New Rapidplay Rule

[Joey Stewart]

Hello forum friends (I even extend this to forum enemies too)

I found out a brand new rule for rapidplay at the 4ncl this weekend - the completion of any illegal move now results in the game being lost.

Is this just a fide rating thing or is it now in force in all rapid games? I just wondered because I could see claims being attempted in smaller events and the tournament organisers having no idea that the change has been made.
Or has this been out for ages and I am just the last one to find out?

[Roger de Coverly]

Is this just a fide rating thing or is it now in force in all rapid games?

It's part of the FIDE Laws of Chess (from 1st July 2014) so applies unless local organisers decide not to enforce it.

There's material at the CAA site about how to apply it to events with "inexperienced" players. On standard play games, you are allowed one illegal move before you lose.

http://www.chessarbitersassociation.co. ... E_Laws.pdf

Illegal Moves (7.5b & Appendix A4b)
For inexperienced players (indicated by age and/or grade) it is advisable not to enforce this Article with its full vigour. Each illegal move should be penalised by giving the opponent additional time until the arbiter decides it is too distracting.
The opponent will be given an additional 2 minutes in standard play and 1 minute in Rapidplay.
(The tournament entry form should state if this exemption applies. An error could still be punished to the full extent of the Laws.)

[Michael Flatt]

The situation is very confusing since standard play games are often played to a finish in added time after the first time control (i.e. quickplay finish).

The rules of quickplay finish now appear separately in Appendix G, where a player may claim a draw if his opponent is not making progress or cannot make progress (the former 10.2 Rule).

Do the rules regarding illegal moves change during the game from Standard play before the first time control to Rapidplay afterwards when a different move rate applies?

Or, is it intended that the loss of a game due to a single illegal move applies only if the whole game is played under Rapidplay Rules?

Games played at Standard rate with a Quickplay Finish are graded as Standard Rate games. Games played throughout at Rapidplay rate are graded as Rapidplay. Perhaps, that is the criterion to use.

Who knows the answer? I don't!

[Roger de Coverly]

The situation is very confusing since standard play games are often played to a finish in added time after the first time control (i.e. quickplay finish).

Standard play games with a quickplay finish have a marginally different set of rules to rapidplay. I believe the 1st July revisions removed some of them, but I wouldn't expect a first illegal move to lose just because a time control had been passed.

[Michael Flatt]

The situation is very confusing since standard play games are often played to a finish in added time after the first time control (i.e. quickplay finish).

Standard play games with a quickplay finish have a marginally different set of rules to rapidplay. I believe the 1st July revisions removed some of them, but I wouldn't expect a first illegal move to lose just because a time control had been passed.

That's a reasonable answer and one with which I agree, however, others may interpret the rules differently.

Some clear advice from the relevant authorities would be very helpful.

[Kevin Thurlow]

An opinion - FIDE wanted to get rid of QP rules as everyone uses digital clocks with time addition mode (they think). That's why QP is lurking in an annex. I would think that the illegal move Laws remain the same during the game.

[Martin Crichton]

o/t hey Joey I think I was watching one of your (?) games yesterday in the 4ncl...you missed a simple tactic... I think it was 2 rooks and 3 pawns against 2 rooks and 3 pawns and you lost a pawn....
The trick was to capture your opponents pawn and the two sets of rooks would then be attacking each other....they were on adjacent files...
was that one of your games?

[Joey Stewart]

That was my opponent who had the tactic, I was on the white side of that game with the extra pawn. It was interesting to find that even international masters miss tactics sometimes, most of the time i find their defences virtually impregnable.

[Lewis Martin]

That was my opponent who had the tactic, I was on the white side of that game with the extra pawn. It was interesting to find that even international masters miss tactics sometimes, most of the time i find their defences virtually impregnable.

Of course IMs miss tactics just as GMs do. Matt Turner (against me) missed one near the end, though he got away with it by winning anyway!

Gormally isn't joking when he says "I've never known a GM that is easy to beat." (apart from the occasional bloopers!) Their defences aren't impregnable, but they certainly make it difficult for you if you are the one hunting for the win!

[NickFaulks]

An opinion - FIDE wanted to get rid of QP rules as everyone uses digital clocks with time addition mode (they think).

I don't think that's true. It is accepted that mechanical clocks will be around for some years yet, and that the British Isles will be their last bastion of support.

It does upset me to see the awkward machinery of Appendix G ( with or without an arbiter ) brought into play when a digital clock is being used, so a 3 second increment could solve the problem. I wish that use of a minimal increment could be regarded as standard practice when possible.