transitional measure and hasn't bothered to remove it. I cannot think of any players who still systematically write the moves first though.

[Sean Hewitt]

At which point I said I stopped the clocks and said that I wasn't going to play someone who wasn't prepared to play in accordance with the rules.

It would be still be legal in the Berks league.

Which is fair enough. There was no such ammendment to the rules of the league in question!