I'm not sure I agree with that. The player wasn't adjusting it onto the centre of the square, or standing it up on the square. I always thought that is why the rule was worded as it was. I'd rule that it was touch move on the King in this scenario if I was called in on it (or if it were the sort of event where I noticed it).Stewart Reuben wrote:Nonetheless, Geurt was correct.
Take the simpler situation. 1 e4 e5 2 Kh5. He has not pressed the clock and returns the king to e1. Then plays 2 Qh5. The intent was clear and there should be no penalty.
But what if the clock was pressed? It is clearly a completed illegal move. Black has lost time. In a standard play game the clock is stopped. Now comes the tricky bit. the arbiter must decide whether the player has to play 2 Ke2 or allow 2 Qh5. In either case, Black gets an extra 2 minutes.
In a rapidplay or blitz he loses. I think we made a mistake that the first illegal move in a rapidplay loses. There was no appetite for change in the 2017 Laws.
What if the opponent says, 'Oh, it is clear he intended Qh5. Let' get on with our game.' I would simply walk away and let them do precisely that.
However, you're absolutely right that if the opponent was happy for Qh5 to be played, then the arbiter should allow that and let them get on with it.
By the way, if a game really did start 1 e4 e5 2 Kh5, I might check that there isn't a white Queen on e1 before I did anything else.