English Chess Forum

Assuming the games played are rated....

1. A player persistently uses more than one hand to complete his / her moves. What is the penalty should they not desist?

2. During a league team match spectators request that a player only uses one hand to complete their move. What is the penalty?

3. During a league team match a player refuses to notate their game when using a time control that requires notation. What is the penalty?

4. In a single gender team event the arbiter is concerned that a playing member of a team is of the opposite gender, what is the correct (rather than woke) course of action for the arbiter?

I am going to go out on a limb here and say there will be no enforceable penalties for any of those, beyond grumbling that "it's the rules, you can't break the rules...."

1. If opponent has objected, warn the player what the consequences will be if they persist and then default them if they persist.
2. Spectators told to leave the playing venue. Nothing else done unless opponent raises an objection.
3. Require the player to complete their scoresheet (using the opponent's scoresheet if necessary) while their clock is running.
4. The arbiter does not have standing here and it is not the arbiter's responsibility. Take no action.

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:47 pm

3. Require the player to complete their scoresheet (using the opponent's scoresheet if necessary) while their clock is running.

and if the player refuses to do so?

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:47 pm

4. The arbiter does not have standing here and it is not the arbiter's responsibility. Take no action.

Let us say that this matter is reported to the tournament organiser, what action should the organiser consider?

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:51 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:47 pm

3. Require the player to complete their scoresheet (using the opponent's scoresheet if necessary) while their clock is running.

and if the player refuses to do so?

Glare at them. (I have to confess here that I don't know the limits of what arbiters are currently allowed to do.)

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:53 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:47 pm

4. The arbiter does not have standing here and it is not the arbiter's responsibility. Take no action.

Let us say that this matter is reported to the tournament organiser, what action should the organiser consider?

Get legal and policy advice from the national-level organisation.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:51 pm

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:47 pm

3. Require the player to complete their scoresheet (using the opponent's scoresheet if necessary) while their clock is running.

and if the player refuses to do so?

And you do still get the occasional player new to competitive chess who actually doesn't know *how* to record the moves.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:17 pm

what is the correct (rather than woke) course of action

The correct course of action is not to use witless terms like "woke".

1. is an illegal move (see Laws of Chess 7.5.4). So 2 minute penalty for first offence, loss of game for second offence.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:17 pm

1. A player persistently uses more than one hand to complete his / her moves. What is the penalty should they not desist?

Can you invoke 6.2.3?

6.2.3 A player must press his clock with the same hand with which he made his move. It is forbidden for a player to keep his finger on the clock or to ‘hover’ over it.

Then 6.2.4

6.2.4 The players must handle the chessclock properly. It is forbidden to press it forcibly, to pick it up, to press the clock before moving or to knock it over. Improper clock handling shall be penalised in accordance with Article 12.9.

12.9 discusses the range of penalties available to arbiters starting with

12.9
Options available to the arbiter concerning penalties:
12.9.1
warning,
12.9.2
increasing the remaining time of the opponent,
12.9.3
reducing the remaining time of the offending player,
12.9.4
increasing the points scored in the game by the opponent to the maximum available for that game,

That all presumes the presence of an arbiter or person or persons deemed to be given arbiter like powers, such as match captains.

A warning is probably enough, but whilst beginners may not be aware of the one hand convention, I've seen experienced players do it. What happens is that they play a move, sometimes even write it down, then realise they haven't pressed the clock and hurridly press it with the opposite hand.

Beginners who have not been told will almost always do it when they realise you can gain a huge advantage by keeping one hand laying on the clock ready for an instant press and the other on the board moving the pieces (probably the very reason the rule exists)

I think the one-hand convention is designed to prevent potential pressing of the clock before a move is completed.

I used to see this all the time in lower-level time scrambles without increment.

John Upham wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 3:17 pm

4. In a single gender team event the arbiter is concerned that a playing member of a team is of the opposite gender, what is the correct (rather than woke) course of action for the arbiter?

Nothing, for your own safety, especially if your address is in the public domain.

Christopher Kreuzer wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:03 pm

Get legal and policy advice from the national-level organisation.

That is excellent advice, but this is the same ECF whose answer to the question "can we play OTB chess during a lockdown?" was "you may wish to do so, you may wish not to, it's completely your decision, we disclaim all liability". I think it will be a rainy day in the Atacama Desert when they volunteer an opinion on this one.

If a player is clearly gaining no time advantage from playing with one hand and pressing the clock with the other, I probably won't penalize beyond a warning. If, on the other hand, they're acting as Joey describes, I'm rather more inclined to give time penalties.