Opponents who "helpfully" write their name on your scoresheet

[Peter Ackley]

We've mooted many annoying chess player habit on this format but I don't think this one has yet to be covered. I thought this habit was dying out pre-COVID but it seems to be making a resurgence with a couple of villains per month being found.

I have no problem with the opponent who asks "do you want me to fill in my name for you". A polite declination is given. If an opponent wants me to fill mine in I'm more than happy to, in small, neat capital letters. Their scoresheet, their choice. But several times this year I've turned up to find a name on my scoresheet. It might not be the full name (in which case what use is it). It might be in large letters rendering all the space full with no option to write the opposing club name (or, in once case, the result). It might look like it's been written by a very young child, in crayon, at night, using their non-dominant hand, rendering the activity valueless. I thought all these were bad enough until one of my team pointed out their opponent couldn't even spell their own name on one occasion...

But what can you do about this? If there's another board not started play I will swap my scoresheet with someone from the opposing teams. Their player, their problem. If not an option then I just hand the scoresheet back to the opponent requesting they get me a clean one. This year, though, all the opponents have continued to sit there with a gormless look on their face, crossed with the amazement cavemen must have felt seeing fire for the first time, that an opponent didn't actually want them to do this. Last match their entire team had that look on their faces and it was one of my team who fetched the replacement scoresheet. I wasn't going to.

But what do the laws of chess say on this matter? Strangely not explicitly covered although using preface 0.2 "it should be possible to reach a correct decision by studying analogous situations which are regulated in the Laws".

8.1.1 Gives "In the course of play each player is required to record his/her own moves and those of his/her opponent in the correct manner, move after move, as clearly and legibly as possible". I don't think it's too much of a stretch for this to mean each player is responsible for their own scoresheet (although obviously if a player wishes they only need to record the moves unless required by the competition)

8.1.1.1 Gives "by writing in the algebraic notation (Appendix C), on the paper ‘scoresheet’ prescribed for the competition". That's scoresheet prescribed, which would be an unused scoresheet as placed by the arbiter (or other person setting up the equipment) at the start of the game. If you don't assume this then one could put any sheet of paper on the board, even a black sheet or a sheet used in a previous game, and expect players to have to find a way to use it.

11.5 Gives "It is forbidden to distract or annoy the opponent in any manner whatsoever". This rule would cover this situation since (a) it's annoying and (b) it's a deliberate action by an player undertaken without their opponent's consent.

But is this severe enough to require penalties as given in 12.9? I'd say no if the perpetrator went and got the new scoresheet but yes if they just sit there and do nothing to rectify their illegal action.

I mean, at the very least, if they are going to be nice enough to write their name they could also be nice enough to have a pint waiting beside the board as well...

[Nick Ivell]

Never had this happen to me but I share Peter's irritation.

[Roger Lancaster]

Other side of this particular coin is the opponent who, not having been given this, asks not only your name but for a letter-by-letter spelling.

[John Clarke]

I've had it done to me a time or two, and went through a very brief phase of doing it myself, before deciding it was all rather daft. Mildly irritating, but not worth getting too worked up about or seeking penalties. (Are these fellows really "being helpful", though, or is it perhaps some atavistic urge to mark their territory, like tomcats?)

[Roger de Coverly]

One of my university collegaues would ask his opponents to write or sign their name in his scorebook or scoresheet. Mind you he would also wear a scarf even in the middle of summer.

I get asked to write my name on the opponent's scoresheet every so often. Up to a point you can take comfort that if they don't know who you are then they haven't looked you up in a database.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"One of my university collegaues would ask his opponents to write or sign their name in his scorebook or scoresheet. Mind you he would also wear a scarf even in the middle of summer."

I played someone years ago who asked me to write my name in his scorebook. I thought it a bit odd, then thought he wanted a souvenir of all his opponents, which is fair enough.

[Mike Gunn]

I am also (slightly) irritated by this habit but I don't think there are grounds for claiming it is distracting behaviour as the game hasn't started yet.

[Peter Ackley]

If it's not "distracting" then what section of the rules does it breach? It's got to breach something otherwise what's to stop me turning up with a big, thick, dark marker pen and obliterating my opponent's entire scoresheet (before the match starts, of course) with my name?

I understand it's not, in the grand scheme of things, a massive issue BUT it's not like it's an involuntary act by an opponent (like coughing, sneezing etc) - it's a deliberate action for which permission has not been sought or granted. And there is an easy solution - just wait until your opponent is there and ask them.

[Ian Thompson]

If it's not "distracting" then what section of the rules does it breach? It's got to breach something otherwise what's to stop me turning up with a big, thick, dark marker pen and obliterating my opponent's entire scoresheet (before the match starts, of course) with my name?

There is no specific rule. It's covered by "The Laws of Chess cannot ... regulate all administrative questions. Where cases are not precisely regulated by an Article of the Laws, it should be possible to reach a correct decision by studying analogous situations which are regulated in the Laws."

It's the organiser's responsibility to provide you with a scoresheet that's fit to use. If your scoresheet's been defaced it's their responsibility to provide you with a new one and their decision on how they deal with the person who defaced it.

[Peter Ackley]

My original point! Although how you deal with the opponent at a league match who sits there looking gormless rather than fetching the replacement scoresheet is another matter.

[Martyn Goodger]

My cynical assumption, if an opponent asks me to spell/write my name, is that he has prepared against me very carefully ... but is trying to conceal this fact.

[John Upham]

how you deal with the opponent at a league match who sits there looking gormless

This issue occurs more frequently than you might at first think.

[John Upham]

My cynical assumption, if an opponent asks me to spell/write my name, is that he has prepared against me very carefully ... but is trying to conceal this fact.

A friend of mine (yes there are some) revealed that his opponent was perturbed to discover that he had in fact prepared for Ben Purton rather than Colin Purdon. How we laughed!

[Kevin Thurlow]

"A friend of mine (yes there are some) revealed that his opponent was perturbed to discover that he had in fact prepared for Ben Purton rather than Colin Purdon. How we laughed!"

John Nunn revealed years ago (pre-Chessbase) that he played someone from Soviet Union who showed him afterwards the game file his people had prepared. His prep wasn't helped by there being a number of games featuring the Czech player Jiri Nun...

[Geoff Chandler]

This never happened to me but I did it once, filled out neatly and in full an opponents scoresheet. Both names, date, grade, event and even marked the first time control. I knew they were on their way but would be 20-25 minutes late.
Of course I thought about circling the first time control two moves later, (move 38 instead of move 36 - when you have set as many two moves traps OTB that I have the idea of this two move trap came naturally. Of course I resisted. )